Learning from Debate

Kiddo's debate classes are over for the year. Yesterday, he had his final debate for the Public Forum session. The resolution: Birthright Citizenship Should be Abolished. Kiddo was for the resolution and debated alone against a team of two other students.

He has been taking classes at this debate school for six months and due to other commitments, we have decided not to continue over the rest of spring and summer. He may decide to participate in the fall again because he really likes the instructor so he's not saying goodbye altogether. He has learned so much over the last six months and has met his match in many of the other students and I am so glad for all the incidental lessons that he's gained from this experience too. He didn't win at the latest finals but came away learning very important lessons about research and preparation, time management, communicating and thinking critically on his feet, not under-estimating his opposing team and taking defeat with a great attitude. All the more reason to work harder at the next challenge!

I was most pleasantly surprised when the instructor spoke to me privately about how much kiddo has grown from this. He was impressed enough with kiddo to use kiddo's class assessment as a sample assessment on the school's website. He is also using a recording of one of kiddo's class sessions to show another class how to debate well! This is praise that I hope kiddo takes with humility and generosity of spirit. 

I highly recommend debate and public speaking for any child interested in it. We drove many miles to give kiddo this opportunity so it didn't come cheap but it was very worth the effort and time spent.

Onward to another fun challenge!