Is it a challenge to develop the writing skills for NAPLAN testing with the students you have? Do your talkative students have enough outlet for their talents? Need more action in your classroom?  Why not try some Debating?

Have a look at clips from the Debating DVD in the Resources area at the right.

For $20 you could be showing your students how debating works and helping them to build life long skills with their boundless energy!

When I started teaching debating to a large group of interactive, energetic boys, I found it was just what they needed to focus and motivate  them.  They had trouble concentrating in a small room with all this energy bottled up.  We found a larger space for an hour and worked in small 3 person teams.  We spread out  so that the noise was subdued but the energy was channelled into brainstorming ideas for arguing their cases and deciding who would take on the different speaker roles.

What was really wonderful is that even those with slow developing writing skills were able to jot down key words and phrases at first (spelling doesn’t matter).  All they need is to note their ideas so that they can remember them.  This frees up their creativity and works with their passion to have their say.

Once you get excited about the idea of arguing as a team about a topic, there is more reason to write and research ideas online and even talk it over with your parents!

Of course, the teacher is encouraging your interesting approach to the topic and respecting your thinking about it and you start believing you can.  ( I never met a student that couldn’t)  Yes, the logic may be flawed at first.  The arguments may be really inventive.

Some need more support, even someone to start them off by jotting down their best thoughts for them, but once the enthusiasm kicks in….with family, team and teacher support, a budding debater is born.

With GOZONE Debating Handbooks, the DVD and the debating template, you have the ingredients to get started.  You can have In-house debates, just in the classroom or you could invite parents or a younger class to watch.

THE SELF ESTEEM IT BUILDS IS AMAZING.

It will completely change your ideas about what students can achieve.

Lesli Grant

GOZONE Debating

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