Hello! After a long February break followed by a short three day return to EMS, Team Nova is back into the full swing of things with our “We The People” debates. Today, students practiced debating their fellow classmates in a similar format to what our debates will look like on Thursday, presenting and fine-tuning their arguments as the ideas of rebuttal and crossfire were introduced. Two practice debates were held simultaneously, with myself and Mr. J. each moderating one set of pro/con groups per class section. In my debates, we proceeded through the protocols slowly, reviewing each person’s arguments, appropriate rebuttals, and proper debate etiquette individually. While some groups will really need to hunker down and edit their arguments before debate day, today’s practice provided helpful insight for both students and teachers: the actual case material seems clear, but the concepts of forming and refuting arguments in a respectful but strong debate have room to grow.
With sensitive topics like book banning, peaceful protests against a biased school dress code, and whether or not a student prayer group should be allowed to advertise their meetings in school; students are bound to encounter some uncomfortable moments of rumination, agreement, opposition, and reflection. Today alone I heard students reference the book burnings in Nazi Germany, the presence of LGBTQ+ clubs in schools, and a number of religious beliefs in less than tasteful ways (although, I do not assume that they meant any harm or offense in doing so). There were moments when I had to shut down and justify the redirection of certain conversations because I was worried about the comfort of my students, both those speaking and those listening with weary ears. Of course, the topics we have asked students to debate demand discomfort if they are to be considered on a pragmatic yet entirely human level. Difficult conversations are a part of social justice and the fight for change. However, students should not feel social, emotional, or academic pressure to align themselves with a certain set of beliefs or to deny their feelings for the sake of avoiding persecution. Debate makes maintaining a safe learning environment difficult, but as a future educator, I understand that establishing a safe learning environment is absolutely necessary and always possible. Redirecting the more sensitive conversations that bordered offensive was challenging for me as a student teacher, but I reacted in a way that I was positive would prevent disrespect from becoming a problem in our classroom community. As our debate preparation continues, I hope that both students and myself will learn from any repeated opportunities for addressing and redirecting offensive conversation topics. For now, I plan to continue listening to my students, searching for understanding in their words while also explaining any choices I make to filter what they are saying.
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