What a week we had this week. Our week centered around our video game debate, and it was a lot of fun. During class on the days leading up to Thursday's debate, we learned about debate fallacies (debate don'ts) and debate strategies (debate dos). We continued gathering research and elaborating on that research, and we went over our debate protocol and rules. This all led us to Thursday, when Judge Hanly (aka my favorite human ever: my dad) made an appearance in room 210. Each side had time that morning to prepare for the different stages of the date, which consisted of their opening statements, main arguments, rebuttals, and closing remarks. Students were given sentence starters for each stage, and had their research in front of them throughout the main event. In the past, I've been more loose with the how debate itself is run. In past years, we did it in a circle on the rug, more so of a text-based discussion than a two-sided debate. Yet it was often tough hearing from everyone, and students were so focused on getting their chance to talk that they weren't always actively listening to the arguments presented by their own teammates and their classmates on the other side of the issue. So this year, I developed a protocol in hopes that the structure would allow for both sides to feel equally heard. I think it definitely helped, but the formality was understandably a bit nerve wracking for some kids. As the debate went on, I feel like everyone became a bit more comfortable, and if we have time, we may try to squeeze one more in before the end of the year--especially since we now have all sorts of debate handcrafted supplies...

In terms of who "won", I was very torn about whether or not to even have "winners". But the aspect of competition was motivating for some kids, and when it comes down to it, being able to humbly win and gracefully lose is a reality that is good to get used to. My dad and I decided to have one winning team (of four possible teams; two in each homeroom) and several students as honorable mentions. The winning team (Aden, Lacy, Viola, Ava, Miqueias, Leanne, and Kaleah) ended up being on the negative side of the issue, and their enthusiasm, assertion, and clear arguments made for a successful and convincing crew. Other recipients of our Debate Winners medals were Colin, Lyla, Mihali, Petra, Annabel C., Emma, Antonio, Seriyah, and James, who were acknowledged for a variety of positive factors. Overall though, I was so proud of everyone, and their eagerness, teamwork, effort, and participation made for an enjoyable event that will be a highlight of the year for me.

We had three Bucket Fillers this week. Our Bucket Filler for Mrs. O'Keefe's homeroom was Shay. Shay is always contributing to class discussions. I love that she always has her hand in the air, ready to share her ideas. She has grown so much in reading this year, and we have a wonderful relationship that I truly cherish. We picked two names for my homeroom this week, and that's because of how much extra time and effort so many kids put into our debate. Both teams knocked it out of the park and just were super into it, so I ended up rewarding them by selecting two Bucket Fillers for the week. Those two names were Rakia and Mason, and what awesome, awesome kids they both are. It's funny, because they actually have many similarities in terms of why I appreciate them so much. Both Rakia and Mason received the Superintendents Award this school year, and while they were for two different things (Academics and Leadership), they both very well could have been the recipient in the other's category. They are positive, flexible, and respectful. Mason is the first to help me clean up the classroom at the end of the day, and that's often without being asked to. Rakia is as polite and kind as they come, continually supporting her peers and her teachers. I truly feel lucky to have them both in my class this year!