5 Tips for Teaching Debate (if You're a Debater)
This post is adapted from a conversation in the Ace Peak Society. Shimi asked:
I am teaching intro to LD for the newcomers in my club, and have compiled a PowerPoint for myself to help me along the way. Do you have any tips on how to best explain/present LD debate? or even mentoring LD in general?
Here are a few tips that may help you as a mentor:
1. Embrace Structure
Value theory is, in many respects, very rigid. Embrace that because it makes the learning curve much simpler. It's easy to get overwhelmed when you have a lot of options you don't understand. But for value debate, almost all coherent cases will have a value, at least one value link, and exactly two contentions (for NCFCA, Stoa, and Paladin. NSDA’s current value resolutions both call for only one).
Lean into that rigidity and have students practice writing cases with the same exact structure many times, changing the resolutions often. Don't even mention other options or the fact that their opponents may run an incorrect number of contentions until their grasp of case construction is solid.
2. Be a Student
You don't have to pretend to know everything. If you're asked a question to which you don't know the answer, be open about it and then invite the student to join you as the two of you figure it out together.
3. Watch for Pet Peeves
Student mentors and novice coaches are guaranteed to develop pet peeves. If you haven't yet, you will. Perhaps you’ll be tired of hearing a specific phrase in rounds, or you won’t like a source that everyone is quoting.
Be ready for pet peeves, and when they come, actively work to avoid letting them control how you instruct your students. Focus on the fundamentals; give your kids whatever will help them achieve the maximum result for the minimum effort.
As you mature as a teacher/coach, pet peeves will gradually lose their hold over you.
4. Start with Resolutionism & Scope
Resolutionism: the theory that an affirmative ballot supports the resolution, and a negative ballot negates it.
Scope: the degree to which the resolution must be true for the affirmative to win.
These two concepts are the foundation of everything else in debate. They will answer a lot of your student’s questions before they're even asked.
5. Stay Basic
The learning curve for debate is steepest at the beginning. You want to give students a strong introduction that they don't need to unlearn later, and that means teaching a lot of theory upfront. To avoid overwhelming your students, follow this principle: Anything that can wait a few tournaments should.
That means teaching case construction, organization/flowing, and basic refutation. Don't fuss over delivery or persuasion; they will come in time. Teach only enough strategy and cross-examination to get them off the ground. You can always circle back later.
Want to become a member of the Ace Peak Society? Book your first coaching session today.