Why I Ditched a Law Career to Become a Debate Teacher

In my opinion, nothing fosters strong critical thinking like participation in debate. It teaches kids to develop persuasive arguments that are supported by robust evidence and to anticipate and address possible counterpoints. Unfortunately, for too long debate has been the playing field of the elite, with wealthy families paying thousands of dollars for private coaches and pricey camps. They know that strong debating experience can be a ticket to admission and scholarships at top colleges and that it provides vital skills — public speaking, research, critical thinking — that are key to academic and professional success.  

At Success, we are working to close the debate gap. Our middle school scholars learn debate techniques at a young age through a rigorous and multi-faceted curriculum, taught by dedicated debate teachers. They participate in the SA debate league and also compete in top tournaments across the country. Here, I’m excited to share the perspective of Delaney Hellman, a middle school debate teacher who sees firsthand the impact that debate has on her scholars’ lives. 

By Delaney Hellman

One of my favorite students at the middle school where I teach, Success Academy Harlem North Central, used to be one of the worst behaved in our school. He talked back to teachers and lashed out when he was distressed. He had emotional processing issues that prevented him from putting his feelings into words, and my colleagues and I expected that his academic road would be rocky. 

But this student fell in love with debate. Now an eighth grader, he’s learned how to express himself, using words thoughtfully and powerfully to put forth an opinion. He is confident, listens carefully, and takes the lead. His teachers frequently comment on how he raises the bar for class discussions. He’s currently applying for high school and is touring the most competitive schools in New York City because he has the grades to be accepted. This student proved us all wrong — and his story is just one example of the impact debate teachers can have on their students. 

I never planned on becoming a debate teacher — as a political science and economics major at Bloomsburg University, I had my sights set on becoming a lawyer. I wanted to be actively engaged in social justice and policy change. Instead, I found myself at a desk job for a scientific open-access campaign, where the tedious day-to-day didn’t fulfill my desire to see an immediate impact related to my work. That’s when a recruiter reached out to me on Linkedin and invited me to a networking event for Success Academy Charter Schools. On a whim, I decided to attend — and I found a lot of people who reminded me of myself. They wanted to make a tangible difference in people’s lives, and their current careers weren’t living up to that.

I was also intrigued when I found out about Success Academy’s unique debate program. All of their middle schools have dedicated debate teachers who teach debate electives to all grades, fifth through eighth, and coach teams that compete in local, regional, and national tournaments. I’d been on the debate team throughout my time in college and I missed it. I loved debate because it allowed me to put what I was learning in my political science and economics classes into action — using theories and knowledge to help marshall my arguments. Debate had hugely influenced my interest in social justice and had informed my decision to become a lawyer. 

At the same time, there’s a very obvious equity gap in the debate world — it tends to be dominated by students from elite schools who have the money to pay for private camps and coaching. Success Academy’s debate program seeks to level the playing field for underserved students and I grew excited about the possibility of helping these kids access the same opportunities that debate had given me. 

I’ve now taught debate full time for three years, and its transformative power is even greater than I imagined — especially for middle schoolers who might not feel seen or heard. Some of the kids in the room are English Language Learners, and others are shy or not comfortable speaking in front of the class. Watching them find their voices through debate is powerful. I love it when a once-quiet student tells me she wants to become a defense attorney or when a scholar expresses an ambition to become a congresswoman after learning about politicians like Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez. Debate gives my students big ideas for the future and the self-belief that they can achieve them, and that's amazingly gratifying. The flexibility in the curriculum also lets me bring my own passions to the classroom and find the topics that get my kids excited. 

Nobody else does debate in this way; in fact, you’ll likely never find full-time debate teachers at other schools. Our middle schoolers compete against high schoolers at regional and national tournaments — and win! One of our high school debaters was the youngest African American male to reach the quarter-finals of the Tournament of Champions. Several of our scholars have gone on to debate in college on full scholarships. In a world where emotional appeal stands in for evidence-based reasoning, our debaters are learning to make logical appeals resonate. They’re the leaders of tomorrow — and I couldn’t ask for any change more transformative than that.

Interesting in exploring a career as a debate teacher at Success Academy? Learn more here!