This week, at long last, we will be getting back to the fine art of debating. We will be in the library on Thursday and you will be looking up stats and articles on the legalization of prostitution and the prosecution of youth criminals as adults. Cheerful, huh?
We have been doing some work on public speaking and will continue to do so, and for this blog, I want you to get inside MY head for a change. I want you to tell me why you think that I think it is so important to be a good speaker, to make logical decisions and to keep your emotions in check when you are doing either (speaking or deciding). Is it because I don't like you and want to change you and your behavior? Do I think my way is smarter than your way?
So, based on everything you know about me (admittedly, that is not a lot but work with it), why do you think I do what I do and teach what I do especially given the fact that so many of you disagree with most of the things I say?
As always, I'm listening...
Disclaimer: This is just what I think... So I'm not trying to say it is what Bunje is, even if it might sound it.
ReplyDeleteThe way I see it, from the way you've helped my friends, and even have helped me is that you're on the child's side. Most of all if the child is at a disadvantage, you're going to try even harder to make sure they get through what they need to get through. I also feel like when you see a child is prejudged, and not expected much from, you push them harder. Now to the fact that you want us to work on public speaking, logical decisions, and keeping our emotions in check is simply because you would want us to succeed. We can all mostly agree that we learn new things in we're in your class, I know from last year, and this year I learned so much compared to the past years. I learned not only academic points, but also life choices. Those life decisions, and handling of situations would be worthless if we didn't know how to present ourselves. Presentation is everything in the real world, from speaking correctly, to speaking logically because that's the simplest way fro people to agree. I believe you teach us this so we know how to deal with life, right now we're grasping the miniature sized situations that we'll later on apply to real life bigger situation. By doing so, the first steps to succeeding is knowing how to speak, control our situations, and presenting ourselves in the best way possible, especially for the students that are at some sort of disadvantage.
I truly hope I'm close to the reason why, because I don't want it to be because you don't like us. (:
For starters I like the way you teach and how you are because its not like your normal boring "turn to page 69, read 80 pages and answer the questions" teacher. The fact that your socially aware of your students (well at least us) and your able to connect makes you an awesome teacher. I think that the reason you want us to do certain things is because you just want us to better ourselves and choose the best possibly outcomes in life. You want us to look at situations from more than just one perspective and be open minded about it. If we're stubborn and close minded all the time then we miss out on the big picture. Its not like your trying to take away the person we are and totally change, just make us more presentable and better decision makers. And lately with the whole choosing the better outcome stuff i think it plays on more than fighting but everyday situations. I was watching the Lupe Fiasco interview when that black dude was interviewing him (I forgot his name) and he said "There are some fights that aren't worth fighting even if you win. But there are other fights that you have to fight even if you lose". I think the thing that matters most is thinking and deciding which fights are which and thats what you've been trying to tell/teach us. But in all that being said, your an AAAAWWWWEEESOME teacher
ReplyDeleteIt is important to be a good speaker because you need to be everywhere you go. Of course you need it when you tryna spit game to a girl but you also need it when you go off college. It’s also comes in handy in job interviews that I know because I got my job because of that. Ms. Bunje of course I don’t think my why is smarter than your but there are some things I think differently from you and I do choose my why most of the time. You always give great advice and I listen and take that with me but I put your wisdom and mine together and make my decision. You’re the reason why some of my mind set is different. I don’t go out and talk too much shit anymore cause there no point I still do sometimes but not as much as I use to. Also what you told me about the girl can choose the first move with the guy going first Im going to work on that because I just like to be somewhat controlling. So to conclude what I’m saying you always help me out with everything and you are always there when I need someone to talk to. Also you’re my wife so you have to be there haha:)
ReplyDeleteEver since I started debating and giving public speeches I think I started building a general idea on why we take these kinds of classes. I assumed it was to help us try to argue our side of the story to people so we could avoid physical contact. However, ever since day one in your Debate and Discussion class my outlook towards debating has changed. I believe what you are trying to get across in our class isn’t that debating helps prove your arguments in a smarter way, that goes without saying. I believe you are trying to set us help to succeed in life in the most successful way possible. Why else would we constantly try and figure out who we are as a person, understand others, or try looking at problems from the past. You don’t believe that debating and speaking is just a way to prove your point, which is very easy to spot, based on how you deliver your lessons. You believe that life is full of difficult choices and being a good speaker or debater will help us narrow down our choices, pick out the best choice, or keep an open mind to people’s opinions so we don’t make fools out of ourselves. These talents that you gain in life aren’t there to help you win an argument, they are there to help better our lives and I think that’s what you want us to see. When it comes down to it nobody cares how well someone presents a point or how dumb it makes someone look because that blows over quickly. What really matters is what happens after the debates. I believe you want us to use the knowledge we learn from debates and apply it to situations outside of a debate. Plain and simple your class is about getting us ready for the real world and the many choices that face us, at least that’s what I think is going on in your head. It’s either that or you hate us and want us to do work for no reason
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, I believe the reason why you think being a good speaker is a good thing because it gets people to believe you no matter how outrageous it sounds. You try to instill this in us (the class) while we are all still relatively young. And while we may not notice it now you know for a fact that at one point or another we are going to need it. For example tomorrow we have the wedding speeches where we are either the best man or the maid of honor. Now, it may not happen now but I'm pretty sure at one point in each of our lives we will get the opportunity to make one of those speeches. Even if we don't notice it, your teachings will get us by those 4-5 minutes of rambling on. Also I think the reason why you teach the way you do is because you understand the kids of our generation! Most of the kids in our school are misunderstood and misguided. You are one of those teachers that can actually connect to us because of your teen years as a troublesome kid (no offence). You actually know how it is to be a teen because you have been through the rough patches yourself! So by having this type of childhood it showed you ways to get your point across without doing anything drastic. Another reason why I think you teach the way you do is because you actually have great advice to give to others and you absolutely LOVE a great conversation with another intellectual or someone you can relate to. So speaking publicly is really no problem for you because you treat the crowd as if you were speaking in a one to one conversation. That is what makes you a great public speaker and that's what gives you the fuel to teach us the way you do (which is great by the way).
ReplyDeleteI think that you want us to be good speakers because it's your job. However, you love your job (to an extent), so you also enjoy teaching us to be good speakers because it can get us far in life and you always want what's best for your students. Making logical decisions and keeping emotions in check are things that come naturally to me, so I can't think of much to say about that except that it just makes life so much easier if you just stop to think about what you're about to do. Overall, you're a teacher who cares about her students.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Nick for the most part. It is your job as a debate and discussion teacher to help us become good public speakers. I honestly don't see how you teaching us how to speak, control our emotions, and make logical decisions would be you punishing us because you don't like us. If teaching us those skills will help us in the long run and help our future-and they will- it shows that you do care, and that you do like us. Well, you like most of us anyway. I don't believe you're trying to change us and our views from dislike, just broaden our persepctive which can make us into better people. That doesn't seem to me like something a person would do when they don't care about them; especially if you're making it more fun. Oh, and I think your way probably is smarter than some of our ways, whether you believe that or not.
ReplyDeleteWell first off it is your job to teach us to be good speakers cause it is a debate class. But seriously you teach us to be good speakers cause in life there is going to be a time where we need to stand up and speak to people about something important. People who are shy will obviously be changed in your class cause you make everyone speak in the front of the class with either one of your occasional papers or debates or any other topic you think for your lesson plans. Its not because you are mean it is because you want us to have a better future, most likely if we are loud and out spoken we will make a point to anyone. There are some things you say that I personally don’t believe or agree or like in your class but these are my personal things in minding I wont name them but they are there. The way you teach is fun and playful and no one ever sleeps in there even though we have you first period and everyone likes you because you see everything from our point of view.
ReplyDeleteDebating is the wrestling match of ideas. It offers an audience the chance to hear their perspectives on people and concepts held up against an opposing idea. A debate requires more than preparation. Being a great debater is being an awesome listener, and being able to communicate your thoughts in a well spoken manner. You must listen to your opponent to be able to debate his or her position against yours, and you must communicate to your audience that you have heard and understood what your opponent is saying. Of course it's not because you don't like us, you love us and we love you! You do what you do and teach us what you teach us because you go above and beyond the other teachers in Oakcrest who don't know how to teach. I think you have the ability to blast us with knowledge that we never even knew you had. The way that you teach us is reality and the way of life. Being exposed to this class, my mind, thoughts, and views of life have changed and I've become exposed to things that I never thought I would've been able to get through. I think this applies to everyone in class also.
ReplyDeleteI think that you think it's important to be a good public speaker because it's a good skill to have in life. No matter what, everyone will have to do some type of public speaking at some point in their life. And it'll be a lot easier to win an argument with the various techniques and such. And it's important to make logical decisions for obvious reasons; if you don't you're bound to mess things up. It's also important to hold back emotions when debating because if they get the better of you it shows, and it can ruin your whole side of an argument. So basically I think you do what you do and teach what you teach because you care about your students and want to see them excell in life or at least give them the foundation that they need to get started. Yeah
ReplyDeleteFirst I want to make the statement that getting inside the mind of Bunje and truly understanding what is going on is close to impossible.
ReplyDeleteAnyway i feel that you teach the way you do to flat out teach us. Constantly you call us your kids and as a teacher i think you take on an almost parenting role. This role you take on helps you to teach us what we need to know. You have tought us many life lessons and not nescesarrily tried to change our way of thinking but to allow us more options for our persepective. You dont just let us go about thinking the way we do without having us consider the other options. This, to be honest is an amazing thing that you do for us because it helps to make us more wellrounded individuals. ( I personally thank you for doing so)But anyway it shows that you take the class, your job, and most importantly us seriously.
Anyway i just see what you do is doing your job as an influence in our young lives to help prepare us for the rest of our lives.
Ummm. Ms. Bunje all these tough questions! To be honest I think that you a see the potential in all of us to be good public speakers. I think that you have us practice and research like you do to pull it out of us. You teaching us how to speak correctly, conrolling our emotions, and making logical decisions will most definitely help us in the long run, whether we become actors, athletes, musicians, or a public speaker, we will have been taught and I'm sure we won't be able to forget it. I believe you haven't just taught us the basics but you have gone into depth everything that we will need to know for when we get out into the real world. At times some people may feel pain because of the workk (which isn't that much) but it's a good pain. I wouldn't change a thing about the way you teach us!
ReplyDeleteYou need to be a good speaker to be able to persuade people and become successful. I think you want us to be good speakers so if we need to go prove a point or stand up for something we believe in we are going to have to be able to speak fluently and have confidence. We need to think logically and keep our emotions in check because if we let that interfere and not think about the long run and what is going to be good for me than we will make the wrong choice. Its is so easy to get mad and just react negatively. If you think things through and let your mind clear look at the situation when you aren’t mad 98% of the time you will make a better decision. Mrs.Bunjee you honestly only want what’s best for us. I love being in your class because I feel as if you are a very very smart women and I take all sorts of things from your class. You have a gift and that’s the least I can say. Some mornings i wake up just for your class and that’s a lot because I hate getting up in the morning as you could tell by the second marking period attendance. I think you teach the things you do so we open our eyes to things. This world isn’t going to senor things for us most of us are about to be graduated and out in the real world.
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