Seriously impressed

I have to write today because I have the most awful migrane headache. Odd reason, I know. Let me explain. Today in class we had a debate. The debate was frustrating for the kids. They were not very confident and felt like they still didn't get it. But...oh my goodness, the debates were rough but soooooooo good.

I kept having to jump in to help clarify and redirect to the question. I even had to arm down some of the kids so they wouldn't bully the other side with their questions but the reason I have a migraine is not because of all those pieces. I have a migrane because I was working so fast and so hard to keep track of their arguments and keep track of who said what when, because they TOTALLY got it! TOTALLY! They thought they were confused but my seniors held a scholarly debate about challenging governmental theory and international politics like pros.

I am really proud of them this year. I get upset when they don't try. But, we are going through Comp much more theory-based this year and MAN, do they understand the theory! It's crazy! They can talk about where British political parties are headed, can discuss David Cameron's plans for Britain, and discuss deepening of authority without legitimacy of the people, the implications that legitimacy can have on political power and can already use those themes to speak in a scholarly way about political power and ecnommic control in Iran, Russia and Mexico before we've even covered the specifics. It's amazing! They are true political scientists and they don't even think they get it. I don't know how to explain it. I see the difference when last year they can identify the PM of Britain but this year they can talk about what the current economic crisis will do for his voter base and what that's going to mean when Gordon Brown calls for elections. They talk about it like it's no big deal and that kids always talk like that in compgov, but it's never been like that in this class.

Ok, I'll stop rambling. I'm really impressed with my kids right now.

The debate topic was, "Resolved: The failure to ratify the EU Constitution signaled the end of EU deepening." They talked theory. They talked about deepening authority economically even without politically, the implications of unanimity voting, of political efficacy in an uninformed populace and still addressed the fact that authority can, nevertheless, increase without popular choice. They talked about the length and scope of change and linked it to the historical EU.

My brain hurts because my students had such complicated arugmemnts (even though they sometimmes confused each other). I'm seriously impressed.

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