From bell to bell, Dan Smith teaches debate and speech class to help students gain important communication skills that they can use in their future careers.  Smith has been teaching for 25 years, but worked in multiple careers before he taught.

“The easiest part about teaching is that it comes naturally to me,” Smith said. “I don’t have to try. I am who I am and I’m lucky that I’ve got skills that work in education. Every day I learn new things from my students. It’s cliche, but I learn to expect the unexpected. I want my students ultimately to not just be able to debate, but to know what they’re talking about. I want my students to learn the importance of  listening to the opposition and looking at things different way.”

Many students gain skills they can use in life from debate class. Students taking debate can expand their confidence in speaking and their appreciation for other’s opinions through learning and discussing current events, and debating topics that relate to society.

“I think Mr. Smith has done a very good job teaching me and everybody else how to be understanding and patient when debating,” senior Jacob Black said. “ He also teaches us how to debate intelligently on certain topics. He teaches us how to be more open minded on topics that we were once closed minded with.”

In his free time, Smith enjoys reading and listening to debate speeches to expand his knowledge on current events. Smith is very involved in the Lake Brantley High School community as he sponsors the debate club, the young Democrats of America club and club La’ Chaim, which all utilize communication and debate skills.

“I think oral communications in speech are very important,” Smith said. “People don’t realize it anymore in this high tech world, people don’t communicate that much.”

Smith taught debate in New York for ten years, then moved down to Florida and taught English at Crooms Academy of Information Technology for seven years. Wanting to teach at a bigger school, Smith jumped on the opportunity in 2009 to become the debate and speech teacher at Lake Brantley and has been doing so ever since.

“I thought about becoming a teacher in college, but preferred journalism,” Smith said. “I worked as a journalist but wasn’t really happy with it. Over the next five to six years I tried other professions and [was] not really happy. When I was 29, my wife said that i should be a teacher, and I took education classes at Dowling College. I have been happy everyday since. I know that I make a difference.”