community? What best practices can educators implement in their own classrooms? I am acutely aware of the listening, speaking, writing, and reading skills that transcend the speech and debate room. I know educational benefits of argumentation, public speaking, and oral interpretation, and I advocated for my program with my administration, with district personnel,
As coach educators, what can we do to help cultivate stronger speech and debate advocates? The following suggestions were curated based on alumni responses.
to guess most coaches know how to “sell” their program to
Student learning objectives. Discuss as a team
those on the outside. Then, why aren’t our alumni?
specific skills you are teaching as you engage in
with parents/guardians, and with the community. I am willing
Alumni are quick to point out they clearly relished their
practice. Do not assume students make connections to
time in the activity, but how do coaches engage current
other classes; ensure they know as you go. Alumni will
students so that when they graduate, they have a better
advocate for the team if we scaffold that for them.
understanding of how speech and debate positively impacts academics? As coaches, are we focused on competition and not education? Do we assume our students see correlations of time spent in the debate room to success in other classes around the school building? Are we helping them see those connections? What suggestions do alumni offer in narrative responses to assist in clarifying this correlation? (see sidebar) Alumni have spoken. Overwhelmingly, they see a strong
Check for understanding. Have team discussions about skills they employ and discuss how those skills can be used in other classes. Alumni listened to their peers, and they learned from talking to each other, especially since younger competitors listen attentively to older teammates.
Grade checks. We all do this for eligibility, but it
positive correlation between involvement in speech and
can be a crucial time to see where students fare in
debate and other academic success while in high school.
their classes, stresses they face, and frustrations they
Over and over, alumni express gratitude for time spent
encounter. It’s important to talk grades with excelling
in participation, peers they were surrounded by, and
students, not just ones in danger of losing eligibility.
coaches who instilled academic discipline into them. Still,
Alumni appreciated coaches who stayed on them, no
other respondents, who acknowledge skills developed by
matter their grades.
participation, were discouraged by time forensics took from their studies. Alumni are unmistakable in their affection for the activity: “without it I feel like I would’ve been lost,” “speech gave me a place to vent my frustrations, to get help, to
Open dialogue. Do you engage with your faculty? It is important to reach out and discuss concerns with other teachers in order to help your students. Alumni admit they are not always easy to teach.
push myself when I felt like giving up or quitting,” and “it
Time management. Alumni expressed concerns
was my pride and joy and gave me the encouragement and
regarding missing class due to competition and making
confidence to succeed in other areas of school.” However,
up work. Do you allow them a day off from practice to
when we, as coaches, don’t ensure academic focus of our
catch up on schoolwork? If you don’t force them to go
students, then we put yet another stressor, self-regulation,
home, they will likely stay in the team room. They love
on our students.
it there; you love them being there. Help them manage academic obligations and make sure they spend time studying, either with peers or on their own.
J. Scott Baker, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Educational Studies at University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. Prior to his work at UWL, Baker was a high school speech, debate, and English teacher outside of Houston, TX while working on his Ph.D. in Curriculum & Instruction from Texas A&M University. Baker is a three-diamond coach with the NSDA.
Time off. Do you encourage competitors to take a break occasionally? While contrary to the competitive nature of forensics, do you expect your students to have a life “outside” of speech and debate? Alumni were often overscheduled and worn out.
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