Blog

A First Look at the Speech Grab and Go Guide by: Katie Kellam

Lasting Impact! has a great new resource for speech coaches and parents looking to simplify their lesson planning process. The Grab-and-Go Speech Guide has articles, lesson plans, and handouts designed to simplify the preparation process for new coaches and parents who might be intimidated by the idea of teaching public speaking for the first time or even more experienced teachers who just don’t have the time to spend hours preparing a lesson plan each week. 

In this guide, Heather Neumann has compiled a collection of her own lessons that she uses when she teaches clubs and camps, and she loves that she can share the insights that the Lord has given her over many years of working with students with the coaches and parents who make everything happen.

As a sneak preview, we thought we’d share some of the team’s favorite lessons from the Grab-and-Go Guide!

Heather loves the lesson on the I-test. The I-test helps students create connection with their audience. This is one of Heather’s favorite lessons because it speaks directly to the vision of Lasting Impact! which is to equip students to be lifelong communicators whose impact goes beyond the competition room. Giving students the tools to evaluate their speech in terms of the connection that it will create is the goal of this lesson. Students learn how to Inform, Interest, Impact, and Inspire with the I-test lesson. Incorporating these elements into a speech is a huge part of becoming a successful communicator!

Katie loves the lesson on cutting interps. This lesson tackles a topic that many students struggle with, especially because it can be extremely intimidating to pick up a full length novel for the first time and realize that you have to condense it down to a nine and a half minute speech! Ah! This lesson is Katie’s favorite because it gives students practical tips and guidelines that simplify the cutting process into something that students feel equipped to accomplish.

Another feature in this guide that our whole team loves are the parent and coach resources in the back of the book. Our Writing a Ballot handout is an amazing resource for new parents who want to give helpful, constructive feedback to their kids but don’t feel like they have anything useful to contribute. Every parent is a potential judge, and students need feedback from many different perspectives in order to succeed. This handout is perfect for giving parents the confidence to give feedback that students can use to become better communicators. 

Whether you are a speech and debate club leader, or a parent, this is a resource you must have for your toolbox! We know you don’t have time to create plans or figure out what assignments will make the most out of your limited time. Why not go straight to the ultimate source and use her ideas? Heather Neumann teaches Public Speaking, Speech Clubs and Camps, and Coaches students all year round in the art of communication. This is what she does! Do you want to know how she does it? Heather is sharing the tips and tricks she has learned in this very simple guide to help provide you with the direction you need. The Lasting Impact! Team has created this simple Grab and Go Guide to help you and your students feel equipped for competition, and most importantly the art of communication.

Packet includes over 25 worksheets/handouts…

  • Making a Plan
  • Choosing a Platform
  • Picking an Interp
  • Citations
  • Introductions
  • Hooking Your Audience
  • Making Public Speaking EC (Easy)
  • Memorization
  • Character Analysis
  • And more!

Great for club leaders, parents, co-ops, and more!

Please note, this product allows you to print one copy of the Lesson booklet and one copy of the Handouts and Worksheets booklet. Check out the Speech Grab and Go… HERE

Using a Sourcebook as a Guide or Map in LD or TP Debate by: Richard Green

How do we get there? 

A question often asked when we take our family trips,  typically proposed by our youngest of children.  “When are we leaving….how far away….are we stopping anywhere…how long?” All top the list of favorite questions to ask.   The root of the conversation is the core understanding of how.  The response is founded in the knowledge that someone has done the work to show us the path.  

 The map…

Continue reading “Using a Sourcebook as a Guide or Map in LD or TP Debate by: Richard Green”

Still Afraid of Public Speaking? by Chloe Peters

Neatly Wrapped, Rarely Used

    So there I was… 16 years old, hiding under a table, scared to death of one thing: reading a children’s book in front of 30 people. In that moment, I realized something was wrong. I had been in speech club for 7 years. Why was I still afraid of public speaking?

Continue reading “Still Afraid of Public Speaking? by Chloe Peters”

Happy Fourth! (4th of July Inspiration)

Ok- so I didn’t post this yesterday, because no one would have read it! I waited until the day after when you are ready to get to work! Ahhh- The Fourth of July! Does anyone feel like the summer is halfway over? Or is it just beginning? Needless to say, I decided to use today to provide some inspiration! Ideas inspired by the fourth…

You need to be a member to view this content.  Please sign up or login.

Join Team Policy – “the dark side?!” By: Emalyn Sharp George

Ahhh- summer. Now is a fantastic time to try Team Policy. If you are switching from LD to TP- check out our online workshop coming soon, hosted by Emalyn Sharp George – https://lastingimpact.info/product/workshop10407/

Continue reading “Join Team Policy – “the dark side?!” By: Emalyn Sharp George”

Four Pillars of Communication by: Chloe Peters

The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” -George Bernard Shaw. Most people who have known me for a while, know at least these two things about me. 1. I am a Christian and 2. I have a hearing impairment. Those two things taught me one of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned: effective communication is essential. But what is effective communication? We can break it down into four requirements. Effective communication requires clarity, speaking, love, and listening.

Continue reading “Four Pillars of Communication by: Chloe Peters”

Introducing the 2022-2023 NCFCA LD Guide by: Noah McKay

The LD Guide is HERE – https://lastingimpact.info/product/book10418/ !
This guidebook is written as a preparatory resource for beginning, intermediate, and advanced Lincoln-Douglas competitors, as well as coaches, club leaders, and parents. Unlike many sourcebooks on the market, it is not primarily a catalog of source material (though there are plenty of useful resources cited throughout). My aim is to walk you through the process of writing a constructive speech (colloquially known among LD debaters as a “case”) step-by-step, offering explanations, sources, and example arguments wherever they might be useful along the way. By the time you have finished reading this guide, you will understand how the components of an LD case fit together and how the best arguments in LD are formulated, and you will know how to apply that understanding to this year’s topic. While I have written this guide to be accessible for beginners, I am very confident that advanced students will also find valuable insights within…

Continue reading “Introducing the 2022-2023 NCFCA LD Guide by: Noah McKay”

NEW PRODUCT – Grab and Go Lesson Plans

Whether you are a speech and debate club leader, or a parent, this is a resource you must have for your toolbox! We know you don’t have time to create plans or figure out what assignments will make the most out of your limited time. Why not go straight to the ultimate source and use her ideas? Heather Neumann teaches Public Speaking, Speech Clubs and Camps, and Coaches students all year round in the art of communication. This is what she does! Do you want to know how she does it? Heather is sharing the tips and tricks she has learned in this very simple guide to help provide you with the direction you need. The Lasting Impact! Team has created this simple Grab and Go Guide to help you and your students feel equipped for competition, and most importantly the art of communication.

Packet includes over 25 worksheets/handouts…

  • Making a Plan
  • Choosing a Platform
  • Picking an Interp
  • Citations
  • Introductions
  • Hooking Your Audience
  • Making Public Speaking EC (Easy)
  • Memorization
  • Character Analysis
  • And more!

Great for club leaders, parents, co-ops, and more! Purchase the set and then a license for how many students you have in club (families can make personal copies). Go to purchase this amazing product or check out the other awesome resources in the SHOP – https://lastingimpact.info/product-category/books/

Why Your Student Should Start with LD Debate by: Noah McKay

The perennial debate between LD- and TP-firsters is unlikely to come to and end any time soon. Probably, you’ve already heard several of the considerations I am about to offer in defense of the LD-first position. But I am willing to bet you haven’t heard them all. My hope is that these arguments will make the decision easier for those of you who are on the fence. (And, of course, I hope you choose LD.)

Continue reading “Why Your Student Should Start with LD Debate by: Noah McKay”