By: Kristi Eskelund
STRATEGIES There ARE things you can do at a tournament, before a round to help you have something to talk about in impromptu. The need is to have LOTS of bits and pieces brought forward to the front of your mind where they are ready for you to use them. Here are a few ways to do that:
By: Heather Neumann
This is probably one of the most asked questions for my kids and me. The fact of the matter is, I have "a vault" of stashed possible Interp pieces for future years and for kids I coach. I know Kristi has one too! Once we find a book that could be a possible speech, they go in to "the vault"... Ok so really, it's just a book shelf, but it sounds so much more exciting as a vault! So, where did find them? It's like looking for treasure...
By: Heather Neumann
Anyone with an idea or concept is capable of giving a powerful speech! But what if that theme has been done before? What if Cinderella was done last year? The Sneeches has been done thousands of times! No one can claim ownership of an idea. However you can claim ownership of your OWN Speech. And just like you are unique - the Speech you create will become uniquely yours! You don't even have to come up with a rocket science invention.
By: Chap Bettis
As a parent or a teen, you are trying to determine your priorities for the coming year. You can’t do everything. But what is best?
By: Kristi Eskelund
Not going to lie….it’s HARD to do an original work these days. If you are working on an interpretation of a piece of literature, it’s hard to find a story that hasn’t been done or made into a movie or posted on YouTube. I know! Making your interpretation original will take significantly more work than copying one you’ve seen done, but the rewards will also be far more satisfying.
By: Anna Johansen
I stood at the double doors clutching a blue folder in my nervous hands, already overwhelmed. There were hundreds of teenagers in there– confident, talented, experienced, suit-wearing, future-lawyer-type speakers and debaters. Over 400 of them. The girls wore heels and curls and lipstick; the guys hauled briefcases full of debate evidence and articles from the Economist.
By: Kristi Eskelund
What if you can't find anything you like as much as last year's speech? My family has certainly been in this place! When you find that perfect piece, the one that is just “you” to a tee, or when you’ve had real success with a particular speech, it is legitimately TOUGH to move on and try to find another! Here are a couple of suggestions I’ve used in my family. (My kids will testify this is what I made them do….)
While I was watching the Pro Football Hall of Fame ceremony last year (yes, I watched all three hours- I mean Brett Favre, including some other great players were receiving awards)… I was struck by two things…
Whether you feel creative or not… I encourage you to write! Make your students write! There is probably nothing more rewarding in “The Interp World of Speech” than being able to Interp your own work. Here you have the ability to create your storyline, characters, and you will be able to tweak your story whenever you want, because it's yours!
Here are some tips to help you with your Original Interp…
By: Heather Neumann
Bob began competing at age 15. Unaware of the competitive aspect of speech and debate (and also uninterested—as his family was heavily involved in swimming and piano). Their family joined the Chicago-area EverReady Speech and Debate Club to gain exposure to public speaking. After the entire club relentlessly encouraged them to compete, they decided to attend the IL tournament.
By: Heather Neumann
Christina Oser is a homeschool mom and mother of 5, as well as a mid-wife, from Madison, WI. If you would have told her, she would start a Speech and Debate Club in 2015, when her oldest was starting high school, she would have said, “I’ve learned better than to say, “No way!” So maybe, “Only if absolutely necessary!” Or, “There are any number of people who would be a better fit for that job description.” Although she didn’t anticipate starting a club, she feels by starting a club it increased confidence, stronger communication skills, and friendships for her high schooler, as well as herself!
By: Heather Neumann
Those of you who know me, know I really don’t like cooking, and I rarely ever follow a recipe. A recipe is just a guideline, right?! I feel like Speech is a recipe. If you go online you are going to find thousands of recipes for chocolate chip cookies. Just like cookies, there are multiple ways to achieve a successful Speech, however there are typically a few key ingredients!
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