Sylvia…
Some things to put into your mix as you think about your IESA presentation. As I mentioned, the typical Jr. High speech coach has NO training in speech or theatre. None. About a third of those at the conference will be completely new to the IESA speech contest. Don’t worry about being condescending to anyone.
You aren’t just a “substitute for Tim Chipman.” I think that what you can offer these folks is valuable and much needed. If I were you, I’d begin by explaining that I talked you into this, that you’ve never done it before, BUT…you have judged speech contests for over three decades and there have been so many times when you wish you could have chatted with the coach as he or she prepared the kids for contest…little things that would have made such a big difference.
Things that you might want to consider including… ---Blocking..as we discussed. Many coaches simply do not block. Some kids just stand there facing each other for 8 minutes. Some kids have to come up with their own blocking. Many coaches don’t know the term “blocking.” So… a discussion of the basics… focusing the audience’s attention on the important character or action, not blocking each other, “cheating out” to the audience, and above all you block to make the piece interesting and natural. It is EXTREMELY DIFFICULT for a 12-year-old to just stand there. Movement is natural for them. Standing still is not. No blocking: increased anxiety. Also…blocking aids memory. If you block early on..at the very first rehearsal, then the actor can mentally tie the blocking to the lines. And of course blocking can and should be adjusted and changed once you start rehearsing. You may not have coached kids for contest, but you’ve been in a slug of plays. Talk about times when you weren’t given anything to do and how difficult that made it for you. And…as we discussed..feel free to bring a page of script, have two folks demo it, just standing, then give them blocking. (You will find, by the way, that times goes by much more quickly than you had anticipated.)
---Getting kids focused…mentally prepared..talk about what you do.
---Please give specific examples of kids you’ve judged who could have been SO good, but a coach fouled them up…a speech that was too short, a speech the contestant didn’t understand, a speech that simply wasn’t prepared well enough. And then tell them stories about the really great ones you’ve seen.
---The kids demeanor/behavior in the contest room.
---Coaches simply not knowing the rules.
---Simply speaking up to be heard.
---Be sure to include the funny incidents you’ve seen at contest.
I’m sure that most of these are things you’ve already considered, but I thought I’d jot a few down before we meet on Saturday.
See you in Ashland! kb