WNDI STAFF PAGES
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1. Start Practice Debates on time
If you need to, find the students in the debate and get them to your room as soon as possible.
Begin the debate as soon
as possible. Finish it by the time noted in the schedule so the kids can go to
the next round and BENEFIT FROM THE NEXT PRACTICE.
FOR ALL DRILLS AND PRACTICE DEBATES—THE 1AC AND 1NC MUST reveal all the arguments that they will present. The judge for that drill/practice debate should watch this disclosure happen. This does not apply to the tournaments at the end of the 2 and 3 week camps; at those, teams have the choice of what and how they will disclose.
2. Tell them what they did well
Be specific and be genuine. For each and every student in the
debate, state at least two specific, concrete things that they did well. “You
had great answers to the Politics Disad.” “You speak
really smoothly. Nice voice!”
3. Give them specific suggestions for improving.
BE SPECIFIC ABOUT WHAT NEEDS IMPROVEMENT
“You need to use better word economy on the Disad.”
FOLLOW THAT UP WITH SPECIFIC SUGGESTIONS:
First, state the disadvantage in 2 or 3 words. For example “On the Politics Disad.”
Second, state your responses succinctly. Each response
should have a concise tag/argument followed by evidence or a one sentence
reason/explanation. For example “One—Bush capital is already down. June Jones
in 2004 . . .”
Third, don’t restate specific points in their
disadvantage—just keep listing off your arguments against the disadvantage.
We’ll understand that you have responded to their specific points.
THEN, HAVE THEM REDO WHATEVER THEY NEED TO REDO
Make sure they follow through on your suggestion and improve. Congratulate them when they do better!
AND HEY, REMEMBER, GETTING THEM TO WORK ON THEIR DELIVERY IS A GOOD IDEA!
4. “Stop and Go
Debate” or “Redos at the end”?
You do what you think
works best. The key is to get them to redo portions of their speeches and to
improve.
4. Is one of the debaters being too aggressive? Rude? Condescending? Sexist? Promptly and nicely put a stop to it. Their opponents get upset especially when the judge won’t step in to say out of line behavior is out of line.
What Jim does when
watching practice debates:
1. During the
debate—I only stop a speech if there is a serious problem.
I give specific
suggestions for what needs reworking and have them do it right then and there
but only if it’s a serious problem that can quickly be fixed.
2. I definitely try to have them rework their cross-examination when they do them.
This is a typical,
serious weakness in most debaters. They try to waste time in cross-examination, ask a question and then just move on. Cross-examination
questions should push the other side to admit there is a weakness or to get a
link to an argument. Cross-examination answers should succinctly answer the
question and then immediately start talking about additional, even tangential
reasons why the answerer’s side is good/beneficial.
Practicing this is critical especially in high school debate. Good C-Xing can
make a HUGE difference.
3. I offer comments about the speeches right after the cross-examination.
BUT I hold off until
the end of the debate for redos. NOTE: this comment
time becomes the prep time for the next speaker.
4. COMMON PROBLEMS I USUALLY LOOK AT:
A. I see students start with defensive
introductions. Example “Our
opponents have said that we . . .” and this continues for 30 to 45 seconds. BIG TROUBLE. Introductions to speeches should be “We are
winning x argument. This means we win the debate.” I try to have them redo
their introductions at the end of the debate.
B. Another common problem: bad word economy. I have them redo that at the end of the
debate. Typical word economy problems:
1. They take forever
to state their opponent’s arguments. “The first affirmative speaker said in her
constructive the argument that . . .” BLECH. STOP THEM!
2. They answer disads point by point. For example: “On the Spending Disad. Their A subpoint was . . .
Three responses. Okay, now go to their B subpoint.” NO NO NO.
Group the disad and then list off responses. For
example “On Spending: 1 … 2 … 3 …”
3. They try to
explain their argument by repeating it several different times. Cut that out.
NOTE: If a kid wants to debate more stock issues/communication style, then let
them explain in one clear sentence what each of their arguments mean.
4. Reading too much
of a piece of evidence can also be a word economy problem. Help them see that
they only need to read the most relevant, warranted part of a card. BUT
REMEMBER—too much highlighting down is not cool in high school.
C. Many students don’t list off warrants. They keep repeating their claim without
support. I encourage them to list off 3 reasons for any key argument. Example:
“Instead of just saying Prolif is bad; say:
Proliferation is dangerous because of accidents, first strikes, and
miscalculation.”
D. In policy debate—students often don’t
refer to their partner’s arguments! The result: their arguments are weaker and sound new! Have them
practice saying “Extend Susanne’s third argument that x. That shows . . .”
E. Students don’t weigh arguments—they don’t
give reasons to vote for their side versus the others’. Help students do this. THIS REQUIRES
discussing with them what the key issues are and then identifying what they
need to point out to show their side is stronger. COUPLED WITH THIS IN POLICY
DEBATE—Students need to give theses for their arguments in the block and the
2nr/2ar with overviews where they weigh the issues in the debate.
F. The Classic “Answers everything” debater. In the process of hitting at each tree, each
argument—the forest gets lost. Help them see and present an overview and
connect arguments into that overview/main argument.
G. Make them see strategic elements of a
debate. For example:
· Say things like “They conceded X. X means we
win.”
· Notice time-skews in the debate. If they spend
3 minutes answering your 1 minute topicality argument, you have gained a big
advantage.
· (Policy) Watch to see if one person is going
to take a disad in the 1NR. If so, the 2AC should
answer that first. Why? Because then the 2NC has less prep time during your
speech to prep against the arguments he/she will address.
· Look for drops of key arguments or for where
a team is weak and then go for that.
· Watch the judge’s reactions to arguments.
Adjust for that.