Parents and other volunteers - DON'T PANIC! :)
Our yearly IQT (Individual Qualifying Tournament) is our largest fundraiser of the year but in order to make it as successful as possible, we need YOU on November 10th and 11th! The greatest need we will have is for adults who can function as judges for various speaking and debate rounds.
The biggest concerns is always "I don't know what I'm doing!" and "I'm afraid I will make the wrong decision!" Don't worry - this couldn't be easier!
To help address any confusion from the very beginning, you will find a .pdf file at the bottom of this page that, once downloaded and opened, will show you the "ballots" you will fill out for certain events. If you look alongside the left of the page you will see a series of questions. This is your "rubric" for decision making. Our balloting will be done online, however, so you will need a laptop or device where you can log in and type comments/render a decision. This website is www.tabroom.com
The thing to keep in mind is that these students are to cater to YOU and what YOU want from THEM. Just like in the real world, our boss may want us to do "x" and if we end up doing "y" instead, we will not "win" or advance - the same principle applies here. These students must master the skill of presenting to the person in front of them therefore they may ask you, "What are your paradigms?" or "Do you have any preferences?" All you have to tell them is that you are looking for good delivery, persuasive arguments, good entertainment value, critical arguments, great organization, a moderate speaking style, make sure that they answer the questions fully or whatever it is that you want from them in that round that you are judging. You can use your ballot (for speaking or acting events) to give you some direction. For debate rounds, it may be more challenging but the core principle is the same - they need to meet YOU were you are.
The key here is not to feel intimidated. When these kids leave, they will be given all of their ballots to review. What I ask you not do is to rank them as "good" or "excellent" for every category on the ballot and then rank them last in a round. The students need to walk away from our tournament as be able to refer to comments that tell them (and that justify their ranking) how they can improve to get 1st place next time or what they did well that they should keep doing, etc.
To make things a bit easier for you, below you will find a www.youtube.clip that students developed in 2012 that explains things perhaps a bit more succinctly. At the point where we need judges, however, you should be able to ask your student some specific questions or you should always feel free to contact me and I will do my level best to get you any help that you need! Additionally, you will find some sample ballot examples (and general expectations) and other resources to introduce you to this activity.
Our yearly IQT (Individual Qualifying Tournament) is our largest fundraiser of the year but in order to make it as successful as possible, we need YOU on November 10th and 11th! The greatest need we will have is for adults who can function as judges for various speaking and debate rounds.
The biggest concerns is always "I don't know what I'm doing!" and "I'm afraid I will make the wrong decision!" Don't worry - this couldn't be easier!
To help address any confusion from the very beginning, you will find a .pdf file at the bottom of this page that, once downloaded and opened, will show you the "ballots" you will fill out for certain events. If you look alongside the left of the page you will see a series of questions. This is your "rubric" for decision making. Our balloting will be done online, however, so you will need a laptop or device where you can log in and type comments/render a decision. This website is www.tabroom.com
The thing to keep in mind is that these students are to cater to YOU and what YOU want from THEM. Just like in the real world, our boss may want us to do "x" and if we end up doing "y" instead, we will not "win" or advance - the same principle applies here. These students must master the skill of presenting to the person in front of them therefore they may ask you, "What are your paradigms?" or "Do you have any preferences?" All you have to tell them is that you are looking for good delivery, persuasive arguments, good entertainment value, critical arguments, great organization, a moderate speaking style, make sure that they answer the questions fully or whatever it is that you want from them in that round that you are judging. You can use your ballot (for speaking or acting events) to give you some direction. For debate rounds, it may be more challenging but the core principle is the same - they need to meet YOU were you are.
The key here is not to feel intimidated. When these kids leave, they will be given all of their ballots to review. What I ask you not do is to rank them as "good" or "excellent" for every category on the ballot and then rank them last in a round. The students need to walk away from our tournament as be able to refer to comments that tell them (and that justify their ranking) how they can improve to get 1st place next time or what they did well that they should keep doing, etc.
To make things a bit easier for you, below you will find a www.youtube.clip that students developed in 2012 that explains things perhaps a bit more succinctly. At the point where we need judges, however, you should be able to ask your student some specific questions or you should always feel free to contact me and I will do my level best to get you any help that you need! Additionally, you will find some sample ballot examples (and general expectations) and other resources to introduce you to this activity.
Sample Speech & Debate Ballots

iqt_ballots_8-22-12.pdf |