I am a History and Geography teacher at Lied STEM Academy in Las Vegas, Nevada.

I have been judging as a favor for a former student and have really come to love seeing young people speak! Congress is the event that I am most familiar with. I have no problem judging 3 or 4 rounds at a tournament...I know, I'm crazy, right??!!

As someone who has no previous experience with Speech and Debate events, I have developed my own way of judging events through the eyes of the uninitiated.

Since Congress is what I do best, this is what I like to see:

-Please try not to just read off your pad or computer. Anyone can read well, but reading well is not the same as speaking well. Give your speech to the chamber and not to your screen/paper. Competitors who just read their speeches will lose points with me.

-Be conscious of your volume and your enunciation. I need to be able to understand what your saying in order to judge your fairly. Don't yell! That will make me not want to listen. Study the pronunciation of words before giving your speech. Nothing says you don't understand a topic more than when you mispronounce things!

-Make your speech more conversational, rather than technical. Explain things in ways that are easy to understand. Don't assume that I am going to understand your acronyms.

-Make your speech unique. Don't rehash the same things that other speakers have said. The whole point of a debate is to argue the legislation, not to just hit copy and paste.

-Don't be afraid to put your personality into your speech. It's OK sometimes to smile!

-Don't be insulting and rude. That will lose you points. I have no problem with aggressive questioning, but don't let it get personal.

-Good cross-x questions get my attention. Don't ask fluff questions. Ask something relevant.

-Be active. Don't just sit and practice your speech to yourself. Pay attention to what is going on in the chamber. Participate in the experience!

Feel free to ask me questions!

No matter how nervous you feel or unprepared, you’re gonna do great. This is for your fun and enjoyment.

If you cry during round, it is okay, I promise I understand.

Hello! I was a former competitor, and now I've turned to judging. During cross-examination, I always value questions that raise doubts about the opponent's case. I always applaud students who use all the time available for their cross-examination period and allocate each question economically. Students who also converse with the opponent rather than make declarative statements are always preferred.

For IEs, I will always applaud a well-delivered speech over a well-memorized one, and I am always a proponent of keeping each performance unique to the audience. Engage with more than just the judge, if possible, and try to keep everyone entertained.