Hello! I am a high school English teacher in Illinois and have coached speech & debate since 2015.

I love good organization - feel free to give an off-time roadmap and please signpost your speeches and arguments clearly.

Arguments should be concise but clear - lay out the warrants and the impacts for me and weigh the impacts as the debate continues. While I like to think I'm okay with spreading -- I know my limits, too. I am not someone who judges every weekend, so sometimes I'll have trouble following if you speak too quickly. I try, though!

In Congress specifically:

If we're more than a couple of speeches into the debate, you should be providing clash, not standing up to rehash arguments we've already heard. In that same vein, do not keep debate going on a bill when it's clearly dead. You should be prepared to speak on every. single. bill. and shouldn't have to rely on having the opportunity to speak early or often on a certain topic.

Make sure you provide impacts. Make it crystal clear what the benefits or harms of passing/not passing said bill/resolution will be on people.

Make the real arguments. I will absolutely listen to you explain to me why a bill or resolution is not the appropriate or most effective way to solve a problem, but only to a point.

Again, structure and organization are important. Be sure to signpost!

Keep questions and responses concise. Be respectful of the judges' time and the time of your competitors.

If you have a question for the PO on their procedure, precedence, or recency, just politely ask it. There's no need to be a jerk about it, or about anything, for that matter. Extend kindness to the person who has volunteered to run the chamber.

I love this activity and believe it should be fun, inclusive, and useful to everyone who chooses to participate. Rather than taking advantage of or judging someone who might be debating for the first time, let's show them what a great community this is to be a part of by answering questions, providing guidance, and setting good examples! Leave the judging to the judges. Instead, be a coach. You'll have more fun. :)

I'm glad you're doing Debate, I look forward to watching your round, and I wish you the very best of luck!

Before all else, I am a FLOW JUDGE. Here's more specifics on what I want to see in a round:

• All arguments need clearly explained logical warrants, as it's not my job to make logical leaps for you
• Claims must be grounded in evidence, and when there's contradictory evidence on both sides, I'd like an explanation of why to prefer your evidence/warrant, because otherwise I'm left guessing
• Structure your speeches how you feel is best, but signpost so that I know where you're at on the flow
• In a good round, both sides will have valid arguments left, so please WEIGH IMPACTS in later speeches
• I don't flow cross-ex, so if something important happens there, make sure it's in your next speech
• I expect you to stand your ground (this is debate after all), but maintain a baseline of respect/decorum
• I would much rather you ask a clarifying question than attack an argument that wasn't made (don't strawman your opponents, ever)
• I'm cool with a little speed, you have a lot to cover, but please don't spread, because that defeats the point of this activity (I also don't like K's/theory/progressive debate)

I'm always happy to answer any questions before or after the round, since this is an educational tool before all else, and you're here to learn (don't lose sight of that).

Have a great day, make a friend, learn something new, and enjoy it.

• About Me: I am an attorney by training and business person now. But I was a competitor in debate and speech for 10 years. I was predominantly a policy debater, including 4 years of NDT debate at USC. I also coached and judged NDT debate part-time for a couple of years.

• Judging Philosophy:

• I am a flow judge – and will vote on the arguments presented in the round. I will evaluate the structure of your arguments, the links between the various elements, and the evidence presented. In the end, I will weigh impacts to get to a final decision.

• Strong and persuasive delivery, critical thinking skills, and organization will be rewarded.

• I am very open minded about arguments. But, I also don’t believe it is possible for a judge to be a complete “blank slate”. In evaluating competing arguments, common sense and arguments that have narrative fidelity or “ring true” tend to be more persuasive.

• Rebuttals (summary / final focus) are a great opportunity for you to clean up the flow, use your persuasive skills and help write my ballot. Don’t be afraid to narrow down your focus and kick out arguments that aren’t going to help you win the debate.

• Final Thoughts: Be professional, have fun and always keep learning. Congratulations for being a part of an incredible activity and a wonderful community.

I have been involved in competitive speech and debate since 2005 as a competitor and a coach. While more of my time has been spent on the speech side of things, my primary events were Extemp and Impromptu. I have served as a debate coach for University High School in Normal, IL since the fall of 2015. I teach high school Oral Communication, Argumentation and Debate, Contemporary Rhetoric, and AP Language and Composition.

In terms of Public Forum Debate, I am looking for a combination of appeals to the average person as well as to a more nuanced audience. Progressive Debate strategies are OK, but the link to the resolution better be solid. I also am OK with some speed, but not full on spreading. If I can't hear/understand something, it doesn't make it on my flow. DO NOT BE AFRAID OF COMPLICATED ARGUMENTS, but you have to be able to explain them to a diverse audience. At the end of the day, links are everything! I need to see how your evidence actually links together and to your argument as a whole. I also want impact analysis. Explain to your judge(s) how and why your side will impact more lives, I won't do the work for you. If you are the second team to speak in a debate, I expect your Rebuttal to respond to the first team's Rebuttal as well as their case. Second summary is too late to bring in something new as your opponents will not have adequate time to respond. Please consider everyone impacted by a debate resolution. I do care if we are saving lives in the US or in another country. I am only a flow judge in the sense that if you do not mention something in your summary speech, I will not weigh it in my final decision, even if it is brought up in final focus. At the end of the day, I also want a professional debate. It is OK to get heated in the moment, but please refrain from crossing the line into completely unprofessional! Finally, in PF, please be ready to exchange evidence in a timely manner. (Oh, and I don't flow cross, so if something good is happening there, make sure you mention it in the next speech if you want me to weigh it).

In Speech, I am looking for the best combination of speaker and content. In Extemp, I am going to vote up students that answer the question and provide compelling evidence as to why that answer is true. I will vote those students up over the cleanest speakers every time if the cleanest speakers do not answer the question. In Oratory and Info, I am looking for an easy to follow structure and compelling delivery. I am OK with older sources as long as they are justified by the topic. In interp, I want to feel something. I typically vote up students that have a clear connection to their piece that connect with the audience in the room.