Our practice schedule will depend upon student availability. We like to be as flexible as possible to ensure active students can participate in many activities as possible at Bettendorf HS. Generally speaking, the following guidelines apply:
Debate Students (LD and PF)
1. Students will practice a minimum of 2 days a week.
Monday - In-person practice in Mrs. VanTieghem's room (D102) 3:20pm - 4:50pm
Tuesday - In-person practice in Mr. Rankin's room (D105) 3:20pm-4:50pm
Thursday - Online practice (Google Meet Online) 4:00pm - 5:30pm
2. Students will submit cases/prep to our team's Dropbox account. The students will need to ensure their cases/rebuttal prep is tournament ready. Coaches/Varsity students will be editing cases and giving feedback on prep material.
3. A minimum of 2 practice debates on a given topic, 1 on AFF and 1 on NEG. These debate will be 1-2 weeks before the first tournament on a given topic and will offer coaches the chance to see the student go through an entire debate. It is critical these steps take place to ensure students are adequately prepared for their first tournament on a given topic.
Mr. Rankin will serve as the primary Lincoln-Douglas Debate coach while also helping with Novice and Varsity Public Forum Debate.
Mr. VanTieghem will serve as the primary coach for Congress.
Ms. VanTieghem will serve as the primary Speech coach.
Miss. Hurd will serve as the primary Extemp coach.
Speech Students (DI, Duo, Extemp, HI, OO, and Congress)
1. Students will prepare a script (DI, Duo, HI), a piece (OO), or organize current event research (Extemp). This process takes time and care, so students will need to listen to their coach for feedback and direction.
2. Students will have multiple practice rounds prior to their first tournament. The more practice students have before their first tournament, the better.
Bottom Line
Once the season gets underway, our preparation will change as needed. Our tournament schedule is very busy in the Fall and our work becomes revision focused and gleaning information from our tournament feedback. Above anything else: this is a student-driven activity. The student will need to be self-motivated to succeed and push themselves to the next level. Coaches will be there to support every step of the way, but students will need to be willing to accept feedback and adapt to various judging styles.