The Speech Family Vacation Continues

Highlights of the college forensics tournament we hosted:

1. At the awards ceremony Saturday night, one of the coaches spoke of a student from his team that died in November. It was a very fitting tribute, causing me to remember what is valuable about the activity of forensics. As that coach walked onto the stage to introduce a slide show, I thought, "I couldn't do it." I love my team and cannot imagine the grief and pain that this other university experienced.

B. A different coach, who is new to our region this year, pulled me aside on Sunday saying, "I need to tell you something." Don't you just hate that phrase? She told me how she enjoyed watching my students - in rounds and the way that they interact with each other and with me.

Thirdly - And yet another coach, after observing me give instructions to my team members to help with the tournament and listening to their responses, asked me, "How do you do it?" When I asked him for clarification of his question, he asked, "How do you get them to help, and to like you?"

I love my job - and I'm not the only one who thinks my students are great.

Oh, and the awards were nice, too. But not the most important.