What to Expect Coaching Informative Speaking
In Informative Speaking, students author and deliver a 10-minute speech on a topic of their choosing. Competitors create the speech to educate the audience on a particular topic. All topics must be informative in nature; the goal is to educate, not to advocate. Visual aids are permitted, but not required. The speech is delivered from memory. Andrew Tichy describes what it is like to coach the event.
What makes coaching Informative Speaking unique?
Certainly the visual aids alone make coaching Informative Speaking unique. However, I think it’s more than just that added element; instead, I find the interaction between building visual aids, research, and script writing an interesting and, quite often, exciting challenge. Unlike other public address events, informers aren’t just looking for the most compelling evidence but also have to consider how that evidence is illustrated for an audience. It’s not just a question of whether or not the information has a visual component, but rather, if the information is enhanced by a visual component. This becomes a balancing act, especially as revisions are made throughout the season. Engaging, well-designed visuals can be a benefit, but quality, well-researched writing remains paramount.
How does competing in Informative Speaking benefit your students?
Competing in Informative Speaking helps students practice and develop quality research skills, evaluate evidence efficiently, and approach writing through a fair and balanced lens. It also provides an opportunity to examine topics and issues that may go overlooked or be misunderstood. Although the event itself is not inherently persuasive, I do think that informative speakers have the unique ability to unpack misconstrued topics and shed light on parts of our world that may not always receive the attention they deserve.
Andrew Tichy is a two-diamond coach and chair of the NSDA Northern Lights District. He has coached multiple state champions and NSDA finalists in Informative Speaking. He teaches high school English and has served as an assistant coach for the past 12 years. Above all, he’s a proud Moorhead Spud!
[I]nformative speakers have the unique ability to unpack misconstrued topics and shed light on parts of our world that may not always receive the attention they deserve.
What do you most appreciate about coaching Informative Speaking?
I love the wide range of topics selected and, as a result, how varied the speech structure and tone can be. In my 12+ years of coaching, we’ve run speeches on everything from helium and sand to gambling and revenge. I also really enjoy how much I learn alongside my students as they research, write, and revise. It really is a season-long process, and often the most interesting parts of the final draft don’t reveal themselves until late in the year.
What should a new coach know about coaching Informative Speaking?
Despite the dazzling visual displays often found on the final round video archives, coaching Informative Speaking does not require a degree in art and design, nor do you need to spend a ton of money on materials. Access to large color printers and Cricut makers can be an advantage, but a quality Informative speech still starts with a thoughtful topic that holds immediacy and relevance and appeals to a wide audience. Our topic generating sessions at the start of the season always begin with two big questions: Who cares? And so what? A bit blunt on the surface, but really what we’re asking is for breadth and wide engagement (i.e., does, or should, your topic resonate with a large array of people?) and is this topic something we need to learn more about today (i.e., how does it apply to our world?).