Speech and Debate Coach

Overview

Walt Whitman Speech & Debate (WWSD) invites you to join our team as a Congressional, Lincoln-Douglas, Public Forum, or Speech coach for the upcoming school year! We meet every week on Monday and Wednesday at Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda, Maryland, from 6:45-8:45 p.m. beginning in September and ending in May. As a coach, you will be crucial in introducing novices to the event, helping advanced students hone their skills, creating and leading engaging team lessons on speaking and debating strategies, and supporting students as they prepare for tournaments.

About Walt Whitman Speech & Debate

The Walt Whitman Speech & Debate team began in the 1970s and has flourished at the local and national level in the last 15 years. We offer four events to students: Public Forum, Lincoln-Douglas, Congressional, and Speech. Students debate in the NSDA, NCFL, WACFL, and TOC-UK circuits with chances to travel around the country. More important than any trophy, though, is the opportunity to create a fun, hands-on, and open environment for everyone, where we support students of different levels of skill and commitment in their debate careers. We are led by a parent board, student president and vice president, and captains of each event.

Personal Qualifications & Expectations

• Experience competing in Congressional, Lincoln-Douglas, Public Forum, or Speech at the national level
• Thorough understanding of rules, procedures and judging standards for the event
• Experience coaching students, providing feedback, and helping students grow
• Design and conduct practices to engage students of varying levels and develop their skills
• Build a supportive environment and strong sense of team
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills and ability to work with diverse groups
• Commitment to attend regularly scheduled practices in person
• Stay updated on international and domestic current events and policy developments
• Friendly, knowledgeable, and approachable

Benefits

• Enhance your coaching and leadership skills
• Make a lasting impact on students' lives
• Hourly rate to be determined based on experience (indicatively $30-40/hr)

If you’re interested, please submit a resume to the Parent Board President and Secretary at President@whitmandebate.com and Secretary@whitmandebate.com. Please also reach out to the President and Secretary with any questions.