It's that time of the season when students should be memorizing their scripts. Believe it or not, memorizing is harder for most middle school students than actually getting up to perform! I can promise, though, that after students get through the memorization hump - it is smooth sailing (and when the FUN happens). 

I also, believe, that learning to memorize is an incredible valuable skill. Forensics students are expected to memorize difficult dialogue and prose selections that are approximately 7 minutes in length. That's a lot! If a student can do this, though, they are training their brains to be able to take in many types of information efficiently and expediently. 

Here are some memorization tactics and tips to help make this an easier process:

• Set goals. It is not realistic to memorize an entire piece in one day. Split the script up into smaller parts and set deadlines for those sections.
• Some different ways to memorize:
  • Line by line. With the script in front of you, read the line aloud. Say it aloud without looking at the line. Repeat the sentence 2-3 times until you can do it without looking down. Move on to the next sentence and do the same thing. Before moving on to the next line, repeat the sentences together. This may seem slow but it is progressive and will work. Do this in paragraph chunks and make sure to repeat everything you've done before moving on. 
  • Record yourself saying the speech (smartphones are perfect for this!). Then you can listen to it on headphones, while in the shower, in the car, etc. Just like learning a song, hearing it repeatedly will help you!
  • Write your piece from memory. We know something is really solidified in our brains when we can write it down from memory. You can start this by writing the piece down while you are still memorizing it and doing this periodically to test your recall. 
• Make sure to practice, often! Forensics practice doesn't have to be pre-planned! Speeches can be recited in almost any environment and making sure to take the time to do this will make sure you do not loose your memorization!

Dear Parents & Students, 

This is the week that many forensics students have been anxiously awaiting since the end of last year. I started announcing what categories students would be participating in for the Fall 2015 season. Students spent the first week filling out a form for me where they identified their top three category desires, things they are most excited about this year, and things they want to improve on the most. After careful attention to these form responses and my own formula and consideration, I place each student in a category. 

It is important to remember that EVERY category is important. Any hesitation or frustration from a student after finding out their category should be met with the following areas of reflection:

• If students are unhappy with a category that is often because they don't know enough about it. The unknown can be scary!
• Don't judge a category by it's name! Poetry does not mean lines of rhyming verse - think of some of the more contemporary forms of prose poetry, for instance. 
• Mrs. Bassett knows what she is doing! If i place a student in a category it is a purposeful decision! There is a lot that goes into category selection: I might have a specific piece in mind, I might have something I want a student to specifically work on or improve on that I know can happen in that category, I may see an untapped talent that would flourish in a category that is, perhaps, less known to a particular student.

Embrace your new category! Be excited for the challenge and be excited to learn something new! Also, keep in mind, every year, each student does TWO categories (one in the fall and one in the spring). That means a 5th grader has the potential to try EIGHT different categories while they are at BCS!