The high point of my professional day (today) was when I went to my first session coaching my student mock trial team. There were nine kids, some came late and some left early, but five of them stuck it out all the way through an hour and a half of our meeting, and those five are all pretty bright. They were really getting into the process and seemed to have fun with what was going on.
I’ve got a “Lisa Simpson,” a kid who’s really bright and absolutely unafraid to jump in, and not quite aware that when she does, she’s sort of intimidating the others. I’ve got a Milhaus, too — quite bright but a little bit shy about showing it. But I see the most promise in a sophomore girl who is just signed up for the program in November and, while she’s not as advanced as the two who did it last year, is obviously eager to pick up the ball and start running with it. She’s a little overwhelmed by all the stuff but not so much that she won’t be able to get through it.
Personally, I was super energized by coaching these kids. It was like teaching when I get to see my students start to really get it. No one had explained to them why you ask the questions the way you do at a trial. No one had ever explained to them before why they’re doing what they’re doing, how it all the pieces of the puzzle fit together into a cohesive whole.
I need to make an effort to learn their names over the next couple of weeks. Competition starts in February!
