Speaking with Schlottman
Where the classroom meets real life.
Communication. Coaching. Life. A space to think deeply about the work of helping people find their voice.
What this place is
This is a space for educators, coaches, and communicators to think, grow, and get better. Not a bio. Not a store. A place to slow down and take the work seriously — the classroom, the coaching, and the human being behind both.
Three sides of the work
Teaching. Coaching. Life.
01
Teach
Classroom strategies and resources for speech, debate, and the everyday craft of communication.
02
Coach
A coaching philosophy built around developing communicators who trust their own voice.
03
Life
Reflections on professional growth and the human side of the work we do.
From the blog
Recent thinking, worth the read.
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The Work Is Never Finished: Finding Work-Life Balance as a Teacher
Have you ever felt like you are constantly going as a teacher? Lesson planning. Grading. Sponsoring clubs and activities. Taking students to tournaments. Attending meetings. Answering emails. And then, somewhere in there, you’re also supposed to be a spouse, a parent, a friend, and an actual human being. It is exhausting. Even before I became…
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Standing on the Shoulders of Giants
I’m a fourth-year teacher and Speech and Debate coach. Many times over the last few years, I have questioned my knowledge and my ability to coach my students well. I don’t have the knowledge that many experienced coaches have. I still feel insecure when I don’t know how to coach my students through something new…
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What to Do When It Doesn’t Click
Over the weekend, I wrote about the year debate finally clicked for me. Naturally, debate heard that and decided to humble me. Today’s lesson was supposed to be about round mechanics: the 2AC, flowing, extensions, and how arguments move through a round. And honestly, it started really well. I read the 1AC, the first Affirmative…
Resources
A doorway to the classroom.
Let’s keep thinking about this work together.
Follow along, reach out, or just read. Good conversation is the whole point.