Several spontaneous problem captains from around our state have shared practice tips in an effort to help new and seasoned coaches. As things change, we want to keep you updated.
Spontaneous Coaching Tips
Tips from the Team: Thanks for your notes Mike
Spontaneous problems have changes significantly over the last 10 years. Today's judges and problems are using several new ways to manage answers and time.
There are still three type of problems:
Verbal
Verbal Hands-on
Hands-on non-verbal
Judges today DO NOT COMMENT during solution:
No longer are judges saying:
Repeat
Unclear
Inappropriate
This can lead to confusion by the team and it should help to permit the team to go faster.
Remember: The team may be rotating in some order and if a student gets stumped, they do not have to be. They can now give the same answer as another person and still be scored as common answer.
7 Colored cards, or marbles or others cards are given to each of the team member to limit number of answers to as maximum of 35 answers. If the team is less that 5 they are at a disadvantage, since on 7 cards are given to any one team member.
Dice are occasionally used to select:
Next team member to answer
Which two words to use for answer for lists
Teams Must be teams and Experienced teams show.
Teams can be quickly assessed by judging teams as to seasoned or novice
· How they enter room…….
· Do they have a team song, chant or rhyme?
· Do they stand or sit?
· Do they chant their answers or sing, or rap?
· Do they act courteous to Judges and other team members during entrance and solution?
· Do they smile and look like they are having fun?
Tricks to develop creative answers:
SELECT A PROFESSION
SELECT A SPECIALIST
Look around room and use what is available (Pictures, windows, clothes, furniture)
IF IT DOES NOT SAY OTHERWISE, IT IS OK. For example, turn a table on its side or upside down if advantageous during a hands on solution.
Ask team members to read understand the problem for details as the judge reads it to them because team members may ask for clarification during "think" time.
Check solutions against problem details
Make sure the team is working toward points (go to bottom sand see what is scored and weight of scores.)
Devil’s advocate for details
Know team members strengths for each type of problem - they are a team and a leader generally rises.
If answering a verbal question in a specific order, KNOW WHICH STUDENT STARTS THE FIRST ANSWER. Often the judges will hand out colored cards to each student and then states “Begin”... (Who will start with the first answer?)
Ways to help teams get better:
When practicing spontaneous have a judge (BING) if a common answer is given.
Tips from Julie:
1. Don't do a spontaneous if you don't have time to debrief it.
2. Plan on 2 spontaneous activities for each meeting.
3. During debrief - do not interject your thoughts until the kids have expressed theirs.
Roses and thorns - What worked well? (Kids answer)
What could have worked better? (Kids answer)
Don't let kids begin with what went wrong - this doesn't help them analyze things well. They need to identify things that worked and why and then come up with strategies on how thing could be better next time. This makes it positive and they own the process.
IF they have missed something positive or negative then kindly point it out with questions.
Don't point out more than one or two things for them to improve upon and always find more positives than negatives.
4. Help kids understand that talking over each other is wasting their valuable time to find a solution.
5. Help them find statements that keep everyone focused on the task at hand such as Stop, Hands-off, Plan.
These are probably things you've already listed but these are the top 5 points I stress with my Coaches. Hope it helps.
Thanks so much Julie!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tips from Barbara:
There is no outside assistance when practicing spontaneous, unlike long term. It is a coaches “job” to help teams with gaining proficiency in spontaneous.
Don’t forget to practice strategies when the team is stuck. At any given time, anyone can be stuck. Have them practice looking around the room they are in and find something they can say if they are stuck. Have them remember examples the judges give them when the problem is being read. These are answers that can be given. I always made sure that team members left those responses for those that are really stuck so time is not lost.
Begin and end every team meeting with a spontaneous problem. Don’t just do verbals. Make sure they have practiced with hands on. You never know when they are going to walk into a hands on problem. Hands on problems REQUIRE team work. Develop team work among your team members. Team building strategies are important.
Every team generally has one child that is a natural leader. Don’t let the leader take over the problem to the exclusion of other team members. Many problems now have team work as part of the scoring. It is important that the team realizes all team members have a say and the team comes to a consensus of how to solve the problem.
Have team members learn about many fields by reading magazines, books, music, etc. When having think time, I always had each of my team members assigned 5 different categories. So, if they had to “name things that collect other things and what they collect,” for example…….each team member would then be thinking in their individual categories and come up with five answers. By thinking in categories, they are not going to be taking someone else’s answers. For example, team member #1 would be assigned: teacher, astronaut, doctor, secretary, and policeman. Team member #2 would be assigned: fireman, IRS, student, parents, and siblings. By doing this, their answers are different and they don’t step on each other. Answers could then be: a teacher collects grades, a doctor collects patients, parents collect children, firemen collect hoses, and the IRS collects my parent’s money.
Give the team many different scenarios and have them come up with ways to connect their occupation with them. They can give answers in their categories without having to say the occupation: moon rocks (from the astronaut occupation) my grandparents listen to rock and roll, etc.
When discussing the spontaneous solution the team has presented, ask them open-ended questions about what they thought was creative, common, what they could have done differently, etc. Don’t allow negativity. Even if something fell flat, tell them in the words of Thomas Edison, they have just found one more way that it didn’t work. Have them discuss another way, another idea. Get them excited about their quest.
As a coach, look at regional, state, and world finals competition scores. Find the team that placed first in long term, first in style, and first in spontaneous among all the participants in a given problem, and see where they ultimately placed in the competition.
Keep teams upbeat about their spontaneous practice. Make spontaneous practice fun. It should be challenging but not so much pressure they are overly anxious in the competition.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tips from Bo
Pre-competition day tips:
· Practice, practice, practice. Start with a problem, have a problem in the middle of your meeting, and another at the end of every team meeting/practice.
· Do team building exercises to work on teamwork.
· Know which 5 members will compete in which problem type prior to competition day.
· Have teams complete spontaneous without the coach present. Use a helper to read the problem as a judge would and sit and listen to answers. On competition day coaches won’t be in the room so teams should be used to this.
The following is a list of tips in chronological order of the spontaneous portion of the competition.
1 – Right before your team’s time to check in get their energy up (have some fruit, play an active game, etc.).
2 – Show up on time. You don’t want to keep the judges waiting unless your long term was delayed and forced you to be. Alternatively, keep in mind the judges may be behind schedule for any number of reasons, don’t let this take your team out of their zone or more nervous.
3 – Have fun in the holding room/area. When the judge comes to get your team encourage them to be loud and energetic. The kids having fun while solving problems is what OM is all about. It’s good to show the judges you’re having fun (many kids will get really shy or quiet around judges).
4 – Entering the Spontaneous room: Teams can perform and short chants/songs they have created when they enter the room. Have a team member ask the judges beforehand, "May we introduce ourselves?"
Tips from Faye:
With our coach spontaneous training, I recommend each team member have a spiral notebook to record all spontaneous practices. Put in the problem and as many responses as they remember, then keep adding to.
We begin with listening exercises - talk to someone on your team about your favorite movie star, and where you'd like to dine with them. The person receiving the info will share with everyone else.
Many others have types of suggestions to encourage active listening. We have also worked with Stories with Holes which requires listening, not repeating a question, and divergent thinking.
Next, we work on team work - putting puzzle parts in different envelope. Now, without talking put the puzzle together. Don't indicate to the other person what to do with their parts. This teaches them to be aware of their team members needs without being bossy. It is an excellent tool with great results.
We share team-building activities.
Then, we move on to the different types of problems with practice with each.
We stress the importance of spontaneous at each meeting.
Competition notes from Barbara - your State Spontaneous Problem Captain:
Spontaneous competition procedures –
1. Teams will be signed in by their coaches when they come to the spontaneous holding area. Once signed in, teams should remain in the designated area until they are called into the holding room. Coaches may accompany their teams in the holding area. Once the team is retrieved by the competition judge, coaches will leave the holding area and wait for their teams to return.
2. Once in the competition room, judges will inform team members if they are going to have a verbal, verbal hands-on, or a hands-on problem.
3. Participating team members may sit at the table or stand in the competition room as they respond to the problem.
4. When the team has finished, they will be escorted to the outside holding area where coaches are waiting.
5. No spontaneous scores will be given to teams during the competition day. They are generally handed out, or posted, following the end of the awards ceremony.
6. Spontaneous scores are not scores that can be taken to a tribunal.
7. Please ask your team NOT to discuss their problem. If a team overhears another team discussing their problem, it will give them a great advantage over your team, if they find themselves answering the same problem.
8. Please ask your team not to post their spontaneous problems on the web or send them out via text, twitter, Facebook, etc. The problems are generated from the national Odyssey of the Mind office and it would not be fair for others to find out what the problems are in advance of their competition. The International Problem Captain requests they not be discussed until after World Finals because other teams from around the world are holding competitions until just before World Finals.
Primary:
1. Primary teams are now limited to a maximum of seven members.
2. As with all problems and all divisions at every level of competition, only team members and judges are allowed in the room when the spontaneous competition is taking place.
3. No recording or videotaping is ever permitted in the spontaneous problem rooms.
Spontaneous Coaching Tips
Tips from the Team: Thanks for your notes Mike
Spontaneous problems have changes significantly over the last 10 years. Today's judges and problems are using several new ways to manage answers and time.
There are still three type of problems:
Verbal
Verbal Hands-on
Hands-on non-verbal
Judges today DO NOT COMMENT during solution:
No longer are judges saying:
Repeat
Unclear
Inappropriate
This can lead to confusion by the team and it should help to permit the team to go faster.
Remember: The team may be rotating in some order and if a student gets stumped, they do not have to be. They can now give the same answer as another person and still be scored as common answer.
7 Colored cards, or marbles or others cards are given to each of the team member to limit number of answers to as maximum of 35 answers. If the team is less that 5 they are at a disadvantage, since on 7 cards are given to any one team member.
Dice are occasionally used to select:
Next team member to answer
Which two words to use for answer for lists
Teams Must be teams and Experienced teams show.
Teams can be quickly assessed by judging teams as to seasoned or novice
· How they enter room…….
· Do they have a team song, chant or rhyme?
· Do they stand or sit?
· Do they chant their answers or sing, or rap?
· Do they act courteous to Judges and other team members during entrance and solution?
· Do they smile and look like they are having fun?
Tricks to develop creative answers:
SELECT A PROFESSION
SELECT A SPECIALIST
Look around room and use what is available (Pictures, windows, clothes, furniture)
IF IT DOES NOT SAY OTHERWISE, IT IS OK. For example, turn a table on its side or upside down if advantageous during a hands on solution.
Ask team members to read understand the problem for details as the judge reads it to them because team members may ask for clarification during "think" time.
Check solutions against problem details
Make sure the team is working toward points (go to bottom sand see what is scored and weight of scores.)
Devil’s advocate for details
Know team members strengths for each type of problem - they are a team and a leader generally rises.
If answering a verbal question in a specific order, KNOW WHICH STUDENT STARTS THE FIRST ANSWER. Often the judges will hand out colored cards to each student and then states “Begin”... (Who will start with the first answer?)
Ways to help teams get better:
When practicing spontaneous have a judge (BING) if a common answer is given.
Tips from Julie:
1. Don't do a spontaneous if you don't have time to debrief it.
2. Plan on 2 spontaneous activities for each meeting.
3. During debrief - do not interject your thoughts until the kids have expressed theirs.
Roses and thorns - What worked well? (Kids answer)
What could have worked better? (Kids answer)
Don't let kids begin with what went wrong - this doesn't help them analyze things well. They need to identify things that worked and why and then come up with strategies on how thing could be better next time. This makes it positive and they own the process.
IF they have missed something positive or negative then kindly point it out with questions.
Don't point out more than one or two things for them to improve upon and always find more positives than negatives.
4. Help kids understand that talking over each other is wasting their valuable time to find a solution.
5. Help them find statements that keep everyone focused on the task at hand such as Stop, Hands-off, Plan.
These are probably things you've already listed but these are the top 5 points I stress with my Coaches. Hope it helps.
Thanks so much Julie!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tips from Barbara:
There is no outside assistance when practicing spontaneous, unlike long term. It is a coaches “job” to help teams with gaining proficiency in spontaneous.
Don’t forget to practice strategies when the team is stuck. At any given time, anyone can be stuck. Have them practice looking around the room they are in and find something they can say if they are stuck. Have them remember examples the judges give them when the problem is being read. These are answers that can be given. I always made sure that team members left those responses for those that are really stuck so time is not lost.
Begin and end every team meeting with a spontaneous problem. Don’t just do verbals. Make sure they have practiced with hands on. You never know when they are going to walk into a hands on problem. Hands on problems REQUIRE team work. Develop team work among your team members. Team building strategies are important.
Every team generally has one child that is a natural leader. Don’t let the leader take over the problem to the exclusion of other team members. Many problems now have team work as part of the scoring. It is important that the team realizes all team members have a say and the team comes to a consensus of how to solve the problem.
Have team members learn about many fields by reading magazines, books, music, etc. When having think time, I always had each of my team members assigned 5 different categories. So, if they had to “name things that collect other things and what they collect,” for example…….each team member would then be thinking in their individual categories and come up with five answers. By thinking in categories, they are not going to be taking someone else’s answers. For example, team member #1 would be assigned: teacher, astronaut, doctor, secretary, and policeman. Team member #2 would be assigned: fireman, IRS, student, parents, and siblings. By doing this, their answers are different and they don’t step on each other. Answers could then be: a teacher collects grades, a doctor collects patients, parents collect children, firemen collect hoses, and the IRS collects my parent’s money.
Give the team many different scenarios and have them come up with ways to connect their occupation with them. They can give answers in their categories without having to say the occupation: moon rocks (from the astronaut occupation) my grandparents listen to rock and roll, etc.
When discussing the spontaneous solution the team has presented, ask them open-ended questions about what they thought was creative, common, what they could have done differently, etc. Don’t allow negativity. Even if something fell flat, tell them in the words of Thomas Edison, they have just found one more way that it didn’t work. Have them discuss another way, another idea. Get them excited about their quest.
As a coach, look at regional, state, and world finals competition scores. Find the team that placed first in long term, first in style, and first in spontaneous among all the participants in a given problem, and see where they ultimately placed in the competition.
Keep teams upbeat about their spontaneous practice. Make spontaneous practice fun. It should be challenging but not so much pressure they are overly anxious in the competition.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tips from Bo
Pre-competition day tips:
· Practice, practice, practice. Start with a problem, have a problem in the middle of your meeting, and another at the end of every team meeting/practice.
· Do team building exercises to work on teamwork.
· Know which 5 members will compete in which problem type prior to competition day.
· Have teams complete spontaneous without the coach present. Use a helper to read the problem as a judge would and sit and listen to answers. On competition day coaches won’t be in the room so teams should be used to this.
The following is a list of tips in chronological order of the spontaneous portion of the competition.
1 – Right before your team’s time to check in get their energy up (have some fruit, play an active game, etc.).
2 – Show up on time. You don’t want to keep the judges waiting unless your long term was delayed and forced you to be. Alternatively, keep in mind the judges may be behind schedule for any number of reasons, don’t let this take your team out of their zone or more nervous.
3 – Have fun in the holding room/area. When the judge comes to get your team encourage them to be loud and energetic. The kids having fun while solving problems is what OM is all about. It’s good to show the judges you’re having fun (many kids will get really shy or quiet around judges).
4 – Entering the Spontaneous room: Teams can perform and short chants/songs they have created when they enter the room. Have a team member ask the judges beforehand, "May we introduce ourselves?"
Tips from Faye:
With our coach spontaneous training, I recommend each team member have a spiral notebook to record all spontaneous practices. Put in the problem and as many responses as they remember, then keep adding to.
We begin with listening exercises - talk to someone on your team about your favorite movie star, and where you'd like to dine with them. The person receiving the info will share with everyone else.
Many others have types of suggestions to encourage active listening. We have also worked with Stories with Holes which requires listening, not repeating a question, and divergent thinking.
Next, we work on team work - putting puzzle parts in different envelope. Now, without talking put the puzzle together. Don't indicate to the other person what to do with their parts. This teaches them to be aware of their team members needs without being bossy. It is an excellent tool with great results.
We share team-building activities.
Then, we move on to the different types of problems with practice with each.
We stress the importance of spontaneous at each meeting.
Competition notes from Barbara - your State Spontaneous Problem Captain:
Spontaneous competition procedures –
1. Teams will be signed in by their coaches when they come to the spontaneous holding area. Once signed in, teams should remain in the designated area until they are called into the holding room. Coaches may accompany their teams in the holding area. Once the team is retrieved by the competition judge, coaches will leave the holding area and wait for their teams to return.
2. Once in the competition room, judges will inform team members if they are going to have a verbal, verbal hands-on, or a hands-on problem.
3. Participating team members may sit at the table or stand in the competition room as they respond to the problem.
4. When the team has finished, they will be escorted to the outside holding area where coaches are waiting.
5. No spontaneous scores will be given to teams during the competition day. They are generally handed out, or posted, following the end of the awards ceremony.
6. Spontaneous scores are not scores that can be taken to a tribunal.
7. Please ask your team NOT to discuss their problem. If a team overhears another team discussing their problem, it will give them a great advantage over your team, if they find themselves answering the same problem.
8. Please ask your team not to post their spontaneous problems on the web or send them out via text, twitter, Facebook, etc. The problems are generated from the national Odyssey of the Mind office and it would not be fair for others to find out what the problems are in advance of their competition. The International Problem Captain requests they not be discussed until after World Finals because other teams from around the world are holding competitions until just before World Finals.
Primary:
1. Primary teams are now limited to a maximum of seven members.
2. As with all problems and all divisions at every level of competition, only team members and judges are allowed in the room when the spontaneous competition is taking place.
3. No recording or videotaping is ever permitted in the spontaneous problem rooms.