What will you do differently next year?

·         Hold more preliminary competitions

·         Attempt earlier student commitment to specific events.

·         We will definitely compete in more events.  We will also push our teams harder to start earlier.

·         Register a B & a C team so more students can compete for medals.  (That will be a lot more work.)

·         We are going to recruit a parent with a motor home or travel trailer to be our second base camp at the Dee Event Center.  We think this will save trips back and forth for goggles, vouchers, etc.  We are also going to have a parent stationed at the main entrance of the Science Lab Building to take pictures of each team as they go to events.

·         Start practicing for SO after Christmas so enthusiasm remains high for district & state competitions.

·         Checklist and a small poster for timeline with date to help remind those who are inexperienced and losing their marbles.

·         Hold more guided practice and recruit students earlier.  Hold fundraisers to earn money for supplies.

·         I’ll try to get another teacher to help train.

·         Start earlier on the building events and check the rules closer to avoid modifications on the spot.

·         I have never attended a workshop, so after 7 years I have a hard time conveying to the students what to expect.  I will see if I can fit one into my schedule.

·         Build earlier.  Verify that all have the rules committed to memory.

·         We will insist on starting building events sooner.  (Don’t I say that every year?)

·         I will organize all my material from this and previous years a little better so that I can find things faster.

·         I will ask for a stronger commitment from the students.

·         Start sooner; hold tryouts so they take it more seriously; advertise for student interest.

·         We’ve competed in 14 events so we NOW know what to expect so we’ll start studying the STUFF we need to.

·         Attend the coaches meeting.  I wish I had more students participate.  I started with 15 volunteers and it dwindled to 3.  I suppose the after school deal and Saturdays got into teenager’s minds as negative.

·         My team captain said, they would like study sheets that would be part of a packet for each competition.

·         As a coach, I would like to work with other coaches to develop some study materials that could be given the students either in packet form or study sheets connected to a timeline.  This could provide a means for coaches to determine the knowledge level of each participant.  Possibly a take and evaluate/quiz, etc.  I think connected to a timeline and event specific would help.  Possibly other coaches do something like this and they could give us details.

·         Start earlier.  See who wants to take part and in which events.  If necessary, try to recruit parent help and support.

·         We will get to Ogden earlier on Friday so we can relax and go to sleep earlier.

·         Bring lunch/food so we don’t have to organize lunch trips.

·         I’m not sure, I’ve tried different things every year but don’t seem to change the amount of participants or how well we do on a team level (individually we do wonderfully).

·         Every year I start out with many students all very eager to do ALL of the events but by the time the competition comes, many drop.  I need to find a way to get them to commit!!

·         Have better contact with my students.  I have scheduling issues with our lunch systems.  Better meeting times for our group.

·         Read info earlier.

·         Begin earlier and have it as an after school activity so more students will have the opportunity to participate.

·         Begin earlier and require students to sign-in when they are present with some guidelines or rules as to how many times they may miss before not being on the team.

·         Get started sooner in the year.

·         More practice test simulations.

·         I try to make it fun so I didn’t push them hard to prepare.  It’s a hard balance – push vs. fun.  I probably need to lean more towards push.

·         Compete in as many events as possible.

·         Recruit more students.

·         I would like to be better organized on my end.  I would like to have my scheduling done weeks in advance.

·         I will start earlier and involve more students.

·         Double check that the students are following parameters.

·         Next year I plan on utilizing Univ of Utah grad students to mentor my team members.

·         Next year I will try to get the students to start into the process earlier.

·         Get organized earlier in the year.  Attend the coaches clinic.

·         Every year I say the same thing.  I need to get students working earlier and I need more help.

·         Start an after-school Science Olympiad club to help students prepare.  Get at least 1 other teacher to help coach!  I was swamped!

·         Starting earlier in the school year; our principal likes us to wait until the first quarter of school has ended before we form a team; that pushes us into November.  If we started earlier, it would give us more time to prepare and be ready for more events.  (It is difficult to prepare for 20 when we start that late.)

·         Planning and maintaining teams is a constant dynamic activity

·         Not start meeting so early in the year – the kids got burned out.  I’ll also have a students “participation” contract next year and require certain proficiencies at certain points.

·         Start earlier.  Have students do more individual work.