Print Article
In the thirty years that I taught middle school students, the most rewarding activity for many of my students, and certainly for myself, was the National Junior Forensic League.

In May of 1996, I organized a charter chapter of the National Junior Forensic League at Jonesborough Middle School in Jonesborough, Tennessee. It seemed only fitting that one of the oldest towns in the nation should have a charter membership in this new junior organization and that I having been a member of the National Forensic League in high school should be the sponsoring teacher.

I still remember going to a regional tournament in Atlanta, Georgia and making it to the semi-finals. That trip began a life-long interest in drama for me which has resulted in wonderful friendships and theatrical experiences. I wanted to pass along to my students the feeling of accomplishment that comes from performing on stage.

Anyone who has worked with middle school age students will agree that it is a tough time for the students, and it is not getting any easier in today's world, as the students go through puberty, the struggle with self-esteem, peer pressure, and out of control emotions. National Junior Forensic League provides a chance to let out those emotions in an appropriate way.

When I chose Friday afternoons after school as a meeting time, other teachers thought I was crazy. However, it was the only afternoon that most students didn't have commitments to school sports, dance lessons, etc., and they didn't have to worry about getting all their homework completed by the next day. Friday afternoons quickly became a time to which we all looked forward and it was not at all unusual to find twenty to thirty students crowding in to my room.

NJFL appealed to a wide variety of young people. Some were cheerleaders and athletes and some had Down Syndrome. Some were neat in appearance and some were more "creative" in their dress. Some talked nonstop, while others were extremely shy. It wasn't long before an area high school had to start sending NFL students to help me! Over the years we have produced plays, attended plays together, and competed in tournaments.

My students have gone on to perform in theater groups and, occasionally, we have performed on stage together. Parents have told me that their children would not have the poise and confidence they have today if it hadn't been for NJFL. Thank you NJFL for the memories!

(Judy Markwood was an NJFL coach at Jonesborough Middle School and later on at Boones Creek Middle School)