Helpful Hints:​

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1. Start your Vulnerable Sector Background Check right away. If you are a teacher currently working in a school, or already have a current background check that you can share with us, you will be able to start right away! For other TMs, please send us a quick message and we will help you to get started.

2. Attend the Team Manager Training as soon as possible. Check out Get a Head Start on the Next Season of DI for more information.

3. Supply each parent/student with an Interference Contract. Interference can be a very tricky subject with DI parents because sometimes they are hesitant to allow their children to fail. Have a candid discussion regarding the rules of Interference, the spirit of DI, and the idea that every child deserves the opportunity to fail and then try again in order to learn to be resilient. By providing information about DI early in the season, it will help to set appropriate guidelines.

4. Subscribe to the Newsletter. By filling in the contact form at the bottom of the page, you will receive lots of helpful information about our program and tournaments.

5. You can find some fantastic Team Resources on the Global DI Website. You will find information about Challenge Clarifications, a Resource Library with practice Instant Challenges, a Global Blog with news and contests, Educator Resources for teachers to use in the classroom, Marketing Materials for schools to share with parents, students, and volunteers and more Team Manager and Parent Tips.

6. Read the Challenge. Then read it again. While we can’t offer solutions, we can offer feedback. The Scoring Sheet (at the back of the Challenge) is often overlooked by students – please encourage your team members to look at it carefully so that they can better budget their time and focus their energies where it is most needed.

7. Ask for Challenge Clarification early on in the process. Please send your questions to maureen@diontario.org and we will get back to you with an answer.

8. DI teaches our children how to become good problem solvers. Even a team of best friends will squabble on occasion  That’s normal as a group of excited voices will all want to be heard at the same time - especially when things don’t work as planned. Good communication skills (and resiliency) come with maturity and practice. That means that it is okay for us to let them try to work through their frustrations on their own. If they need guidance, please step in.  

9. Decide ahead of time how the cost(s) will be shared. Perhaps every member will contribute $30-$40 that can be used to purchase materials. Or maybe your team would prefer to fundraise to pay for the tournament. Find out ahead of time what will work best for your group so that there won't be any unexpected surprises.

10. Talk about repurposing materials to keep the costs down. Repurposing, in addition to being environmentally responsible, also encourages creativity – so let them scour garage sales, Kijiji ads, lumberyard scrap piles, the back of closets, craft cupboards and recycling bins.

11. Share the work with other parents. For example, encourage each parent/guardian to put together an Instant Challenge for you to use with your team. It's always better when everyone is invested.

12. Remind students to keep their receipts in a safe place. Except for Improv, team members will need to fill in an Expense Report. Teams should be prepared to show their receipts so that the judges will know that they have not spent more than their budget allows.

13. Reach out to us with your suggestions, questions, and concerns. We are a volunteer-driven organization made up of DI alumni, active and retired team managers, and teachers who would love to hear your ideas.  

14. Have fun!