PUBLIC SPEAKING – SHOW AND TELL’S NEXT STEP

Extemporaneous speaking should be practiced and cultivated. It is the lawyer’s avenue to the public. by Abraham Lincoln

Last week Kacey, my 9 year old granddaughter, and I went on a Build-A-Bear adventure in a nearby mall. Kacey, a stuffed animal aficionado, spent a long time choosing her latest acquisition – a colorful plush bear with a peace motif. Once the bear was chosen, stuffed, and fluffed, an equally colorful outfit was selected. Next came the name choosing and generation of a birth certificate. Eventually a very happy little girl exited the store with “Peace Lover” clutched in her arms. I asked her if she planned to take it to school for “Show and Tell”, and she looked at me sadly. “We don’t do ‘Show and Tell’ after second grade in my school,” she said, as if there was some kind of rite of passage that didn’t allow for classroom sharing after the age of eight.

I was sad too. Teachers are missing a prime opportunity to teach the very important life skill of public speaking in a way that children can relate to and understand. The fear that most adults have about speaking in groups is usually absent with kids when they are sharing something special to them. For many it grows exponentially the older they get to the point of paralysis for some. I have seen the most effective classroom teachers overcome with shyness when having to present something in front of their peers.

It is no secret that children love to mimic big people and do what big people do. Public speaking is no different. It is a skill that can easily be taught with just a few small steps, beginning even in kindergarten. Add a karaoke machine with a microphone, and the pot is irresistibly sweetened.

In all of my classrooms from kindergarten through third grade “Show and Tell” was renamed Public Speaking, and the kids were thrilled. By the end of the year any of my students could grab a microphone, stand up in front of the whole school and put on an emcee hat or deliver a poem without an outward qualm.

In order to make sure that every child is forced to learn this invaluable life skill, I set up a public speaking schedule, where all kids had their own sharing day. The schedule was sent home and parents understood that their children could bring sharing items on that day only. They could either share items or experiences, but they HAD to share something.

The principal players were the emcee, the audience monitor, and, of course, the audience. Each had their role, and each step was modeled by me and selected students. The first step was to explain that the emcee was like a program director or person in charge. The word is short for mistress of ceremonies (a girl) or master of ceremonies (a boy). The audience monitor’s job was to watch the audience to make sure his/her classmates were paying attention to the speaker. The audience’s job was to watch for the following and be prepared to ask questions or make comments:

1. Eye contact
2. Voice Projection
3. Posture
4. Content.

The session went something like this. A podium (simply a tall stool to set things on) was at the front of the room with two chairs for the emcee and audience monitor to the side. The emcee turned on the mike and announced it was time for public speaking. The following is the sequence of events:

1. Good afternoon. It’s time for public speaking. (Students put away their things and fold their hands prepared to listen.

2. Our first speaker is Annie. Give her a (round of applause, or big hand, or warm welcome.)

3. The speaker comes to the podium, either prepared to share an experience or an item which has been stored in a public speaking box. He/She then introduces his/herself. Note: Speakers are coached to give good content. In other words, they can’t simply say. “Hello, my name is Annie and this is my new doll. Are there any questions.” They need to give some information like where they got it, how long they had it, and something special about it.

5. When finished, the speaker asks “Are there any questions?”

6. The audience gets to ask two thoughtful questions. This is an invaluable skill in itself as many younger children in the audience want to use the time to tell about their own similar item which is not a question. They must use the speaker’s name, i.e., "Annie, how long have you had that doll?"

7. The speaker answers, and the student asking the question responds with a “thank you.”

8. The speaker then asks if there are any comments. A student is chosen from among the raised hands. That student will then mention something they observed. “I liked your voice projection, I liked your eye contact, I liked how tall you stood, I liked your doll and what you said.” The speaker says “Thank you.”

9, The emcee returns to the podium and thanks Annie for her contribution, then introduces the next speakers until all have spoken. Usually this amounts to four or five students a day.

10. When finished the emcee turns to the audience monitor and asks for a report. This is always a positive report. The audience monitor cites several students who are doing a good job of paying attention.

11. The emcee thanks the audience monitor and announces that “This concludes our public speaking for today.” He/She is given a round of applause.

The public speaking lesson takes about twenty minutes and is best held right after lunch or at the end of the day.

A teacher knows a lesson is successful if there is evidence of transfer to other settings. It was exciting to see that happen when I took my students to a salmon release field trip at the University of Washington. A gentleman stepped to the microphone and introduced the mayor. One of my students pointed with excitement, and whispered “Look, Mrs. Lind-Sherman, that’s just like our public speaking.”

As the year progresses public speaking can be used for teaching impromptu speaking, where students draw a subject out of a box, face away from the audience to collect their thoughts, then turn back and give impromptu remarks on the topic they randomly selected. Students can also use this time to share poems and prepare for events like Oratorical Contests.

I have proof positive that that this technique works because on one occasion a group of my students were invited to give a sample of our classroom public speaking at an evening school board meeting. They received a standing ovation! When children are taught to become effective speakers they become confident and unafraid. What a great way of meeting communication standards!

One internet site discussing how to prepare children for public performance said this: “Not allowing people to scare and intimidate you is truly the number one rule; not only in public speaking, but even more so in life.” I think President Obama, a role model for his intellect and eloquence, proves the point. I also think he would believe that becoming an effective public speaker would be a great next step on any child’s educational path. As far as Kacey is concerned, she may not get “show and tell” from now on, but she is lucky to have a dad who teaches communication at a nearby community college. He will certainly be passing on important tips to her and her older sister, Lily, as they hone their public speaking skills.

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BOOK NOOK

Say it! With Confidence by Sofia Matloga, is a public speaking book for kids. It covers, among other things, managing shyness, fear of risk, dos and don’ts, handling questions like a pro, impromptu speeches and more.

Additionally, when you google public speaking for kids, you will find many web sites that give other tips for becoming a good speaker. In the meantime, my simple recipe as suggested above, will get you started and may be all you need. If you go to my personal website, you will see a page about public speaking. Feel free to write to me at lindsher@aol.com if you need help or have other questions.