For as long as I can remember, my report cards, presentations, and basically anything that had to do with talking, came home with an "A" stamped on it. Now, it doesn't necessarily mean that the content of my work was phenomenal (it was okay, I guess), it just meant that I could talk pretty well. I'm a talker, I always have been. (And then, when I couldn't talk anymore as a child, I began to sing, but that is another story...) I loved talking and presenting so much, that I ended up taking a public speaking course during my undergrad. This course actually helped me to channel my thoughts, and I find because of it, I am a better public speaker and presenter now. I feel like I needed that class to have my "AHA" moment with oral communication and, thanks to that and to my literacy classes at Brock, I am now confident in my abilities to help my future students understand and enjoy communicating in class!
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| "Me talking at my parent's anniversary party this past summer". Retrieved from personal collection. |
Debates
One of my favourite articles that I read during the oral communication part of my literacy class was about debates. This article summarizes what a debate is, how they can be used, and how they benefit both students and teachers. I found that this was an extremely important document for both pre-service and in-service teachers, as they could both work together to implement it into the classroom (pre-service teachers could possibly have more time planning debates as they are not yet in the classroom, and in-service teachers can implement debates as soon as possible into their classrooms. It's a win-win situation.) This document brought back fond memories of some debates that I was a part of during my high school English class, and how I can still remember the important parts in it and even what I said! I will definitely try out a few debates in my own future classroom, as I personally think that it helps students with their own confidence level and fluency in speaking.
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| Retrieved from clipartpanda.com |
Tongue Twisters
As I seem to be looking back a lot during this blog post, I thought I'd write about another memory from my childhood (this is where the singing comes in!). My elementary school choir teacher would always give us vocal warm-ups and exercises to do before performing. One of her favourite strategies was to give us tongue twisters, and have use repeat them back to her. These are a few examples of the tongue twisters that we used to say. Additionally, during my public speaking course, and a few other drama courses from my undergrad, we participated in tongue twister activities. I find that tongue twisters are a great way to help students speak fluently, and also helps them to relax a bit when they are public speaking.
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| Retrieved from pinterest.com |
How can we help our students overcome their fear of public speaking?
One thing that I think is most helpful to our students in the way of public speaking, is giving them real-life examples of people who have overcome difficulties in speaking. If we are able to relate to our students, or give them examples that they can relate to (regarding their thoughts and feelings on speaking), then we are helping them to achieve their goals and overcome obstacles. One such example features a certain British Monarch who was able to overcome his fears, and directly address his public. We need to make sure that our students feel supported and comfortable within the classroom, and it is our job to create a positive and inclusive environment for them to thrive in. As I mentioned before, I hope to acquire many strategies that will help me teach my students how to confidently communicate, both within the walls of the school, and throughout their lives.
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