Encouragement

One of the main things that I teach is conquering insecurities. I suppose it's not always conquering as much as hiding, but learning the art of public speaking requires the development of an authentically confident persona. My students know this and work hard on it. My advanced students concentrate very hard on perfecting their presentation style. I admire them for it. I especially appreciate them when they write peer evaluations, which they do after each speech. They select one partner at the beginning of the semester and write a one page evaluation for each speech, addressing the strengths and weaknesses they observed. This group of students never fails to impress me with their kindness to each other. They understand the difficulty of standing in front of others and exposing their ideas, so they are intentional about offering support. I love it. Their encouragement of each other encourages me, and I hope it encourages you (to encourage others!). These are things we would all like to hear more often, I think. Here are two choice snippets from their evals on impromptu speeches.

"This was definitely your break out speech; you surprised us all by going first and owning the stage that you were on. Continue to be confident in yourself and know that you can deliver a speech very nicely."

"Your speech was easily the best of the impromptu speeches. Your delivery was smooth and thoughtful. You articulated the main points and reasons in a sincere and engaging manner. Your tone and sincerity on the topic of your mother added an emotional element that we had yet to see in this class from any speech."

So, for as much as I tease my students here, they are really good kids. Sometimes they don't let me see that and cover up the sweetness with colorful conversations. They can teach each other as much as I can teach them, and I like to see that in action. It's something to remember as we interact with each other each day. Our encouragement can enable other people to face fears and grow.

P.S. One of my students always writes his peer evaluations for Katie. We have no Katies in the class. His partner's actual name is Kelly. I correct him on every evaluation, but to no avail. :)