Speech Students Conquer Fears Early On
On Wednesday, January 4, ten frightened EPS students slowly crept down the hall toward an untimely fate. Though they’d tried to put it off as long as they possibly could, the time had now come. It was inevitable . . . they would soon be forced to face their ultimate fear: public speaking.
By Thursday, January 5, those same ten students moved quickly through the halls. Sprinting from their 6th period classes, they literally mowed down fellow students in order to get to their favorite part of the day: Speech Class.
Okay, so maybe they weren’t quite that enthusiastic, but over the first few weeks, this year’s speech students have gradually become more comfortable speaking and performing in front of the class, and they have even entertained Mrs. Shoe a little along the way.
Throughout the course of the semester, the students have worked with many facets of communication. After learning about the complexity of the communication process, the students participated in a number of activities to demonstrate these concepts. Some of these included a verbal symbol drawing activity, some twisted nursery rhyme recitations, circle improv, pantomimes, and some highly competitive rounds of Taboo and Guesstures.
As a result, they assured Mrs. Shoe that they have learned a number of important facts. 1) It’s always important to consider the audience 2) There is a lot going on during communication 3) Communication is a lot more than just words 4) Life is always a little bit better with “More Cowbell.”
Currently, the students are working on their first formal speech. In addition, they are also preparing to read children’s stories to the kindergarten and first grades as an exercise in adjusting paralanguage. So far, they have delivered three mini speeches in front of the group . . . and all of them have survived.
Hats off to you, speech students. You’re doing a tremendous job this semester!