CHAMPION STRATEGIES – PUBLIC SPEAKING WORKSHOP – JANUARY 31, 2021-1
Public speaking is at the top of the list of things that people fear. In fact a third of the population is estimated to experience excessive fears when speaking in front of a large audience.
Why? Those who identify a fear of public speaking admit to harbouring visions of doing something embarrassing, forgetting what they are talking about, being unable to continue talking, not making sense, or showing physical signs of anxiety to others.
While fear and anxiety are normal and help keep us on our toes (based on how anxiety helped us in our cave man survival days), they become a problem when they interfere with everyday functioning. 10% of those who had fears of speaking in public expressed a level of anxiety that went beyond normal and healthy and interfered with their work, social life or education.
Providing opportunities for students to “lean into” their anxieties and face their fears of public speaking can seem counter intuitive, but it is the gradual, safe exposure to things that we are fearful of that helps us gain confidence and build resilience.
This lesson plans provides an opportunity to apply stress reducing skills to this commonly anxiety-ridden task of public speaking.
Learning Outcomes:
- To provide students with strategies/ knowledge to help them regulate their breathing and calm their nerves when they speak publicly in front of an audience.
- Get students to connect with their bodies and understand the influence that their anxieties have on the performance of their bodily functions and vice versa.
Materials Required:
- A mindful recording, mindful breathing app, such as Stop, Breathe & Think or Breathr, or a script for a guided-breathing exercise.
- A peer feedback form with three columns:
- ACTIVATE LEARNING: Ask students what the #1 fear …. is. (It’s public speaking! Other tops ones include heights and spiders.)
- Invite students to create a large circle of chairs in the middle of the room and take a seat. Introduce the lesson as a useful skill to help in the preparation of their speeches. This lesson will start with a learning a breathing exercise and then small groups will practice and provide peer-feedback on their speeches.
END OF PART ONE
Make It A Champion Day!
