Can learning public-speaking help kids avoid ending up at the back of the line?

What is back-of-the-line syndrome?

I know about this syndrome very well as I was afflicted by it. The earliest I remember experiencing it was when I was around seven years old. At school, we had to line up whenever we were leaving the classroom as a group to go to the cafeteria, the library, recess, on a field trip, or to the auditorium. We would also line up during snack time or to pick art supplies or to choose the book we wanted to use for our country report.

At that time, other kids would ask for “frontsies,” which meant that you agreed to allow them to cut in front of you in line or “backsies,” which were a little more controversial as they allowed you to go behind them in line, therefore cutting in front of the person behind you. I never asked for either one, but I was always asked, because kids knew that I wouldn’t say no. So that is how I always ended up in the back of the line.

The interesting part was that, outside of school, I was a somewhat confident kid who didn’t have a problem standing up for herself at home. I was the oldest of three and didn’t have a problem telling my brother or sister what to do. School was a different story. I was an introvert and didn’t like to use my voice in group scenarios to stand up for myself, even if meant just telling someone “no” in regards to going in front of me in line.

Why should kids learn public speaking?

As an introvert, I could be myself with those who were close to me in one-on-one or small group settings, but I was incredibly closed-off and quiet in large groups. Basically, going to school was like constantly being in one large group setting.

We would have to speak in front of the class occasionally to discuss our book reports or to present an art project or read from a text book. However, we never learned any tactics or strategies for speaking in front of the class, so I would try to rush through the experience to get it over with as quickly as possible. These brief speaking experiences did nothing to help me mitigate my fears over time or help me become a better speaker. We didn’t discuss tactics or the process or tips for speaking in front of the class. And I didn’t show any improvement.

I didn’t formally learn public-speaking until I was in high school and it was much more difficult to break my bad habits or overcome my fear at that time.

Instead of first developing the confidence to learn public speaking, public-speaking should be viewed as a tool to help children develop confidence as they grow. It’s best to begin early, before it becomes viewed as a big, scary thing. Plus, the earlier that children learn public-speaking, the earlier they can start standing up for themselves in group settings, and hopefully avoid becoming afflicted with back-of-the-line syndrome. If the syndrome has already developed, learning public-speaking can be a cure.

How will the book Super Speaker help kids with public speaking?

I wrote Super Speaker because I wished that I had been exposed to public-speaking at a younger age, because developing my presentation skills helped me gain confidence and become a better communicator in many different arenas of life.

Instead of having the kids listen to an adult lecturing them about why they better learn public-speaking, they are treated to a story that elicits emotions and hopefully makes them want to continue reading. As they learn the steps, they are also exposed to the importance of public-speaking, but not as a skill that they’ll use someday somehow as an adult. Instead, they can see how they could use it in their current world along with practical steps that they can use.

Sure, I could’ve just written my framework for effective public speaking – the  5 P’s of Presentations and the descriptions - and have been done with it. However, that method would’ve been less likely to engage the reader at their level.

Stories elicit emotions and have been found to be instrumental in teaching. Children will be more likely to stay interested in learning information when it is presented in an entertaining manner. The book’s main characters are sixth-graders starting middle school and going through changes that are relevant to the audience.

Storytelling - overrated or overlooked teaching tool?

Image by David Mark from Pixabay

Storytelling has played a key role for humans for thousands of years. It doesn’t take money or resources to tell stories, yet it has helped build connections and relationships throughout history. Storytelling isn’t only a form of timeless entertainment but also an important and effective teaching tool that is often overlooked.

Many textbooks and lessons for children are written in a dry, formulaic manner. Children are curious and eager to learn. Although they are not born to think that school will be boring, the way that concepts and information are presented to them can cause them to lose interest and believe that the entire topic is boring.

Why is storytelling effective?

Stories don’t just engage the mind, but also aim to elicit emotions, and are helpful in teaching lessons.

In the book, How to Tell Stories to Children, authors Joseph Sarosy and Silke Rose West, illustrate why stories should be used as a vital part of teaching.

According to Rose West and Sarosy, one reason is that people are more likely to remember material from a story (2021). “Memory has as much to do with how information is taken in as how it is recalled. Attention plays a key role, telling the brain where and when to lay down tracks for the incoming information. As we all know, however, attention is a limited resource. Storytelling, along with its central characters, emotional gravity, unusual plot developments, and descriptive language, is one of the most powerful tools we have for gaining and retaining attention” (Rose West & Sarosy, 2021, p. 108).

Have you ever read the same line over and over again without paying attention and then not been able to recall what you just read a few minutes later?

We’ll remember information differently based on how we gain that information. The package that is used to deliver that information plays a key part in how much of it the learner engages with and retains.

Information presented in a dull way doesn’t have the same effect as information presented in an interesting way even though it’s the same information. Start with the end result or goal in mind – the student learns the information. Now, work backwards from there. How do I present this topic in a way that causes the audience to listen? Who is my audience? What is their knowledge level? What do they find interesting?

This method may seem time-consuming and it certainly takes more time than just regurgitating facts and statistics from a text book, but put it into the context of your goal. Your goal shouldn’t be to present the information. If that was your only goal, then obviously, reading the facts would be the fastest way to reach the goal.

Keep in mind that the goal is that the child learns the information. In that case, it is more efficient to use a story or an anecdote to present the information in an interesting way, because the extra time it takes upfront to come up with a creative package for the information will help shorten the time it takes for the learning to occur.

Fiction vs. Nonfiction  

“We did not choose books solely for their instructional value. I would even say we chose them mainly on the basis of the enthusiasm they were likely to arouse in the children – as opposed to in us, or in the school-district officials,” wrote Céline Alvarez, a bestselling researching and educator, in her book The Natural Laws of Children: Why Children Thrive When We Understand How Their Brains Are Wired (Alvarez, 2019, p. 186). She observed that the children were much more engaged when they were interested in the story.

Common Core standards required students to have nonfiction be a certain percentage of their reading instead of primarily reading fiction. Natalie Wexler, education journalist, points out in The Knowledge Gap that the argument in favor of this change toward nonfiction was that students would gain useful knowledge versus reading fiction, which didn’t teach anything. However, a challenge they ran into was that. without having relevant knowledge, the students struggled to examine or even understand the nonfiction texts. They were better able to understand fiction since it was based on familiar human behavior (Wexler, 2019).

Certainly, there are merits to reading fiction and nonfiction. Why not have both in the same text? An entertaining story that elicits enthusiasm and has educational value.

Using storytelling to teach public-speaking

I wrote Super Speaker because I wished that I had been exposed to public-speaking at a younger age, because developing my presentation skills helped me gain confidence and become a better communicator in many different arenas of life.

Sure, I could’ve just written my framework for effective public speaking – the  5 P’s of Presentations and the descriptions - and have been done with it. It would’ve taken me much less time and effort and it would take the reader much less time and effort as well. But there wouldn’t be any emotions involved. That method wouldn’t have portrayed public-speaking as interesting and would’ve been less likely to engage the reader at their level. The book’s main characters are sixth-graders starting middle school and going through changes that are relevant to the audience.

Instead of having the kids listen to an adult lecturing them about why they better learn public-speaking, they are treated to a story that elicits emotions and hopefully makes them want to continue reading. As they learn the steps, they are also exposed to the importance of public-speaking, but not as a skill that they’ll use someday somehow as an adult. Instead, they can see how they could use it in their current world along with practical steps that they can use.

Learning should be fun

Yes, seriously! By making learning interesting, the student is much more likely to engage with the content.

How do you make learning fun?

1. Stop taking yourself so seriously and don’t be afraid to try something new with the content. Take risks to determine what works.

2. Tell stories that tie into the lesson.

3. Make the lesson visually engaging.

4. Connect two seemingly disconnected ideas.

5. Draw ideas from engaging entertainment. Understand the entertainment that the age group consumes and tie that knowledge into your teaching.

Education + Design + Storytelling = Engaged Learner

Image by saralcassidy from Pixabay 

Coming Soon: Super Speaker

Super Speaker is a fictional story that teaches public-speaking to kids in a fun, engaging format.

Gia isn’t ready for all of the changes that come with starting middle school, but she feels more confident when she acts like Super SHE, a TV show superhero.

 It’s not me, it’s Super SHE, Gia thinks after speaking in front of her entire grade, pulling a prank on a teacher, and doing an impromptu cheer at a soccer game. After all, she’s willing to do whatever it takes to stop perfectly perfect Cora from stealing her best friend, Lance.

Lance is spending more time with Cora and is sure that she will win the Speech Masters contest. When Gia’s new friend, Annabelle, is forced to enter the contest, Gia knows that she must help her win, so she volunteers to coach Annabelle on her speech. Plus, she starts a “little” rumor about Cora.

But when the rumor spreads like wildfire and risks burning her friendships and hurting people, Gia can’t rely on Super SHE. Instead, she must discover how to become her own superhero.  

BONUS: Learn how to become a Super Speaker. The 5 P’s of Presentations (real life tips to help you give a great speech) are incorporated into the story and summarized at the end.

The Language of Self-Belief: Calling Yourself a Writer

Photo by Mohammad Metri on Unsplash

What messages are you listening to? And are they helping you or hurting you when it comes to your perception of yourself as a writer?  

You may be holding yourself back from reaching your potential, not because you don’t have the skill or talent, but because you don’t have the self-belief.  

What you tell yourself, even subconsciously, can affect how you view yourself and how much work you’re willing to put in. Be aware of your language. Are you calling yourself a writer? Or are you saying you’re not a real writer? If your language constantly tells you that you don’t believe that you’re going to succeed, you’re not likely to take the necessary steps to get started. 

Do you believe that writing is a silly dream? Or is that the message you’ve heard from others so often that you’ve internalized it? 

It’s not uncommon for the people around us to view success in the arts as a pipedream that takes luck and connections. And if we hear this message enough, we may begin to believe it. It would be nice if the people we cared about were supportive of our dreams, but we don’t live in a perfect world, which is why we need to become our own biggest supporters.  

You don’t have control over what others say but you do have control over what you choose to listen to. Some people might feel as if they’re helping you avoid disappointment. Others might be jealous because they’ve put their own dreams on hold. Whatever the reason for their negative comments, you have the power to decide whether or not they’ll lead to self-doubt. Instead of taking those words to heart, use them to fuel your motivation to prove to yourself and others that you can accomplish your goal.  

If this is difficult for you, repeat these affirmations in the morning. Put emotion into your words. Be aware of your body language. Say each statement confidently. Repeat multiple times until you mean what you’re saying.  

I am a writer.  

I possess the skills and talent to accomplish my goals.  

I start and finish my writing projects with ease. 

Now that you believe you have what it takes, it’s time to get to work. Writing is not always fun and you won’t always be in the mood to put in the work but that book isn’t going to write itself. 

The truth is you won’t know what you’re capable of if you don’t try. Even if you believe that you were born with writing talent, it isn’t going to mean much if all you have is a blank screen. Being a writer means putting in the work. There’s no better time than the present to begin.  Waiting for the right time when all the stars are in alignment and you’re perfectly ready puts you in a consistent holding pattern and being in a “holding back” pattern is only going to hamper your chances of success. For tips on overcoming procrastination, check out this article.  

As you take action toward your goal, you’ll gain more confidence and have more evidence to challenge your self-limiting beliefs.  

So stop holding back and start proving to yourself that you’re capable of achieving your dreams. Because you are a real writer.  

Embrace Wabi-sabi to Overcome Perfectionism and Writer’s Block

Photo by Steve Johnson on Unsplash

When you chase the elusive goal of perfection, the finish line remains out of reach and the journey becomes increasingly frustrating. Mistakes are catastrophic and failure is always imminent, threatening to pull you down.

There’s nothing that kills creativity faster than the pressure of perfection.

Striving for perfection can be harmful to your health and goals but most of us already know this. We hear ‘Nobody’s perfect’ and ‘Done is better than perfect,’ but many times we don’t apply this knowledge to our own projects. When children are too young to judge themselves based on their creations, they draw and write and play without any fear of how the finished product will turn out.  

It’s not easy to relax your expectations, especially today when airbrushing and filters erase flaws while technology allows you to put a contrived version of your ideal self on display in social media. However, it seems like there’s somewhat of an anti-perfection movement going on lately. Homemade goods and arts and crafts are gaining popularity because people are getting sick of the mass-produced, homogenous products they can buy from chain stores. More people are posting makeup-free shots of their faces and untouched images of their bodies. People are looking to online and in-person secondhand shops to find unusual and interesting clothing.  

When it comes to your writing, it may be time to embrace Wabi-sabi, a Japanese concept focused on finding beauty in that which is imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete.

It’s a deliciously freeing way to view life, savor the beauty in your work, and hopefully release perfection’s suffocating grip on your creativity.  

The fear of failure or making mistakes can make it difficult to finish or even start writing whether your goal is an article, a short story, or a novel. Giving yourself permission to find beauty in your original draft and using that belief to propel you forward can save you from staring at a blank screen frozen with fear.  

If you still can’t begin, choose an everyday product such as a water glass or a cereal box or the washing machine and give yourself the challenge of constructing a one-page story (or less or more – whatever gets the words flowing) around it. You set the rules (the fewer the better). For example - the product must be mentioned at least once, it must be the main topic, someone must be using it, etc. This could serve as a warm-up exercise to get you out of your writer’s block because you know that no one will read it but it’ll prompt your brain to just go with the flow.  

Also, don’t think of your original draft/words/ideas as mistakes, no matter how far off they are from what you wanted them to be, and instead view your first draft as an opportunity for learning and growth. Once you’ve tried it one way, you can work on improving it. It might not be your best work right away, but regardless of what you write, it will provide a starting point.  

Give yourself time to get it right. Almost all writers go through multiple drafts and rewrites. Even well-known famous authors have said that they still find areas of improvement in their published, best-selling books.  

Start looking for beauty in the imperfect in different aspects of daily life.

If you revere perfection, you’ll be less likely to create something wonderful. The process of creating requires messy first drafts, mistakes, non-working inventions, and unidentifiable scribbles. Instead of sniffing disapprovingly at these acts of creativity because they’re not exactly what you expected them to be, embrace them because they’re part of the beautiful, yet imperfectly perfect creative process.   
 

How to Stop Procrastinating and Start Writing

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Procrastination, the habit of delaying or avoiding tasks, is one of the most significant obstacles that holds people back from accomplishing their professional and personal goals. Everyone has experienced it at some point in their lives and most people experience it on a daily basis. However, getting into the habit of procrastinating can be detrimental to your writing career. It can also take a toll on your health.

Studies have shown that people who procrastinate regularly on priority tasks have weaker immune systems, are more susceptible to flus and colds, and are also more likely to have problems sleeping.  When it comes to writing, procrastination can cause you to be stuck with a blank page for a long time which can cause you to get frustrated with yourself which can cause you to take a break and the cycle continues.

I feel your pain. It’s easy to come up with hundreds of things you need to do before you start writing. Wash dishes. Vacuum. Check e-mail and social media. Get comfortable in your chair. Decide to change chairs. Go chair-shopping.

You can work yourself into a tizzy just thinking about the tasks you need to do. The bigger you make them in your mind, the more difficult it becomes to get started. If you haven’t been able to even write the first sentence yet or figure out the topic, I would suggest the 2-minute rule which was introduced by David Allen in his book Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity.

Rather than worrying about starting your project all day or making a long to-do list that you ignore, take just TWO minutes to get started. Write your topic. Or the beginning of your outline. Or the first two sentences.

Now that you have started, you can spend another 2 minutes you have available for taking the next step. Soon, you’ll be working in the flow for twenty minutes and then perhaps two hours.

There are more helpful tips to help you overcome procrastination and reach your goals.

1. Change your mind.

   The expectation that you have to do something perfectly can hold you back. Realize that you are not expected to complete the task perfectly. You just need to get started.

2. Define your goal.

3. Set up your writing space so that you’re ready to write when you have your two available minutes and don’t end up spending your time updating your computer or cleaning the desk.

4. Take at least 2 minutes to focus on your writing.

5. Create a plan or outline for the project. Break it up into smaller pieces to make it more manageable. If you need a helpful process, check out the Snowflake Method

6. Stay accountable. Ask someone you to trust to hold you accountable for finishing the task(s).

7. Brainstorm ways to make it more enjoyable. 

8. Schedule. In order to avoid thinking about it all day, schedule a certain time during the day that you will do the task and stick to it. 

9. Reward yourself. Give yourself a small reward for finishing the task.

10. Keep a journal of how you were able to beat procrastination and refer to that journal for help on future goals.

Why does your closet get to have all the fun?

Let your inner decorator and bookworm shine through.

Books can be stylish.

And decorators can be bookish too.

Photo by Sheila Nazari