5 Tricks for Helping Your Students Overcome Their Fear of Public Speaking
Public speaking is one of the greatest fears in America, but it doesn’t have to be a fear in your classroom! There are so many situations in the real world where our students will need to present their ideas to a group, and it’s our job to not only help them develop that skill but also make it less intimidating — and even fun — in the process. Here are 5 tricks to help your students overcome their fear of public speaking:
Have everyone practice their presentations at the same time.
The most intimidating part of public speaking is being at the center of attention. It can be uncomfortable! But if everyone practices their speeches or presentations at the same time, it takes a lot of pressure off of the speakers because everyone is absorbed in their own practice. Nobody is really watching or listening. It’s just a great opportunity to practice saying words correctly or using the best expressions. Then when it’s time to actually give the presentation, everyone has some practice under their belts.
Increase audience sizes gradually.
Speaking in front of a room for the first time can feel really overwhelming, but talking to one person? For most kids, that’s more than doable! Encourage your students to give their speech to one person at first, and then when they’re feeling comfortable, have them present to a group of 4 or 5 students. Once they have worked out all of the kinks in their presentations and are gaining confidence, they can speak in front of the whole class.
Incorporate skits and charades into class content.
Skits and charades are so silly that they don’t really feel like public speaking, but they do give students valuable experience at the front of the room. My students love to play acting games when we study author’s tone and vocabulary, so when it’s time for a public speaking unit, they’re already used to getting up out of their seats and having a room full of eyes on them.
Encourage your students to submit video recordings of their presentations.
Practicing a speech or presentation until it goes smoothly is obviously one of the best ways to get over those public-speaking jitters, but some students are hesitant to practice at home. In this case, asking students to submit video recordings of their presentations is a great way to confirm that they are practicing, and if they watch the videos back, they can do some valuable self-reflection too.
Practice identifying common public-speaking foibles.
Years ago, when I was still a student teacher, my supervising teacher told me that she found it helpful to have students get up in front of the class and act out a common public-speaking faux pas on purpose. Kids could get up and stare at the back wall or they could fiddle with their hair while they talked. They could speak too quietly or they could wave their hands too wildly. It was hilarious! What the kids didn’t realize was that all of that laughing up front really eased their nerves and helped them to relax when it was time to present for real. When I got my own classroom, I made sure to play public speaking games throughout the year so my students would be used to the attention of their peers. Ten years later, public speaking games are still some of my favorite things to do with my students!
Looking for more middle-school teaching ideas? This free pdf has 144 teaching ideas for every 7th grade ELA standard!
