Be clear, be quick, be gone! I will remember that mantra and reiterate it to my students! Most of the articles in Presenters University emphasize using the audience's time wisely. There is nothing worse than to leave a long presentation where it feels time was wasted. No one wants to feel that!
The tips for reaching a young audience are practical. I find myself thinking about the dynamics for the relationships formed in classrooms today. There is a fine line between being a buddy and being a mentor sometimes. I try to think of myself as a mentor instead of an authority in the classroom. I want my advice and lessons to be remembered. Besides, I probably won't be remembered, but the skills that students come away with will be with them forever. And, I try to be myself. I didn't see that particular advice in the second article, but it is good to remember to be real! Fakes stick out like sore thumbs among a group of teens.
3 comments:
I think you WILL be remembered. I only spent a morning with you geocaching, and had a great time. Your students are lucky to have you.
Nadeen, I think you make a great point. Teaching Read 180, I face the issue of that balance between buddy and mentor often. Partly because I get to work with my students in such small groups, and partly because for many of my students, I am the first teacher who has afforded them academic success or even just a little kindness--something far to many teachers seem to offer only to their very successful kids. I think mentor is a great word because mentors command respect; the don't "demand" it the way an authority figure might. And when your students respect you willingly, they will value the time they have with you and the education that you give to them.
I agree that fakers stick out. Even among the little ones! I teach 2nd grade and even they appreciate genuine folks. Just like the little boy in that movie Jerry McGuire says, "Did you know that bees can smell fear?" I think kids can too! That's why it's so important to be yourself!
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