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JustinPopovic · 10-14-2009, 05:51 PM

Hi Everyone,

I wasn't sure if this was the right forum for this discussion but I thought I would give it a shot.

I have been running a personal development business for a couple of years now and I dedicate a certain percentage of my public speaking efforts towards speaking to high school students.

I have done a few assembly addresses but I usually get invited to speak to one classroom....usually 20-30 kids anywhere from 15-18 years old.

In the past, I have done a very informative talk about goal setting and developing the mind. For example, I had the students write 30 life goals with NO LIMITS. I also teach them memory tricks to prove to them the power of their own mind.

My style has been very teacher-like....meaning I speak fairly low key and casual...which they like. But I don't always get the whole room to pay attention. As you can imagine, they are a tough crowd.

Does anyone out there have any ideas or suggestions on some techniques I can use to TOTALLY CAPTURE AND ENGAGE these kids for and hour and 15 minutes? I am prepared to be theatrical, have class participation, whatever. I just want to make sure I leave a long term and positive impression on them

Thanks in advance for the tips

10-14-2009, 05:51 PM	#1 (permalink)
JustinPopovic Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Ontario Posts: 245	Speaking to High School Students Hi Everyone, I wasn't sure if this was the right forum for this discussion but I thought I would give it a shot. I have been running a personal development business for a couple of years now and I dedicate a certain percentage of my public speaking efforts towards speaking to high school students. I have done a few assembly addresses but I usually get invited to speak to one classroom....usually 20-30 kids anywhere from 15-18 years old. In the past, I have done a very informative talk about goal setting and developing the mind. For example, I had the students write 30 life goals with NO LIMITS. I also teach them memory tricks to prove to them the power of their own mind. My style has been very teacher-like....meaning I speak fairly low key and casual...which they like. But I don't always get the whole room to pay attention. As you can imagine, they are a tough crowd. Does anyone out there have any ideas or suggestions on some techniques I can use to TOTALLY CAPTURE AND ENGAGE these kids for and hour and 15 minutes? I am prepared to be theatrical, have class participation, whatever. I just want to make sure I leave a long term and positive impression on them Thanks in advance for the tips