Speaking to High School Students

[JustinPopovic]

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

[ssandra]

Originally Posted by JustinPopovic

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.

I think here lies your answer... kids are used to teachers allready. For some it will mean paying attention, while for others it means daydreaming..

I would say to engage them is to NOT be teacher like. Be more of a friend or somebody on equal level with them.

For example, have them change the layout of the classroom into a circle, or sit on the floor... Move them outside on a sunny day.

Start with something out of the ordinary. Something they normally do not see in school.

Let them tell you how and why these techniques could be good for them.

I applaud you for your commitment with children. I think it is a good age group to start with!

[JustinPopovic]

Thanks for the feedback Sandra.

Those are some excellent suggestions. I think I am definitely going to start by having the entire class move all the desks to the side and then do some kind of group activity.

Also, thanks for your recognition of my commitment to kids. I've been doing PD coaching for the past 2 years and have spoke to many types of audience. I came from the corporate world and I found that business audiences were not ideal for me because I would revert into my old corporate mindset. With the kids, I myself can be more of a KID and talk about the exciting elements of life.

College students are also an awesome audience. I did a large talk last year to about 300 students leaders at a college and it was easily my best talk. They were just so positive, reception and enthusiastic!

cheers

[ar81]

Make them be positive. Let them to know that their problems are not unique, and that they can overcome them.

Teens use to suffer depressin and an environment where teens do not understand each other. So feeling appreciated is something they need.

Being their friend works if you are an outsider in conference.

But if you plan to be a teacher, you will have to know that you will have to adopt the "dad and mom" position of authority, because you need to cover lessons and keep discipline. Being a teacher is a tough job.

[Manomanman]

Tell them that 9/11 was an inside job

[Love]

Hi manomanman.

I think it's great that you're doing PD with teens. This is something I would like to do myself one day. How did you get into this, if you don't mind my asking?

As for keeping them engaged, it's much easier if you're a guest speaker than a regular teacher, so that's good for you. Ask the host teacher in advance to let the students know you're coming as well as a few things about you. The students might even prepare questions to ask you.

I think a great intro for teens is a discrepancy. (an example of discrepancy is talk about proving or disproving the idea that fire is alive). Strong facts are also good for jarring people.

Don't lecture -- provide experiences to help them understand the material. Many short activities may be better than one long activity.

Multi-modality is good. Add pictures, music, and video if you like. Incorporate tactile elements, like working with manipulatives or having them draw something.

Give them a group challenge to do, or something that really requires them to think for a minute.
Group activities also allow everyone to participate at once, rather than having a few engaged few ask all the questions and make all the observations. Once working in a group, students may feel more confident about making their statements in front of the whole class/auditorium.

Have them do something that will make them feel a little silly or goofy.

Plan you're talk so that from the get-go, students will know why they are learning something (not from a teacher's perspective, but from a teenage perspective) and so that by by the end what they will know what they need to achieve it.

Give them ideas about how to support themselves in their growth once you leave and finish your presentation. For example, in their list of 30 goals, have they selected one, and one agency/teacher/etc associated with that goal? Have they outlined a step? Where could they go if they get confused down the line? Can they go to your website, if you have one?

That sort of thing. I hope that's helpful!

[Love]

Whoops, sorry, Justin, I wrote manomanman by mistake!
Please excuse my mental lapse