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My employer was nice enough recently to send me to a high end class on Public Speaking and Presentations put on by Dale Carnegie Training. Because of the high cost of the program basically only higher level staff from the leading employers in town are able to go. It has been a eye opening experience and made me appreciate Professors, Instructors, Teachers and Trainers.
It is really hard to hold someone's attention in today's ADHD world in front of a classroom. It is hard to be interesting, have the stature to command respect of the students or participants!
Our class takes turns doing speeches and presentations and then we are evaluated in public and private by the Dale Carnegie Instructors and each other. The students put a good effort into the presentations and speeches but 90% of them are dry, boring, and the person doing the presentation lacks the necessary diction, confidence, charisma and stature to get our attention. We are only listening because we have to.
My own presentations and speeches are not too impressive either but I am learning. I am trying but have discovered a good teacher makes it look easier than it really is.
Students: Do you really understand how hard it is to be a teacher?
A very good friend of mine was a teacher for 2nd grade for 35 years and she told us about a class she had one year that was about 98% ADHD. She said he had a window of about 7 - 12 minutes of attention span before their little minds would wander off to wherever it was they went. She said as much as they wore her out completely everyday that particular class taught her a lot about being a teacher and she loved them all.
Anyone else understand how difficut teaching is and how hard it is to do public speaking in front of a group that is not all that interested in the material?
Anyone else understand how difficut teaching is and how hard it is to do public speaking in front of a group that is not all that interested in the material?
Yes. Imagine being a teacher and having your job depend on if the student "gets it" or not.
Teaching over 200 students a day some not only not pay attention, but cause disruptions in class.
A daily presentation where your audience "participates" in "creative" ways.
When I have to do this I try to engage them some how, depending on the group, I'll ask questions.
Unless there are disruptions I try not to think how disinterested they are. If I'm feeling jovial, I'll say something like, "Don't look so happy to be here" or "This will all be over soon, you can go back to listening to that Justin Bieber song when I'm done."
Like anything, you just have to do it over and over until you're comfortable. And sometimes there isn't a choice, you're just thrown in the pool and have to present no matter what. For me that sometimes works best.
You can be the best, most engaging speaker in the world... and still will see people with their heads buried in their smartphones.
You got that right!
What I can't understand is, why do students pay a fortune for college, then complain they are bored? hey, look, the class isn't to entertain them. Shut up and listen, or drop out, get your money back, and go "entertain yourself!"
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