Public Speaking: A Vital Skill For Teachers

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Martin Luther King gave his “I have a dream speech” which inspired a nation and broke down racial barriers. Without his leadership and his inspirational speech it may have taken an extra 10 years to bring equality to all races. Hilter’s many speeches were delivered with extreme passion and caused arguably one of the most horrific genocides of all time. Throughout history it has been public speaking that has united people and caused great change, both positive and negative. Public speaking is important, both in history and in life. It is a vital skill in many disciplines. However nowhere more prominent than education. Public speaking in education is how educators inspire, teach and engage students. Good public speaking skills can enhance confidence, communication skills, help demonstrate knowledge and improve public image.

Public speaking usually consists of three main components including preparation, visual aids and non- verbal communication. How well these three main components are demonstrated or used can be the difference between a great influential educator who can inspire and teach students. To a class that will not pay attention and teacher who cannot engage.

Preparation is key in presenting a well thought out, impressive presentation. To an educator preparation is vital. Preparation usually consists of the following elements audience, research, rhetorical mix and rehearsal. Elisabeth Gareis in Guidelines for Public Speaking expresses the importance of tailoring to the audience. Gareis (2006) states that “at all times during the process of preparing and delivering a speech, we need to keep in mind that we are speaking to an audience and not just to ourselves” (pp.3). For an educator it is crucial to know the students and ...

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Works Cited

Nash, G. (2013). A guide to university assessment. QLD, Australia: John Wiley & Sons. Section 5 pp. 158-184.

Scudder, V. (2009, October). Sound check: How to avoid presentation dangers. Public Relations Tactics Vol. 16 Issue 10. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.usc.edu.au:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=buh&AN=45667389&site=eds-live <, pp. 10

Wright, J. (2005). The role of computer software in presenting information. Nursing Management Vol. 16 Issue 4. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.usc.edu.au:2048/docview/236935777/fulltextPDF/240876398D2C4CA3PQ/24?accountid=28745, pp. 30-34

Gareis, E. (2006) Guidelines for public speaking, New York, USA: Department of Communication Studies Baruch College/CUN. Retrieved from www.baruch.cuny.edu/.../public_speaking_guidelines.pdf ¸pp. 3-4

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