Sallyacious

Primary teaching responsibilities: Comm 101 provides a basic overview of different types of speeches, focusing on extemporaneous speaking and delivery styles. Lecture, lead by example, and provide in-class activities that help students learn to speak well, think critically and overcome their fear of public speaking. Provide positive feedback and constructive criticism on both written and oral communication assignments. Work to establish an atmosphere that promotes risk-taking and creative solutions to assignments.

I was required to rank myself from 1-5 on each of these topics, as well as provide specific, detailed examples of my reasoning. That's what the numbers are (5 is the best).

Criteria 1: Communication Skills: 5
I have very strong communication skills, in both oral and written forms, and I use my own abilities to help my students see how they can improve as public speakers. I try to find more than one way to explain a concept, realizing that some of my students learn better from visual cues than oral instruction. And because I know that a majority of my students are freshmen who are still adjusting to college and the responsibility that comes with being on their own for the first time, I follow up in-class lectures and announcements with emails listing speech requirements and speaking day assignments.

In addition, I try to teach by example. One of the purposes of the public speaking course as designed here at the University of Idaho is to help students develop a clear, dynamic, conversational speaking style, and my lectures include demonstrations of effective and less effective use of gesture and vocal variation so my students can see, live and in person, how these things work. I also use examples from current events to show how communication messages are structured and delivered, to encourage critical thinking, foster an interest in the world outside the university, and provide real-life instances of the way the concepts introduced in class can be applied.

I also find opportunities to provide humor in the classroom. I think that laughing together fosters an atmosphere of trust where my students can relax and take risks. For some of them, speaking in front of a group is absolutely terrifying, and my job is to help them gain experience, knowledge, and courage. Seeing me admit to being an idiot on occasion, watching me laugh at myself when something goes wrong technically or when my tongue takes on a life of its own during a lecture, helps them be more comfortable with their own humanity and their status as fledgling public speakers.

Criteria 2: Academic Quality and Fairness: 5
This is a difficult thing to balance, but extremely important to me. Students come into my class with a wide variety of skill and comfort levels, and I have to find ways to fairly assess their abilities and improvements. For instance, I have students this semester who were obviously members of their high school debate teams in the same class as students who are still struggling to learn English and students who are terrified of speaking in front of a group of more than two people. I have to find ways to challenge those students who are already well-versed in the basics, while fostering and shepherding those who have greater obstacles.

I work very hard to evaluate my students as individuals, supporting their unique strengths and finding ways to improve on their separate weaknesses, though there are some things that I require of everyone. I focus on those criteria (staying within time limits, citing sources within a speech, structure, eye contact) in my lectures, and try to make sure that my students understand exactly what is required so they all have an equal opportunity to do well.

I also let my students know from the beginning that I grade on their ability to meet the requirements for specific assignments and not on content. Their opinions are their opinions, and I am more interested in whether they can argue a point well and with sufficient, credible evidence than in whether they agree with my own views. If they use fallacious reasoning or inaccurate information, however, I do not shy away from making those instances clear in their evaluations, which are seen only by the student. And I am not afraid to fail a student when they do not do the work, though I do give them ample opportunities to succeed.

Criteria 3: Preparedness and Organization/Professionalism 4
Though my classes follow the same syllabus as every other Comm 101 course, I make notes in my lesson plans when things do and don’t work well, so that I can make changes for the next time I teach the course. I also employ an opportunity for anonymous feedback. I occasionally hand out 3x5 cards during a class and ask my students to write on the cards the one thing that they found most useful in the lecture (though I word it differently each time). I use that information to not only be sure my classes are grasping important concepts, but to be sure I have covered the topics thoroughly. (I learned the technique from Dr. Terry Anderson in a lecture he gave during GA training.)

I have created PowerPoint presentations for many of my lectures, not only to give my students a chance to see how the medium can be used effectively in a public speaking situation, but also to reinforce the information I present. I also try to provide examples of the various assignments so my students can see firsthand what I expect.

For instance, one of the first speeches in class is the bag speech, in which each student uses a bag containing three items that represent his or her past, present, and future. In the lecture in which I give the assignment, I demonstrate a bag speech for the students, not only to show them what a good speech looks like, but also to help them get to know me better. I use different items every semester, since I am a slightly different person every semester than I was the semester before. Creating a new speech each time helps me stay fresh and connected to the subject matter.

I also try to grade speeches and papers as soon as possible after I receive them, and for grading I have created an Excel spreadsheet that automatically calculates absences (attendance is mandatory and students lose points for more than two unexcused absences) and midterm and final point totals and percentages. I update this regularly so that students can check their grades and attendance (which are also available online).

Criteria 4: Ability of Motivate Students 4
I want all of my students to succeed, to feel better about themselves when they leave my class than they did on the day they first entered the room. Helping them to be more confident in their abilities and in their worth as people is a primary focus for me as an instructor. With that in mind, I work to be sure they have all the information they need to succeed, including not only deadlines and requirement information (which I also email to them so they have a written copy of what’s expected as well), but also the knowledge that I believe in them and their abilities. Some students do require more “encouragement” than others, but those who are less motivated do better when they know someone believes they are capable. I ran into a former student recently who is one of these, a smart kid who just couldn’t get it together. I worked very hard with him while he was in my class to get organized and stay on task. When we ran into each other, he thanked me for that help and for my insistence that he was too worthwhile to let himself fail. Knowing that I had touched his life in that way means a great deal to me.

With that success in mind, this past fall I tried something new with my students. Whenever I had the opportunity, I told them that I knew they would be great at whatever the next assignment was. The results were unbelievable. Especially for the final speech of the semester. This speech is about a “watershed moment” in their lives, an experience that changed them in some way. These speeches are intensely personal and my favorite speeches of the entire semester because I love the stories my students tell, and I am amazed at the things they are willing to share with the class.

As usual, I emailed speaking day assignments, along with a list of the requirements for the speech about a week before the speeches began. I finished that email with, “You are all poets and storytellers. I know that from hearing your other speeches. I look forward to hearing these.” The manuscript speeches I heard at the end of last semester were astonishing in their quality. Without fail, every single student told a moving, compelling story and told it well. I am convinced that my email (combined with a consistently supportive atmosphere) had something to do with that.

Criteria 5: Creativity and Innovation 5
Though I am a teacher, and aspire to be a good one, I am also an artist. And I believe that every human being has the potential to create. So my in-class activities include opportunities for my students to be creative as well. Though they are required to provide credible evidence in their major speeches, when we are applying aspects of good public speaking behavior in class, I will allow them to make up information and sources and find fun ways to complete assignments.

For instance, one assignment involves learning how to cite sources in a speech. I hand out index cards with silly topics (does ketchup belong on a hotdog, why Reality TV is vital viewing, the kangaroo as a superior species) and a type of information they need to use to support that point. The students then have ten minutes to come up with a quotation or statistic or other piece of information and a source. Then they take turns delivering these to the class. The silly topics make the exercise more interesting and easier to present, because when everyone is in competition to be the most outrageous, no one is thinking about how much they hate talking in front of a group.

Another way I use competition to foster creativity is in the requirement I place on my students for the visual aids for their persuasive speeches. I do not allow power point presentations or transparencies for this speech. The idea is to help them come up with thought-provoking, eye-catching visual aids that will add interest to and aid retention for their speeches. I then spice things up by rewarding the speaker with the most creative visual aid in each class with $20 in movie passes. The visual aids must be visible, useful and understandable, and the student must use them effectively in their speech. As a result, persuasive speeches in my class have included pets, costumes, eggs (in plastic bags) dropped from great heights, swords made from pvc pipe and wooden dowels, and homemade root beer. The speeches are fascinating to watch and the students really seem to enjoy coming up with ways to work for those movie passes. And once you get people to recognize that the can be creative and that creativity is much more interesting than just turning out the same old academic stuff, they are less willing to look at things in the same old way.

I also want to mention one of the ways in which I help provide a safe place for students to work on their public speaking skills. As an actor, preparation is vital for me before I go on stage. I need some time to myself to get ready to work in front of an audience. I offer that same opportunity to any of my students who wish to take it. When presenting major speeches, each speaker has the option of spending the speech before theirs in the hallway, collecting their thoughts and gathering composure. Not every student chooses to take this time, but those who do always seem to be the better for it.

Additional Comments:
This semester I am also assisting in one section of THEF 306 - Intermediate Acting. This is an unofficial assignment I requested because I want experience in teaching acting classes. In this class, I help create a place in which students can feel free to risk and stretch their acting "muscles." I try to find ways to bolster confidence and provide suggestions for improving the work. Again, each student is an individual and approaches the work in a slightly different way. I work to be sure they all understand the concepts Nancy Lee-Painter (the instructor) is teaching, both through discussion and critiques of individual presentations and through example when the whole class is participating in an activity