During my first day of law school, I sat in a huge room; more of an auditorium really. There were hundreds of students sitting in stadium-style seating. A teacher stood in front of the room giving us a preview of what was to come. He posed a hypothetical question to the class. Dozens of hands shot up. The student he called on was fairly non-descript...until he answered the question. He grew that day. Not just to me. He stood up and gave what appeared to be a great response. I was immediately intimidated. He sounded authoritative. He seemed taller than he really was. What I learned over time was that he also seemed smarter than he really was.
This guy turned out to be a good student but not a great student. And the response he gave was good, but nothing that many of us hadn't thought of. He carried himself well, though, and he was great on his feet. That skill carried him a long way that year. It's probably still carrying him a long way in life.
Since then I have been in a few different careers. Each career has put me face-to-face with many, many smart people. One thing I've learned is that good public speaking skills can be the difference between overwhelming success and mediocrity. Smart people that are not compelling...that are unable to articulate their ideas in an exciting and engaging manner are often shuffled to the middle of the pack.
With that in mind, I encourage my girls to engage in public speaking. Yes, yes, they're only 5, 5, and 7-years-old, but I believe that public speaking is like anything else...easier to learn and develop during childhood. I have heard that most adults are more fearful of public speaking than dying! As a young trial lawyer, I always heard that if a lawyer didn't complete his or her first trial in the first seven years of practice, they never would. Public speaking can be a powerful weapon...it can also be monkey on your back that never goes away. It can be a constant source or confidence or a constant source of fear.
So, how do you get children to become good public speakers? Well, I decided to start with show-and-tell. What a great way to begin to overcome the fear of speaking in public. Think about it; kids stand up in front of the class and talk about something they know a lot about. I do show-and-tell at my house with my daughters one evening per week. I have them each take turns standing up in front of the room and telling the rest of us about their favorite toy or activity of the day. I also take the opportunity to ask them questions about themselves and their hopes for the future. Anything, really. Just to get them talking. "What do you want to be when you grow up" has yielded dozens of different answers.
For kids who are already into high school, there's a great program called "Mock Trials." I coached Mock Trials for three years as a young lawyer. Students play the roles of lawyers and witnesses. As lawyers, they perform direct and cross examinations. Which means, of course, that as witnesses they are subjected to direct and cross examinations. It doesn't train future lawyers. It trains future confident women who can become great leaders...maybe agents of change in dark, dark places for women.
Raising motivated daughters with Children's Books for Girls: A Girl Named Pants!
Comments