EMMA

Fall Semester:

Public speaking is America’s #1 fear and also the #1 quality that employers want their potential hires to have. This course will not cure the fear of public speaking but instead give students a safe space to practice and gain skills that will allow them to manage and thrive in public speaking situations. The students prepare, practice, and present a speech most weeks.

Spring Semester:

The students will begin with a section preparing and presenting major speech types: Introduction/Eulogy/Toast or Demonstrative/Informative or Persuasive Speech. The final speech will involve visual aids (slides are an option). Then, they willlearn and practice interviewing. Following that, the students will learn and practice small group and round table discussions. For the final section, the students will debate on a topic that the class chooses.

Text / Materials Required - Pen, notebook, and folder, as well as access to the internet for homework assignments. You should use note cards for later speeches.

References Used – None of these books or websites are required. Rather I use these resources throughout the course and want to give them credit. Getting over Yourself, Barbara Rocha, 2004; Start Here: Teaching Public Speaking, https://www.speechanddebate.org/wp-content/uploads/2021, 2021; Mastering the Lost Art of Oratory, Robert Babcock, 2021; The Art of Public Speaking, Stephen E. Lucas, 2015; and Ms. Phelps/Reuss, “Public Speaking Course Syllabus,” https://www.steeleville138.org/highschool/courses/public_speaking.pdf, 2019.

Class Expectations – There will be a weekly message from me to the family’s email with homework assignment and materials to watch/bring to class usually Friday evening so you have the most flexibility to complete the assignment. Come prepared and ready to participate. You will speak in front of the class every week. Always show respect to yourself, others, and our surroundings.

Absences - Please email me of any scheduled missed classes and send me any work that was due before the following class for feedback. In the case of unplanned absences, please email me the night before or text me at 336-517-4127 with 1. parent’s name, 2. student’s name, “won’t be at class today” on day of class.

Progress Reports – I will provide feedback on class attendance and participation. Participation will be assessed in terms of questions answered, speeches delivered, activities done, and (positive) peer evaluations offered. The parent as primary educator then can use my criteria as a basis for the student’s grade. I will email the Progress reports with the weekly assignment on/ shortly after the scheduled date.