SPEAKING IN FRONT OF THE CLASS

This week, a tweet posted by a 15-year-old high-school student declaring “Stop forcing students to present in front of the class and give them a choice not to” garnered more than 130,000 retweets and nearly half a million likes. Students who support abolishing in-class presentations argue that forcing students with anxiety to present in front of their peers is not only unfair because they are bound to underperform and receive a lower grade, but it can also cause long-term stress and harm. Here are some of the comments on classroom presentations:
– “Nobody should be forced to do something that makes them uncomfortable,” says Ula, a 14-year-old in eighth grade. “Even though speaking in front of class is supposed to build your confidence and it’s part of your schoolwork, I think if a student is really unsettled and anxious because of it you should probably make it something less stressful. School isn’t something a student should fear.”
– Ryan Jones, a high-school history teacher in Connecticut, says, “My thoughts are that we are in the business of preparing students for college, career, and civic life. Public speaking is a piece of that preparation. Pushing outside of comfort zones is also a big part of what we do.”
– Kathleen Carver, a high-school history teacher in Texas, says, “In this day and age we have to acknowledge our students’ feelings. I have to listen to them and hear their feedback and respond to that. That’s how I can be a more effective teacher. If I ignored their feelings I don’t think they would like me or my class or walk away learning things.”
* Kathleen Carver, Passive-Aggressive Teacher of the Year.
* They’re not supposed to ‘like’ you, they’re supposed to respect you. You’re their teacher!
* So these kids who Instagram and YouTube their entire lives for the world are “afraid” of talking in front of their classmates? I don’t buy it.
* Why not just have kids text their presentation to the rest of the class? They don’t talk to each other anyway.
* PHONE TOPIC: Should school kids be made to speak in front of the class?