LY #16: My Last First Day: Part Deux

Tonight I met with one of my two, live, public speaking classes for the first time.  It meets once a week.  When I first started at COCC I taught public speaking with three different meeting schedules:  once a week at night, three times a week on MWF and twice a week TR.  It was a challenge for me as a new teacher to format the material into three different shapes.  

After making the usual wait-list decisions, I begin the academic portion of the public speaking class by having the students play a game I call "Toss."  I give them a few items -- a couple of koosh balls, a dog ball, and a stuffed cat -- and tell them the rules:  items must be tossed over the head of at least one other student, they must not touch the floor, and they should not hurt other students.  Though the game begins quietly it usually gets louder as students laugh or signal to each other.  After a few minutes I stop the game and collect the items.  I take a moment to do my "Puff" routine (see below) and then explain that I did, indeed, have a reason for having them play the game, "Besides the fact that it amuses me."  I had a pedagogical reason.

I tell them that success in "Toss" and success in giving a public presentation requires some of the same attitudes and skills.  I ask them what those attitudes and skills might be.  Tonight they listed eye contact, hand gestures, knowing the audience, control, coordination, "don't be robotic", smile, pay attention to your environment, keep everyone involved, use icebreakers.

Puff relaxing at home after a hard night in class.

The "Puff Routine."  I have a lovely stuffed cat named Puff.  I call him "my helper cat."  After the game of "Toss," I collect Puff and pet him while explaining in a soft voice that "Some days when I feel very stressed out or angry with one of my colleagues or my boss I go into my office and say . . ."  and here I suddenly raise my voice and turn and pound poor Puff against the table, " . . . BAD PUFF!  BAD!"  Then, just as suddenly, I turn the simulated anger off again and smile at the class.

This loud and startling silliness generates laughter and a bit of a startle response.  It also gets heart rates up.  These responses further my goals for the first day:  to set a tone of disciplined fun that has the power to modify
our shared anxiety.