Let me start by saying a big thank you to everyone who participates in the Insecure Writers Support group. It is amazing. After all the encouraging comments on my post last Wednesday I am feeling renewed and inspired. (If you are not part of that group, you should be. The link is on Wednesday's post.) Now, after the night I had last night, I just need to find an Insecure Mothers Support Group and everything would be awesome! ;)
Yesterday afternoon we had our first speech meeting of the season. We had a lot of familiar faces and some new ones. This is my twelfth year coaching high school speech and I get excited for it every single year. The kids are amazing, both talented and a lot of fun. Plus I love the other coach I work with.
Now we get to start the fun process of helping kids find speeches, and cutting them. Basically we take a wonderul, engrossing novel and cut it down to an eight minute speech. It is not easy, but it is fun. Last year we had a girl do a cutting from Ellen Foster, which has an amazing opening line. "When I was little I used to think up ways to kill my daddy." Now that's the way to start a book, and a speech. :) It gives me chills.
This year that same girl is doing a cutting from The Lovely Bones. The challenge will be to keep the emotion without getting too morbid a piece, it is high school after all. She is an amazing speaker and I am really looking forward to working with her again this year. In fact, we have quite a few amazing speakers coming back this year. It's going to be an awesome season. Wish us luck!
Good luck! That sounds amazing. I wish my 9 year old could do some kind of speech activity. She HATES public speaking.
ReplyDeleteYou can join our team in 7th grade, although some teams don't start until 9th. I always tell the kids they will most likely have to give a speech at some point in their lives, for work or a wedding or a funeral, etc. It's good to get in some practice. :)
ReplyDeleteRachael, I'm part of the bloggers challenge, Saw your name and stopped to check out your site. Interesting post. I know your focus is on kids, but I always wished I had that gift. I had a serious brain injury, 7 years ago that made speaking even more challenging. I do what I can. Enjoyed your comments.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry to hear that, Patricia. We have a girl on our team with a speech impediment and I am alays impressed with how brave she is to do this.
ReplyDeleteAh, fond memories of High School Speech! I participated at the state level in impromptu speaking. Any surprise that I turned out to be a teacher?!?!
ReplyDeleteRachel,
ReplyDeleteI'm reading this over my morning coffee, and that opening quote from Ellen Foster made my eyes blink open. I wish I could be there for the Lovely Bones speech!
This sounds like a very interesting project. I'm doing the comment challenge, too, and am glad I had a chance to stop by your blog.
ReplyDeleteI just started with the group! Thanks for the support :)
ReplyDeleteThe whole notion of taking a great novel and cuting it down to an eight minute speech is an excellent exercise in succinctness - good for writers in general, and english class too.
ReplyDeleteEnvious of your group and love the idea. Difficult to do but everyone must get such a lot out of it. So glad to have found you through the comment challenge.
ReplyDeleteBack soon. Fascinated by the insecure writers' group.
Magdalena- It really is a fun challenge.
ReplyDeleteAnnie- Ellen Foster is a great book, and one of my favorite opening lines ever.
Mary Lee- That's awesome. :)
Speech really is a great thing for kids to participate in, plus it is so much fun! My old coach used to say, "You guys are getting up early on a Saturday morning to do for FUN what most people are scared to do their whole lives." I repeat it to my kids often.