Whether a student is preparing for a big presentation, a job interview, or simply looking to improve their communication skills, working with a speaker coach can help take speaking skills to the next level.
SPEAKING STANDARDS IN THE CURRICULUM
Over the last 10-15 years, there has been a shift to a more student-centered classroom which often means more great opportunities for students to speak with their peers in partnership, small group, large group, or whole group. Every year, there are always a handful of students who have strong physical reactions that negatively affect them when it comes to even the thought of speaking up in class, let alone for a presentation. In the ELA classroom, one of the standards is speaking which means I must measure their meeting of those standards.
I recently discovered a really great tool that is free to anyone with Microsoft Power Point. The Power Point speaker coach “helps you prepare in private to give more effective presentations. Speaker coach evaluates your pacing, pitch, your use of filler words, informal speech, euphemisms, and it detects when you’re being overly wordy or are simply reading the text on a slide. After each rehearsal, you get a report that includes statistics and suggestions for improvements” (“Rehearse your slideshow with speaker coach – Microsoft Support”).
"Rehearse your slideshow with speaker coach - Microsoft Support." https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/office/rehearse-your-slide-show-with-speaker-coach-cd7fc941-5c3b-498c-a225-83ef3f64f07b, Accessed 1 Jan. 1970.
ACCESSING THE SPEAKER COACH IN POWERPOINT
Open up a presentation in PowerPoint on your desktop and at the top in the search box simply type speech or speaker coach and then hit enter/search.
A small box will appear at the bottom of your screen. You simply click “start rehearsing” to begin recording your presentation. At the end of the practice presentation, you click on the small box to stop recording and then a dashboard will pop up to give you feedback.
TOP 3 REASONS TO USE A SPEAKER COACH
1-IMPROVES CONFIDENCE
One of the most significant benefits of working with a speaker coach is that it can boost confidence. Many people struggle with public speaking because they feel anxious or nervous, but a speaker coach can help students overcome these obstacles by providing them with tools and techniques to manage their nerves. The tool can teach you how to breathe properly, manage your body language, and develop a strong presence, all of which can help our students feel more confident when speaking in front of an audience.
2-REFINES DELIVERY
Another advantage of working with a speaker coach, like the one in Power Point, is that it can help students refine their delivery. This includes everything from tone of voice to pacing and timing. A speaker coach can help identify strengths and weaknesses for students and provide them with feedback on how to improve their delivery. This is an opportunity to help our students develop their own unique style and teach them how to engage their audience through effective storytelling and other techniques.
3-TAILORED FEEDBACK AND SUPPORT
Finally, working with a speaker coach provides students and teachers with tailored feedback and support. The speaker coach can help students and teachers identify areas where they need to improve and then encourage students to seek support for strategies to overcome obstacles. Additionally, a speaker coach can help everyone stay motivated and committed to the targeted goals and speaking standards.
EVERYONE CAN USE A SPEAKER COACH
Whether a student is a beginner or an experienced speaker, a speaker coach can help you and your students take their skills to the next level and become a more effective communicator. Although I didn’t mention this before, all a speaker coach is something we (the educators) can use too.
Let me know if you have used or intend to start using the speaker coach in Power Point. I would love to hear how it is working for you and your students.
See You Real Soon,
Erin
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