 With the conclusion of the last day of Future Leader Academy's summer 2011 public speaking camp last Friday, the classes for this summer--the OCEAN class at MIT, the FLA classes on Saturday and Sunday, and the public speaking camp this past week--have finally reached their close.  In the past two months, students have learned about many different aspects of public speaking, including speech organization, gestures and body language, and eye contact and vocal variety. During each class, they had the opportunity to practice these skills by giving prepared speeches, with immediate feedback from the instructor. Colby wasn't the only person evaluating speeches, however. The students also evaluated each other, enabling them to not only present their own speeches but also to learn from others.One of the most fun parts of each class was the impromptu speaking session, when students gave speeches without any preparation at all. These speeches were usually in response to some random question, such as, "What would you do if you found one million dollars on the ground?" Not only was it public speaking practice, but it was also an exercise in creativity, pushing students to think on their feet. Although Colby prepared these questions for the first few classes, the students themselves eventually were the ones asking most of the impromptu speaking questions.  The students had a great time in the classes. Their speech topics ranged from public service announcements regarding smoking and skin cancer to cheekily facetious discourses on the merits of toilet paper. Especially with the introduction of positions into each class, such as the "um counter" and "timer," the students were able to engage further in the class and participate more actively. Counting "ums" and "uhs" was hotly contested, as each student strived to minimize the use of these crutch words.Yet, even after our summer classes have concluded, we are looking forward to the future. Since many parents have requested that Future Leader Academy continue its classes after the summer, we will be teaching three weekly classes, starting on Saturday, September 10. Each class will be only one and a half hours long, and tuition will be $20 per student per class. The schedules for each class are below.
The main focus of the classes during the school year are for students to practice the skills that they've learned and developed over the summer. Many parents have correctly pointed out that learning skills isn't as helpful if the students don't have the chance to continue practicing. This is why Future Leader Academy is continuing classes starting this fall. We hope that both parents and students will take advantage of this opportunity to continue growing, especially as the demand for good public speaking skills increases in school and the workplace. Contact Colby at ye.colby@gmail.com with any questions, comments, or requests for registration.      |
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