Anxious students started the lesson by watching and discussing a speech by President Obama. The group then broke the ice with a 1-minute speech introducing themselves. The warmed up students then split into small groups of 3 or 4 people to present a short skits illustrating a specific message in a relaxing and fun way. After a quick break, Colby gave the students and the sit in parents a lesson and discussion about using rhetorical techniques in speechwriting. The techniques were immediately applied to analyze two speeches in history, one by Martin Luther King, Jr. and one by President Obama.  The students concluded the class with an impromptu speaking session where everyone gave a 1-minute speech on a random topic, without any preparation.
For most students, it was their first “formal” speech training. There would be a lot for them to digest after the class. But the ice breaking session at least showed some “shy” students that speaking in public.