Public speaking

I’m sure that no child is ‘forced’ to do anything in school.
If they are struggling with anything the child should be encouraged to speak with a member of staff.
Most (all?) school’s have Learning Mentors whose job it is to deal with stuff like this.
It’s not a prison camp.
A child shouldn’t suffer in silence

This seems a sure fire way of creating school phobia in a youngster. Even if it's part of the curriculum, the child's emotional state should be taken into account and I don't believe any child should be forced to do this.

I am quite confident to speak publicly about something I feel I know about. On the one occasion that I had to do this when I did not really have a thorough grip of the subject, about, I was scared stiff and couldn't stop shaking. I wouldn't wish that experience on anybody, and especially not a child.

I agree Oldnproud. I think he's too young to be forced to do this. Maybe when he's at Senior school but not aged 9. Well he was 8 when he had to do it last year which contributed to his anxiety this year.

I am so pleased for your dgs that he has at least got it over with, Aveline. I hope he is proud of himself, though suspect that he isn't feeling much more than great relief that it is behind him

The view that some people have taken, that it is right to force him (and other children like him, who are suffering extreme anxiety) to do this, and that it will help him to become better next time, has really annoyed me.

To me, what he has been subjected to seems akin to locking someone who is terrified of spiders in a room full of them and expecting the experience to make them less scared of spiders in the future!

Unless people suffer / have suffered from extreme anxiety, I don't think they can begin to imagine it. It is so, so much more than just being nervous or shy.
It can be overcome, but not through being forced into situations that are beyond what the individual can currently cope with.

We used to have a drama group in the village and we had quite a few children join us. I remember a lassie aged about eight, being reluctantly enrolled by a mother who said she was too shy. The girl enjoyed the company of the other children and other Mums in the group kept an eye on her, She eventually joined in on stage and I got her to play a comedy part wearing a wig and clown make up meaning she was unrecognisable.

She is eighteen now and the other day stopped me to say thank you, she now is able to speak up with confidence and it had helped her to get into Cambridge, she thought drama a good way to gain confidence and all kids might benefit from such experience especially the shy ones!

The first time I ever had to speak in public, and I was in my twenties then, I came up to an unprotected (that is, open to the audience, with no lectern) microphone and opened my mouth to speak, although no words came out. On the other hand I could swear the mic was picking up the thudding of my heart and echoing it round the room.

As I later had to do quite a lot of public speaking, my GP gave me beta blockers to take before I spoke. And I always made sure I had a lectern. A lectern isn't just to hold your notes/script, it's your shield and your security blanket.

Practice makes perfect, as in all things, and eventually I learned to drop the pills and sometimes the lectern, end even to improvise a speech on the hoof.

Two pluses and a wish sounds much nicer than a suggestion made to me that I give people in a creative writing group - a shit sandwich!! Two positives wrapped round a negative.

Aveline

Yes. He could have done with more positive feedback. Maybe he was praised but it's the negative comments that seem to have stuck in his mind.

That's such a bad way of developing skills. I always liked the two pluses and a wish assessment. You told the child two good things they had done and added a wish at the end so it didn't sound too negative.
So his would probably have gone "Well done for overcoming your fears and doing the presentation, you know so much about **. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. I wish you could speak a little more slowly there was so much to take in."

That’s wonderful news Aveline and a big relief for all of you. Maybe he’ll have a different teacher before he has to do it again, one with a little more empathy

I'm so pleased it's over for him, Aveline.

He might never look forward to presentations, but at least he knows he can do it now, and the next one will be a bit better.

Aveline I'm glad he managed it. He would be given positive feedback about what went well and next steps which should focus on 1. Content ie details, good research, using his own words etc and 2. Presentation skills ie speaking too quickly, eye contact, varying tone etc.
The teacher absolutely has to identify next steps so that your grandson can improve the next time. But I would be very surprised if the teacher hadn't also identified where he succeeded.

Try reading all my posts, said Glorianny.
Since I actually teach in primary and know the prep that should have taken place, it’s in our website if you want to check, perhaps taking your own advice.
That way you’d know how I know more than you do about school administration, without having to resort to sniping about ‘gentrification’ and rather strangely comparing schools with NHS.

Aveline

Sorry to interrupt your argument but I have some news. He's done it! The feedback was a bit discouraging though. He was told he was talking too fast. Hmmmm. He's over the moon that it's over and won't ever have to do it again. (I suspect he will though). It certainly has not boosted his confidence.

Well done him! 🥇 From me!

. He was told he was talking too fast. Really!!!
I hope he was told in a positive, not a negative way.

Yes. He could have done with more positive feedback. Maybe he was praised but it's the negative comments that seem to have stuck in his mind.

Aveline

Sorry to interrupt your argument but I have some news. He's done it! The feedback was a bit discouraging though. He was told he was talking too fast. Hmmmm. He's over the moon that it's over and won't ever have to do it again. (I suspect he will though). It certainly has not boosted his confidence.

Not good feedback. Nerves always cause people to speak quickly. He should have been congratulated for overcoming his fears. So pleased he managed it . I'm sure you will be making sure his success is properly celebrated.

eazybee

I mentored teaching students from my second year of teaching, in the seven different authorities I worked for, with students trained at Training Colleges 3 year courses, B.Eds, PGCE, from the mature students college to distance learning (so much help given) and and I never, ever heard of any student passing a Teacher Training course and being awarded a certificate to teach pupils only in small groups. Full-class teaching was an essential part of every course and had to be achieved, without support and adjustment , to achieve the qualification.
No Headteacher would appoint a teacher who was not competent in full-class teaching, for what ever age. The idea that a teacher who could not deliver to a class of adults would somehow be able to cope with primary age pupils, and vice versa, is nonsense.

Doesn't matter what you did the guidelines and law on what is considered discrimination are clear. Read the document I linked to.

Some of the schools I worked in automatically with drew certain children from a student's classes because of disruptive behaviour. And I met quite a few students who were never given the whole class. Perhaps it depended on where you were teaching. Many of the staff thought it unfair.

Thank you for letting us know Aveline (I asked on the previous page if there was an update). Well done him for getting through it!!!

Thank you for the update Aveline, well done him 👏👏👏

I mentored teaching students from my second year of teaching, in the seven different authorities I worked for, with students trained at Training Colleges 3 year courses, B.Eds, PGCE, from the mature students college to distance learning (so much help given) and and I never, ever heard of any student passing a Teacher Training course and being awarded a certificate to teach pupils only in small groups. Full-class teaching was an essential part of every course and had to be achieved, without support and adjustment , to achieve the qualification.
No Headteacher would appoint a teacher who was not competent in full-class teaching, for what ever age. The idea that a teacher who could not deliver to a class of adults would somehow be able to cope with primary age pupils, and vice versa, is nonsense.

Sorry to interrupt your argument but I have some news. He's done it! The feedback was a bit discouraging though. He was told he was talking too fast. Hmmmm. He's over the moon that it's over and won't ever have to do it again. (I suspect he will though). It certainly has not boosted his confidence.

pandapatch wasting your breath, too much bickering going on, I earlier pm’d Aveline to ask that very pertinent question, she may return on here, or not 🙂.

Glorianny

It would have been SO nice if you ever admitted you were wrong. instead of doing the diversionary tactics for which you are famous.
Unlikely to happen!🤣🤣🤣

Doodledog

Fair enough Grandmabatty. I give up now anyway - it's pointless.

It would have been nice if y could have admitted you were wrong.

Years ago I had to fight for my DS to get the help he needed for his dyslexia. He was a very outgoing, confident child who would have coped with a presentation . His problem was written assignments. It would be nice to think that whatever a child's difficulty, teachers today adapted to meet their needs. Sadly it seems they don't.

Fair enough Grandmabatty. I give up now anyway - it's pointless.

Actually I know of someone who is a teacher and latterly is going blind. They are already deaf. It is a dreadful prognosis for a fairly young person but the school have assigned them a support person because it is recognised that they are a really good teacher. So they can continue to teach as long as they are able to do so.
I was a secondary school teacher and student and mentor supporter. Anyone with significant health issues, physical or mental would have to think carefully before going into teaching. It's a hard job, but not impossible. I'm not going to comment any more as this has really derailed the Op.