SPEAKyour
MIND
Fifth Grade Speeches Amplify Students’
Journey of Self With contributions by fifth grade teacher Naomi Hamburger.
A
s a part of their spring writer’s workshop, Live Oak fifth graders step to the podium to share a personal speech with peers, family members, and teachers. This annual event is a Live Oak rite of passage, a cherished stepping stone on the way to the wider world of middle school learning. What does a 10- or 11-year old say to the world when given a microphone and the undivided attention of an audience? Some "fifthies" reflect on their academic journey in lower school. Some interpret current events from the news headlines. Still other writers travel inward to contemplate facets of their identities, embracing poetic and figurative language. In preparation to scribe their own address, the students read and listen to works by diverse historical and contemporary figures. This thematic thinking work connects deeply to the fifth grade winter study of literary essay, as well as fantasy and memoir book clubs. As they do in so many ways throughout their K-8 experience at Live Oak, fifth graders take agency in crafting their speech. Each speech is unique, thoughtful, and personal, reflecting the learners and individuals they are becoming. Each year the fifth grade speeches take on different shapes, but share a common purpose: to give pause to reflect on who these students were, are, and strive to be.
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THE WORLD NEEDS JOY