Spartans Speaking

Spartans Speaking Learning to Present with Confidence

by Charlie Ramseyer

Wichita Collegiate strives for excellence in everything we do. Oftentimes, those efforts are publicly seen and celebrated. Just this past year, we celebrated multiple team and individual state championships on six of our athletic teams. We also took the title in multiple academic competitions, including Scholars Bowl and Debate. As a community, we cheered on every senior as they announced their college decisions, and we will continue to cheer them on as they start the next chapter of their educational journeys. From performances on a large stage to class presentations at the front of the room, our students give it their all. Though we are proud of all of the accolades we have gathered publicly, what we appreciate most is what people have to say about our students when they meet them at a conference, an interview, a volunteer site, or simply in one of our hallways during a visit to campus. These are the occasions when our students truly shine. In day-to-day conversations and presentations, whether addressing a small class or a large auditorium, they are poised and confident.

What many do not realize is that these confident speaking skills our students possess are not developed by chance, but instead the result of intentional opportunities given to our students to speak in front of their peers continuously throughout their time at Collegiate. Not only do these opportunities hone their communication skills, they present the added bonus of building their self-confidence. While many public speaking opportunities are given as elective options in the upper grade levels, our Early

Childhood and Lower School curriculums focus on using small group speaking opportunities to lay the groundwork and help to prepare them for what is to come.

Beginning in Early Childhood students have the chance to stand in front of their peers and present. Preschoolers are introduced to public speaking by way of brief show and tell opportunities and class jobs, such as weather person, calendar presenter, or class greeter. In pre-kindergarten, students present to classmates their own family cultures and traditions, a practice which encourages both identity development and self-confidence. Kindergarten students dive into research and create dioramas of animal habitats. These students’ multimedia presentations on animals from around the world showcases just how far their journeys take them during their years in Early Childhood. Moreover, exposing kids to these chances at such a young age not only helps develop their verbal skills, but plants the seeds of confidence in their ability to speak in front of both peers and adults alike.

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First graders perform their Mini-Musical.

Second graders present Salute to America.

In our Lower School, the students find themselves stepping onto a larger stage–quite literally. From the first grade mini-musical to the full blown musical in the fourth grade, our students find themselves tasked with a public performance each year. Though small in scale compared to other performances on campus, the 1st Grade Mini-Musical looms large in children’s memories. As students learn their lines and memorize their songs, they learn what it takes to perform as a team. They take those skills into second grade during their preparation for Salute to America, during which each student presents a speech they research and write on a particular state. The 3rd Grade

Wax Museum is another opportunity for students to present on a public stage as they adopt the personas of an historical hero they researched. And of course, perhaps the most memorable performance of Lower School is the 4th

Grade Musical, during which students in full costume and make-up delight audiences with their perfectly choreographed musical numbers. These large scale performances are only one piece of the puzzle, though. Lower School teachers help build on the groundwork laid by our Early Childhood teachers and continue to ask students to present to their classes through assignments such as book report presentations, market fair sales, and more. These learning experiences aren’t all limited to speaking opportunities. As part of the music curriculum, every student in the Lower School presents a “Musical Moment” to their classmates. This assignment encourages students to present in the way in which they are most comfortable, whether that maybe speaking about music’s impact on them, singing a solo, performing a dance routine, or playing an instrument. Through all of these small moments, our teachers are giving their students the chance not only to build confidence and public speaking skills, but also to process their inevitable nerves in a safe and encouraging environment.

All of these experiences and moments contribute in their own way to each student’s future self expression. Whether an actor on stage, a house captain addressing their class, or a senior defending their Good Life paper, when tasked with the chance, our students confidently take the floor. Our Early Childhood and Lower School teachers often beam with pride as they watch their students move onto the Middle and Upper Schools and effortlessly step into roles that demonstrate their comfort with public speaking. And in those moments, it is lovely to remember the sweet 2nd graders at Salute to America reciting their memorized monologues about each state or the 3rd graders coming to life in the Wax Museum. Being capable communicators and confident public speakers will serve our students long after their time in our hallways is over. However, the foundations of those skills will forever be rooted in the gentle, but intentional, teachings of their beloved Early Childhood and Lower School teachers.