Walking up to the front of the classroom, my mind races through the speech I have been memorizing for the past few weeks. Even though I spent so much time preparing for this moment, my palms grow sweaty as I struggle to find the calm state of mind needed for public speaking.
I am not the only one who struggles with public speaking. In fact, it is the most common fear in the world, affecting 75% of all people, according to Supportive Care ABA. Despite the wide impact of this phobia, HHS does not offer a course to address it.
Although a variety of clubs build debate and public speaking skills, such as Model UN and FBLA, they do not do enough to help students learn to speak in front of crowds. Instead, the school needs to provide ways to improve public speaking within the curriculum for all students.
In my own experiences, while public speaking is incorporated into the English curriculum, not enough is done to ensure students are comfortable and confident when speaking. The skill is primarily tested through presentations and discussions and almost never explicitly taught, so creating a new class dedicated to public speaking is necessary. A small unit dedicated to this topic is not enough to fully develop this ability — it definitely has not been for me.
Furthermore, a class on speaking can improve a student’s confidence by making them confront their fears head on in a controlled learning environment, allowing them to practice handling their own nervousness.
Not only do students learn basic skills, they also learn to voice their opinions and push for change in topics they are passionate about. Public speaking offers students the opportunity to express their ideas in front of many others, encouraging them to be assertive with their beliefs.
This class would also help students in their future careers, as 70% of jobs require some form of public speaking, according to LibreText. Public speaking has much general relevance and applicability, making it natural to include as a course.
While public speaking is an important skill that many struggle with, HHS still has not implemented enough support for or teaching of it in the curriculum. HHS must dive into this core ability with a separate class in order to benefit students in their future endeavors.
