Training and Teaching
Public Speaking
Having trained more than 100 students in the fundamentals of public speaking, I’ve seen great transformation. Many have entered the process fearful and uncertain only to arrive at the other end with skill, clarity, and confidence. My students have left training being able to:
Clearly organize thoughts and material
Inform, entertain, and persuade audiences
Meaningfully connect with audiences
Present confidently and effectively
30-Second Organization Pitch
Participants reported feeling “much more confident” about articulating their organizational mission.
According to a 2015 Microsoft study on the decline of attention spans, ours is less than a goldfish! To get their messages across, organizations must work harder than ever to effectively communicate, while retaining stakeholder attention.
I co-developed 90-minute workshop for non-profit staff and board members to help identify key messages. Building on the key messages, our team offered tools to effectively communicate the organization’s mission by designing a 30-second elevator pitch.
High-Impact Learning
In his learning taxonomy, L. D. Fink, professional and international consultant in higher education asked this very question. Learning is a catalyst to transformation. As guides, teachers play critical roles in facilitating the learning process by offering ways for students to actively engage and critically recall knowledge.
The High Impact Practice session was designed to engage graduate students in high-impact teaching practices that could be applied to future communication training opportunities.
Teaching Philosophy
From the boardroom to the classroom, I’ve taught and consulted students, executives, and administrators on communication principles.
Dynamic communication lies at the heart of effective leadership. Speak well. Lead well.
Learning is a lifelong journey. It’s constructed through the knowledge we receive, the experiences we engage in, the environment we operate within, and the sojourners of knowledge with whom we encounter.
Like Biggs (Biggs and Tang, 2011), I believe learning provides the opportunity to channel intentions and motivations in ways that allow individuals to chart their own course, as well as their outcomes. By building upon their reference of the world, learners should engage in and wrestle with new ideas. This journey of engaging and wrestling should empower individuals to shape new concepts allowing them to see and interact with the world in new ways.
Heart and Mind. The learning process reflects the engagement of the human spirit, mind, will, emotions, and heart. From the classrooms of the schoolhouse to the sidewalks of the world, opportunities for learning and growth exist on every corner. These opportunities surround us and call us to higher heights and deeper depths. We must only look for their signs, listen for their cues, and be poised to act and participate.
Values
Our values must be shaped and embraced to embark on a successful journey. The Golden Rule applies.
Trust. Trust should be the foundation of these values. Both the student and the guide, or teacher, should trust the learning process. Trust should lie at the core of the teacher-student relationship, offering a place of safety to question methods and measures, express values and vulnerabilities, and support and sustain the process.
Authenticity. Though ideas may be borrowed or built upon, students and teachers should celebrate authenticity and learn to develop original thought.
Creativity. Learning should spark and sustain creative thought and expression, while considering different approaches to comprehending concepts.
Wonder. Students and teachers should maintain a sense of wonder and awe along the journey. I believe this sense of wonder leads one to continue asking questions and searching for better ways to better understand, appreciate, and interact with the world.
Growth. By valuing growth in others, and in ourselves, we propel the journey of learning.
Respect. While ideals may differ, we must respect individual differences. If we are open, we can find ways to learn from what we may not agree with, and perhaps, seek to find common ground.
Collaboration. Thoughts, concepts, and ideas don’t work in isolation. By working to find common ground, we can find ways to contribute to mutual understanding, learning, and agreement.
No-Go’s
As a guide to the process of learning, I won’t tolerate disrespect for others. Negative and empathetic attitudes toward others, and the learning process, won’t be celebrated. Cheating and plagiarism are not options in the learning process.
Promise to Myself
As a leader in the journey of knowledge, I will help guide others to find their path to success. As a guide, I’m committed to modeling these leadership principles.
A guide must be prepared to lead. This means being knowledgeable of relevant content and concepts, theories and frameworks. The guide must set the environment for learning and facilitating the opportunities to engage in the learning journey. This includes setting clear expectations for my students, as well as myself.
As a guide, I will:
Provide clearly outlined syllabi
Articulate clearly defined learning objectives
Set clear grading expectations
Offer routine evaluation processes
Offer and request feedback
Maintain clear and effective communications with students throughout the process
Expectations of My Students
Students must be ready to engage in the learning process. This means they must be familiar with the learning expectations and willingly embrace the learning journey. Ultimately, the student will get out of the learning process what he or she invests into it. Like the guide, the students should enter the learning process with a familiarity of content, prepared to engage in learning activities, while maintaining an intention to learn. The students should:
Read materials in advance
Prepare thoughtful questions
Understand how to apply what they have learned
Contribute value to others’ learning journey
Environment of Learning
The proper learning environment is essential for learning. This includes facilitating, or what Ken Bain (2012) calls, a natural critical learning environment. Challenging students to confront and work through their own assumptions empowers them to take ownership of their own educational experience.
Students should engage in active learning to challenge deep-level critical thinking skills. Some strategies in which students best engage in active learning includes:
Team-based collaboration
Individual and group discussion
Individual and group reflection and analysis
Authentic dialogue
Honest and constructive feedback
Bain, K. (2012). Defining the best. In Harvard University Press. What the best college teachers do. Cambridge, MA.
Biggs, J. and Tang, C. (2011). Constructing learning by aligning teaching: Constructive alignment. In McGraw Hill (4th Eds.), Teaching for quality learning at university: What the student does. New York, New York