Speech 101

I wish I could take credit for this idea, but like so many other worthy things I do, I didn't think of it.  Unfortunately I don't even know who did.  I think I found it somewhere on the Internet years ago.  Here's a hearty thank you to the brilliant teacher who thought of it.


Me in a Bag is my version of teaching speech, as well as nurturing the climate of not just my classroom, but our classroom, by inviting their lives into the room. 

Donald Graves says, "When students feel 'known,' they learn more easily."  

Carol Avery believes that, "Many factors influence classroom attitudes and performance; a child's life in the classroom can't be separated from the environment of his home, the interactions with others in his life, or his physical well-being."

Each week a child takes the Me and a Bag home.  

Inside is the following note.

Here's a picture of Tucker sharing his Me in a Bag.  I wish I had it on video.  His presentation was adorable.  Obviously he had practiced in front of someone at home like the note encouraged.  

Me in a Bag is a chance to teach kids:

• how to talk in front of a group 
• how to include details in their presentations
• how to make visuals easy for the audience to see
• how to carefully listen to a presenter 
• how to support and show understanding to a presenter (I teach them to smile and nod while they listen.) 
• that we all value their lives
• that their lives are worthy of sharing
• that they are an expert in something (I always ask them at the end of their presentation what they're an expert in.)