Twenty years into retirement, do I miss the classroom? Not really. I can’t miss what I still have. In my 53rd year of speech coaching, I spend about half of the year in the classroom working with teenagers teaching critical analysis, public speaking, research and writing in the five public speaking categories. In the eight oral interpretation categories I get to teach literary analysis, writing of scripts and introductions, and the oral interpretation of literature.
I still get to see teens grow, gain self-confidence and learn skills that will last a lifetime. On Saturdays students are part of a team having fun, supporting each other and measuring their progress. So many, after graduation, say how much they miss speech. I am lucky I haven’t been graduated out of the process.
In reality teaching as a speech coach is ideal. I get to work one-on-one or in some cases in small groups. Class size is a major factor in teaching. Working with an individual is so much more productive than trying to get thirty or more kids to learn the same thing in a 40–90-minute period.
To read Jim’s entire column, pick up a Messenger today!