Sample ESB Teacher Guidance

1

Teaching Guidance

Activity 1: The Talk Giving a talk can help pupils find their voice and really boost their confidence. However, we recognise that this can be a difficult thing to achieve. Many pupils, of all ages, feel nervous about the prospect of speaking in front of their teachers and class. So, how can we help them give a talk? Below are top tips that can help them plan and present a talk about their chosen topic:  Ask pupils to choose something that they really like, so that they have plenty to talk about. The more interested pupils are in their chosen talk, the more enjoyable the process will be for them.  Working in small groups can be invaluable. For example, if pupils work in a group of 6, they can share ideas and practise their talks. Pupils can help each other in finding topics for their talks by working together, and rehearsing talks within an informal small group can really build confidence.  Encourage pupils to breathe naturally when speaking. Breathing naturally will help them build their confidence and project their voice.

2

 Talks should have an introduction, body and conclusion. Encourage pupils to be creative with introductions and conclusions as a way to capture the attention of an audience.  Encourage pupils to make bullet points or to use picture cues instead of writing the talk out and learning it as this inhibits speaking from the heart.  Visual aids need to be clearly seen by the audience. Encourage pupils to hold up their visual aid (chosen object) at the beginning of the talk so that everyone can clearly see it. If they use a display board, it should only contain a few large images as it can be hard to see a display board with lots of pictures.

3

For further guidance about structuring talks, please watch this video:

For further guidance about how to speak spontaneously, please watch this video:

4

For further guidance about using visual aids, please watch this video:

5