(Not Kids I Teach!)
This week at the school that I teach at has been a week full of five minute speeches about a variety of topics. Wednesday and Thursday, we got to hear from twelve of the best speakers from the 6th-8th grade. All the speakers were very brave in their attempt and each did an awesome job considering their age and that they spoke for five whole minutes under some very bright stage lights, in front of their peers (middle school peers are not for the faint of heart...they call them like they see them. If you are ever told that you have ego problems, go speak in front of a group of 7th-8th graders and ask them what they think of you. Don't do this if you already have self-esteem issues. You will never recover!), and with no cues, note cards, notes, etc. There were several who made it through their whole speech with no mistakes. The most impressive parts about each of the students and their speeches to me were the fact that they both wrote and performed their own speeches. Our present politicians should watch their backs. I know some kids, 12 of them to be exact, that can write speeches, give them, handle disruptions, and then close all without the use of a staff, speech-writers, or a teleprompter.
Like I mentioned, they spoke about a variety of topics. I even learned a thing or two. Did you guys know that the inventor of Coke sold the formula and company for $2,300 dollars because he could only sell about nine drinks a day in most locations? I can imagine that being a bad decision. Or did you know that the original microwaves came out the 1960's and that they didn't sell well? I can't imagine why. Maybe its because they consumed 3000 watts of power, weighed 1000 pounds, and cost $5000. That's probably not why, though. What do I know? I'm learning things from a 6th grader. Mercer thanks for nothing. Well, thanks for Melissa and a couple other things. Just why didn't you teach me more about Coca-Cola and the history of the microwave?
Another great part of the speech competition were the judges. They were local celebrities and the school made a big deal out of it. Two worked for the Macon telegraph and one of them works for a local AM station. I do wish the audience could have been privy to their analysis of each speech though. I would have liked that a lot. I will suggest that for next year. Maybe they could be less like judges and more like sportscasters. Their could even be pre-speech hype and post speech analysis and maybe even some rebuttals by other middle schoolers at large. Maybe Anderson Cooper could come and do a segment, let us know he is a Vanderbilt, that he went to Yale, and maybe even tell me what gel he uses on his air, so I could update my look a little. Okay, so I'm going too far. Let's just say I loved the local celeb. judges. A lot!
The winning speech was about Facebook. Someone call David Fincher and let him know that he may have not gotten an Oscar for his movie, but there is a young girl with a pretty, sweet plaque to hang on her wall in Macon, Georgia that can thank him for preparing the way. We all weren't ready for Mark Zukerberg, but thanks to Mr. Fincher for letting us in on the Hollywood version and not actually making us listen to him in real life. Neither side could have handled it well. The second place speech was about microwaves and the third place speech was about Coca-Cola. I will say that if I were a judge, the Coke speech would have gotten first because Coke is far more necessary for a life well-lived than Facebook. If you don't believe me ask Mel. She knows everything I don't. Which is a lot.
I do however have one last suggestion for next year's competition that would really jazz the place up and guarantee a sold-out crowd. They should turn the middle school speech contest into a version of....
They could hand out samples of what each speech is about. It would get the crowd into the speeches. I could have really used: an iPad, an iPod, a microwave, an artificial heart, cold Cokes, a refrigerator, lasers, a Facebook account, a blood bank, just to name a few of the speech topics. Don't you think that would be a great idea. Mel and I can even to do a great Oprah impersonation courtesy of 30 Rock, "Here comes.....!" What do you think? Should I suggest it? I think so.
Well, let me know what you think,
David
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