Public Speaking: Adults or Kids?

Have you ever been asked to do a speech without any preparation?

I'm an elementary school teacher, and I have taught all ages throughout my career. I'm teaching first graders this year, and I can stand in front of the kids all day without feeling nervous or worried. In class, I can be myself and I know where I am with the kids. I can tell who's not giving me their full attention, if anyone is having a bad day or if they are distracted. For me it's just work and I love it. Teaching young children is fun, and I see it as a gift.

Last weekend, I was asked to do a speech without any preparation to a room full of adults. I was the messenger, giving a speech about a new event that was happening in my community which I had volunteered for. Part of my speech was to ask for more volunteers and give details.

"Sure, no problem," I said. I was thinking, I teach for a living, how hard can it be to give a short speech about something I enjoy?

Well, it turns out that adults really listen to every word you say, and how you say it. You don't have to repeat words several times or ask them to sit still, not pick their noses or lick their hands.

Adults listen - straight away. There are no interruptions, bathroom incidents or teeth emergencies. The tooth fairy is serious business you know. The silence from a room full of adults got me nervous because everyone was looking at me in rapt attention. I'm not used to that.

I looked around the room and everyone was looking at me, which is not something I get from the kids in my class. There is at least one child who is blowing his nose, another playing with his shoes, a third fidgeting with a random object, another moving around. You get the idea.

A class full of kids is bustling with underlying noises. That is what young kids are like. Even though you have their attention, there is so much else going on in the classroom.

I remember one time when it rained - a real pour down. The water bouncing off the ground and running down the street in torrents, catching toys and debris in its way. I had to stop my history lesson because in that moment, watching the rain was far more interesting to the kids than history.

The world is a source of fascination and wonder to younger kids and I always try to remember it. The smallest nuance of anything can make the day interesting. That's what I love about kids. They are real and live in the moment.

Speaking to adults, I have no idea what they are feeling or thinking. Everyone has their own "poker faces." It's hard to read a room because there is nothing to read. A twitch here, a subtle shift there, but not much.

When I came away after my speech, I felt uneasy. It made me wonder. How did we end up this "poker faced?" Did people listen to me?

I find kids easier to teach and talk to because I know, I will get their honesty. They may not appear to listen to me but I can tell when they do.

My name is Lizzy. I’m a trauma survivor, a wife, a mom, a teacher, and an author.

If you like reading my posts, then please follow me.

For more about me: www.elizabethwoodsauthor.com

Support your fellow writer:

https://ko-fi.com/elizabe69245484

Here are a few links to my top articles:

How To Explain Complex PTSD To Loved Ones

https://medium.com/illumination/how-to-explain-complex-ptsd-to-loved-ones-769f81d437ab

A Search for Identity

https://medium.com/beyond-lines/a-search-for-identity-893df7c970c2

Dealing With Flashbacks

https://medium.com/illumination/dealing-with-flashbacks-1b8c0d94c19d

The Knock on the Door that Changed My World

https://medium.com/illumination/the-knock-on-the-door-that-changed-my-world-ff126c8c07cf