Teaching Public Speaking 4e: Part Three
Teaching Public Speaking 4e
Part Three: Special Topics
Contents
The First Day of Class
Working with Students with Disabilities
Helping Students Manage Communication Apprehension
Sexual Harassment
Teaching Public Speaking 4e: Part Three
The First Day of Class
Meeting with the class on the first day: distribution and review of syllabus
We all know the power of the first impression. As a teacher you not only provide a first impression of
yourself, but also of the course and the usual way business will be conducted in your class. The syllabus
comes into play here—big time! You’ll want it to create a proper first impression that suggests
professionalism and a well-contemplated, well-planned course. Keep in mind that the syllabus is an
extension of yourself—displaying your thinking about the content of the course, your level of
involvement and dedication, and so on.
A winning personality
Now let’s consider other factors that contribute to a positive impression that will serve you well. Hmm. . .
How about interpersonal qualities? Let’s brainstorm a bit:
Friendly, yet conveying a “professional distance”
Confident, but not arrogant
Knowledgeable, yet not a know-it-all
Kind, but not a pushover
Okay, so there are a few I’ve come up with when contemplating favorite instructors whose qualities
I’d like to emulate. What would you add?
In addition to interpersonal qualities you wish to exhibit and convey, how should you conduct
business on the first day? I have a few suggestions, each of which I’ll explain. Read on, please.
It’s on video: We address the first day on the videotape that accompanies
our supervisor’s manual.
Nurturing a warm, cozy feeling
Classrooms often are drab and cold. On top of this, our requirement that students talk in front of others
likewise is hostile. You walk in and you can see this written on their faces. What to do? Help them
develop a different feel for the place and what’s going to transpire.
Teaching Public Speaking 4e: Part Three
Break the ice. Get to know them and let them get to know you. A technique that has worked well for
me is to go down the first-day roster, calling out last names, one at a time. I leave it to students to tell me
what they prefer to go by as a first name.
Along with asking them their preferred name, I publicly visit with each person for a moment,
inquiring about where they are from, their intended major, and engage them in a bit of small talk about
their hometown or anything else they might have offered, and (without going overboard) I often note,
The first day: Nurturing a vision
In addition to emphasizing the importance of who they are and allowing them to gain a sense of
community and individuality, give them a glimpse of how the course is going to help them, what it’s
going to nurture and how it will pay off for them. Tell them something along the lines of “My goal for
each of you is that by the end of the course you’ll be more confident, capable, and effective
communicators.”
Along with a general statement, give them a vision of how this translates into everyday reality: “I
want you to be inclined to think before you speak and to be able to speak in a way that has an impact on
friends, family, employers, and coworkers. I want you to be able to connect better with others, to
Presentations on the first day? Hmm. . . .
I stay away from these, even though I’m probably in the minority. I do so in large measure because of an
article that, even though written a number of years ago, still rings true in terms of my experiences and
seems to enjoy a bit of confirmation from time to time in studies about apprehension. Kathleen M. Kougl
(1980) cautioned us that the “introduce-your-neighbor speeches” and other, similar first-day presentations
that we might suppose are not very “threatening” are, “on the contrary . . . difficult for the quiet student to
face” (p. 236).
That same year, Douglass J. Pedersen (1980) urged partial implementation of Systematic
Desensitization techniques, explaining that “a relaxed atmosphere with a process of building on small
Teaching Public Speaking 4e: Part Three
Like these authors, I avoid creating too much discomfort on the first day. I do have them talk on the
first day, but from their seat. What I ask them to contribute (as described above) is much less formal than
an introduction.
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References
Ellis, K. (1995). Apprehension, self-perceived competency, and teacher
immediacy in the laboratory-supported public speaking course: Trends and
relationships. Communication Education, 44, 64–78.
Teaching Public Speaking 4e: Part Three
Working with Students with Disabilities
Students won’t always volunteer the information. Hence, I always ask whether anyone has a disability of
which I’ll need to be aware. I request, during the first few class meetings, that any students with special
needs alert me to their needs, perhaps doing so after class. Also, I make the request (reprinted below) in a
written entry on the syllabus (something most colleges/universities now require that we do).
As you can see, in the interest of the student, I require him or her to contact those who can best assist and
who can best coach me on how to help, too.
Recent research from the field
Myrna M. Cornett-Devito and David W. Worley (2005) recently examined how we might work more
Productive actions/behaviors include:
1) The instructor “willingly” provides “individualized instruction that meets the student’s
2) The instructor communicates genuine interest and respect.
Students responded best to an instructor who listened “empathically,” attempting to understand their
3) The instructor understands and wants to learn more about disabilities.
Students with disabilities greatly appreciated it when an instructor “demonstrated a basic knowledge
4) The instructor is “alert to alternatives to assist student learning” (p. 323).
5) The instructor is “accessible outside the classroom” (p. 323).
Students with disabilities appreciated when the instructor would make time for them outside of the
1) The instructor was “uniformed and misinformed about learning disabilities” (p. 324).
Students hope that instructors understand the basics of the Americans with Disabilities Act of
1990. Students also hope that instructors have an understanding of various learning disabilities, and
2) The instructor will “actively resist accommodation” (p. 325).
Some instructors resist accommodating the needs of disabled students. Some even seem oblivious to
3) The instructor maintained a “rigid” instructional style.
4) The instructor seems to doubt the student’s ability to succeed.
Some instructors actually questioned the student’s “fundamental ability to succeed in class” (p.326).
5) The instructor disregards the student’s privacy.
Students typically prefer to meet with the instructor privately to discuss their disability. They also
appreciate if the instructor does not discuss the particular accommodations publicly. Instructors will
do well to make time for the student after class in a setting that is more private than the classroom.
Teaching Public Speaking 4e: Part Three
Communicating more effectively with disabled individuals
When working with students/colleagues/staff members who have a disability, I try to observe various,
general guidelines I’ve encountered throughout the years for communicating effectively with someone
who has a disability. These guidelines refer primarily to interacting with persons with a physical
disability.
(1) When interacting with the individual, be sure to speak directly to her or him and not to a
companion or interpreter who might be present.
(3) Attempt to interact at eye level with the person. Even visually impaired individuals will
appreciate it. If the person is not visually impaired, attempt a normal degree of eye contact.
(4) Avoid “talking down” to adults with a disability. For example, address a disabled person
(5) When around a disabled person occupying a wheelchair, avoid leaning on or hanging onto
(6) When interacting with someone who has difficulty speaking, be patient and let them finish.
Overcome the temptation to speak for the person. If uncertain of what was said, ask a
(7) When interacting with a person who is hearing impaired, be sure to face them while talking
(8) Cordially offer assistance, but before proceeding wait for the offer to be accepted and also
(9) Don’t be embarrassed when you use a common expression (such as “See you later” or “Did
you hear about this?”) which seems to relate to the individual’s disability. There is no need to
apologize.
Teaching Public Speaking 4e: Part Three
Spotlight on . . . Accommodating the learning-impaired
Craig Newburger (1994) takes up this subject in a brief, insightful article. Newburger notes the
increased numbers and types of learning-impaired individuals enrolled in our courses and how we
might best proceed. Among other things (as emphasized above), Newburger emphasizes the
importance of students working through the proper on-campus “counseling services” and he
encourages instructors to “correspond directly” with the professionals there (p. 182).
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References
Teaching Public Speaking 4e: Part Three
Helping Students Manage
Communication Apprehension
We often encounter students who have some level of anxiety about speaking. In the textbook, we’ve
provided strategies for managing apprehension and we’ve tried to nurture a more positive mind-set. What
works will vary from individual to individual, something Joe Ayres points out in the Spotlight below
when describing a book he has coauthored to assist teachers and trainers.
We are indebted to Ayres and other scholars who have studied apprehension. In addition to Ayres’
book, a number of other recent publications can inform our understanding and our approaches with our
students. Let’s explore a few of these.
1) Bodie, G.D., (2010). A racing heart, rattling knees, and ruminative thoughts: Defining, explaining,
and treating public speaking anxiety. Communication Education, 59, 70–105.
2) Duff, D.C., Levine, T.R., Beatty, M.J., Woolbright, J. and Park H.S., (2007). Testing public anxiety
treatments against a credible placebo control. Communication Education, 56, 72–88.
3) Behnke, R.R. & Sawyer, C.R. (1999). Milestones of anticipatory public speaking anxiety.
Communication Education, 48, 163–172.
Behnke and Sawyer find that students’ apprehension levels peak just prior to taking the floor and also
are very high when a speaking assignment is first introduced. Knowing this, we can intervene at these
4) Daly, J.A., Vangelisti, A.L., & Weber, D.J. (1995). Speech anxiety affects how people prepare
speeches: A protocol analysis of the preparation processes of speakers. Communication Monographs,
62, 383–397.
5) Ayres, J. (1996). Speech preparation processes and speech apprehension. Communication Education,
45, 228–235.
Ayres’ findings parallel those of Daly, Vangelisti, & Weber, and he provides additional insights.
Ayres found that highly apprehensive students may actually spend more time preparing their speeches
6) Ellis, K. (1995). Apprehension, self-perceived competency, and teacher immediacy in the laboratory-
supported public speaking course: Trends and relationships. Communication Education, 44, 64–78.
7) Motley, M.T. (1998). Overcoming your fear of public speaking—A proven method. Boston, MA:
Houghton Mifflin Company.
Motley discusses, in simple language, various causes of communication apprehension, its common
effects, and methods typically employed to control it. He acquaints readers with a successful,
It’s on video: We address communication apprehension in our video that accompanies the
text as well as the one that accompanies our supervisor’s manual.
Reflecting upon the recent research about apprehension
Given the findings and suggestions of the research described above, instructors might want to structure
speaking assignments so that they can monitor and assist students’ preparation. For example, instructors
Teaching Public Speaking 4e: Part Three
immediacy behaviors) also could thwart debilitative apprehension and give rise to improved
speechmaking.
While providing specific pointers for improvement and helping create a supportive environment,
Spotlight on . . . Guided Visualization for Apprehensives
Joe Ayres has contributed much to our understanding of communication apprehension and
how we might help apprehensive students. In a letter to me, Joe explained his work.
The applied dimension of my work relates to helping students
cope with communication apprehension as well as helping
instructors help students cope with communication apprehension.
The primary tactic featured in this work is having people think about
speaking in positive rather than negative terms. This work rests on
Joe has coauthored a book (complete citation below) that “presents a wide variety
of intervention tactics proven to help people cope with the fear of public speaking.” Joe
notes that “the material in the book is tailored to the needs of teachers/trainers” and
“assumes teachers/trainers have little familiarity with these procedures.” For this reason,
“the book provides guidance on which intervention is most appropriate in a given
circumstance and provides detailed procedures on how to employ each intervention.”