Archive for October, 2009
Through my many years teaching voice and presentation skills, I have found that those who experience truly debilitating, gut-wrenching fear of public speaking have had a bad experience sometime during their elementary or even middle school years when theyâ??ve been required to stand and speak. Â Â And while that one event may not affect every child the same way, for some the damage can be traumatic.
Please understand that I am not talking about the usual nervousness experienced by most of us making a presentation or giving a speech. That nervousness is good. It is beneficial:  that extra spurt of adrenaline can help make your delivery exhilarating. In my business, I donâ??t advocate the elimination of nervousness; instead, I teach people how to control it, allowing it to work for them, not against them.
Here, however, I am talking about a fear of public speaking that is extreme and is a result of an embarrassing or humiliating experience during childhood that the individual cannot forget. By the way, those who tell me that they donâ??t remember such an event have often repressed that memory, hoping to never think about it again because it is too painful.
Public speaking is tough without a doubt. Having children in their elementary years stand up and speak to a group of their peers is tougher. All it takes is one mispronunciation of a word, one lapse of memory, one embarrassing faux pas, one humiliating remark from another student or from the teacher, and that child will never want to stand and speak again. Being laughed at by oneâ??s classmates is agonizing.
Obviously, I am not an advocate of public speaking in elementary school. I think it is a mistake and I donâ??t believe we need to place our children in that scenario at that tender age. In todayâ??s schools where kids are meaner and less disciplined than theyâ??ve ever been, we are just adding fuel to the fire. Certainly not every child will have a bad experience; but, is it worth it for those children who will suffer? [I am not talking about class plays which I think are a positive experience because they involve group participation. With the play, the child is not being singled out and has the entire class as support.]
One of my clients, a psychiatrist from Toronto whose specialty was working with severely abused adults, was being asked to speak at various symposiums and conventions throughout Canada and the United States.  She came to me because of her inability to get up on that stage. Upon talking to her, I discovered that at the age of 7, she and her cousin had performed a song in front of a group of people. When it was over, her father told her that she was terrible. Admittedly, Frances had lived through years of abuse by her father but she was an amazingly resilient woman and she was confident that it was that particular event that caused her to avoid public attention ever again.
While working with Francis I was able to build up her level of confidence because she had a truly magnificent speaking voice. I tested her and I also knew that she could sing; therefore, I was able to assure her that when she was 7, she probably did sing well and that her father was a stupid and wrong man for treating her the way he did.  (Actually, he died during the time I was working with her and she flew back to Ireland to â??nail his coffin shut!â??)
While you may think Francisâ?? example is extreme, it really isnâ??t. If you knew all the horror stories Iâ??ve heard through the years, you would understand. In todayâ??s world where growing up is harder than itâ??s ever been, do we really need to subject our children to an experience that could do irreparable damage to their self-esteem? Letâ??s take that one pressure off of them and use other positive means of bolstering their confidence and self-image.
Nancy Daniels
http://www.articlesbase.com/presentation-articles/what-causes-debilitating-fear-in-public-speaking-585919.html
I’m looking specifically for stories in which food plays a big part, but any mention at all is fine.
If you give a mouse a cookie.
I really like childrens fantasy books
I want something like The Frog Princess Series by E.D Baker
Something magical
I already read Inkheart/Inkspell, Harry Potter, Narnia, and Lord of The Rings
I also really like the Warriors Series by Erin Hunter and I already read all of them
Please don’t recommend the Twilight books I don’t like them, or anything with Vampires or Dragons
Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer.
I am in college and doing a rhetorical analysis. I have to pick a topic to research that is under my major which is Early Childhood Education. Any good ideas for a possible topic?
Hi,
It’s difficult to find the right one isn’t it? I have a similar problem to you so have just started looking at some college videos that are proving very useful. They have lots of info and students opinions on best, cheapest etc. If you think they could be helpful to you too you can see them for free at http://www.free-college-videos.com
I hope that helps.
If you know someone who has a dog, then you will find buying them a gift for their favourite companion will go down well. If you are a dog owner then hey their part of the family so don’t let them feel left out.
Here are some great gift ideas most are not expensive but they will certainly be appreciated.
Gifts For Dogs
There are many ways to make your dog feel part of the festive season.
It’s always a great time of year to buy them a coat, new basket or as a special treat make sure they have some dog cookies.
There are plenty of nutritious dog treats and many suppliers who provide a huge variety that your dog will enjoy.
It’s a tasty treat and a perfect gift for dogs and most are nutritious to!
Gifts for dog owners
As we all know most dog owners love their dogs, so why not give them a present for birthday or Christmas that will be related to their special friend?
They will appreciate the gesture and there are many to choose from including:
Christmas and birthday cards
With a message from a four legged friend to touch their owners hearts with joy.
Calendars
Another inexpensive gift but one that will be appreciated.
There are many that are beautiful illustrated and are a constant reminder to their owner throughout the year of a wonderful companion and friend.
Books
These can be either about the breed and include beautiful pictures, tips on training health etc or they can be stories with dogs as the main characters.
The latter are particularly loved by children.
What better gift for a child that a story to remind them of their special friend?
There are many great stories about dogs and their adventures and many of them are true and show unswerving devotion, love, bravery and loyalty.
Who wasn’t touched by stories of Lassie or 101 Dalmatians as child?
In fact, many people still love these stories as adults – as stories of animals can sometimes touch us more than stories with people.
A gift that will be appreciated
So, if you want to treat your pet, or you know someone who has a treasured companion, the above are just a few of the gifts you can give them that will make any dog or owner feel appreciated.
Sacha Tarkovsky
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/gifts-for-dogs-dog-owners-gifts-will-that-will-be-loved-appreciated-79575.html
Brighter Child Interactive LLC reissues the 1999 collection formerly known as The Beginner’s Bible: Old Testament Favorites under a new title, The Beginner’s Bible: Classic Bible Stories. The threeCD set includes “Mighty Moses” (1996), “David Goliath” (1997), and “Noah’s Ark” (1997). Intended for young readers in the three to eight year old age range, Classic Bible Stories features activities, videos, puzzles, coloring pages, crafts, music, singalong songs, reward certificates, print options, and verbal narration of onscreen text. Children benefit from early learning skills in the areas of critical thinking, creativity, patterns, matching, numbers, counting, and more.
“Noah’s Ark” focuses on the story of Noah leading pairs of animals onto the ark in anticipation of the great flood, while “Mighty Moses” leads the Israelites to freedom, receives the Ten Commandments, and parts the Red Sea. In “David Goliath,” the young shepherd defeats the giant en route to becoming the next king of Israel. Although no manual ships with the game, each program (installed separately) contains help files and verbal instructions. ~ Michael L. House, All Game Guide
The Madame Alexander Furniture Collection is very high-end collection created in the Madame Alexander tradition of classic styling, beautiful design and quality production. Designed to reflect impeccable taste and quality, the furniture features hand-carved Queen Anne’s legs, velour upholstered chair backs, edge details, all rendered in antique white finish and complimented with brass hardware. The collection includes a table and chair set, rocking chair, a toy box complete with a spaciouse interior witha a lid that provides generous bench-style seating and a slide out sectioned drawer with a safety lid that supports and cut-outs to prevent finger pinching and a storage step-up. Adult assembly required. Adult assembly required Size: 14L x 12 1/2H x 13W
Simply Hearts is a wonderfully simple childrens yoga book to enjoy in heart and body. Find the heart in all you see… and connect with the world around you. Your entire family will have fun with this activity book as you turn each page into a yoga pose.
EDUCATIONAL IMPRESSIONS EIM2796AP BRAIN BENDERS FOR BEGINNERS EDUCATIONAL IMPRESSIONS EIM2796AP BRAIN BENDERS FOR BEGINNERS The problems and teasers in this resource were designed to enhance childrens thinking skills. There are 30 topics each with 3 types of tasks: a) sit and think, b) go and find
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This text looks at careers in early education, what it’s like to be a teacher or caregiver today, provides historical and philosophical perspectives of the field, compares and contrasts contemporary models of ECE, examines cultural and individual differences that confront and challenge teachers, and offers pro and con debates of current issues.