My Whys for Teaching Public Speaking

Today signifies the beginning of my public speaking teaching journey. I am excited about empowering students through speech and debate. Below are my "whys" for starting this journey.

At 16, during my high school days, I first encountered public speaking. It wasn't part of the standard curriculum in Beijing, but thanks to our visionary principal who dared to introduce this new concept, I had the chance. I vividly remember the nerves that gripped me as I stepped onto the stage for the first time. I completely missed the essence of public speaking, which is not just about what you say but how you say it. I rushed through a lengthy fantasy story, sweating. I also recall a classmate whose face would always turn bright red, unable to speak a word due to overwhelming anxiety every single time she stood up from her seat. Back then, student voices were mostly limited to "answering questions when being called on; "reciting a paragraph of the text" or "reading out loud some famous poems." Beyond that, teacher voices mostly dominated the classroom through lecturing, and the silence was so profound you could hear a pin drop.

In college, I found immense joy in debating in English. It was both fun and competitive, with topics that sparked heated discussions, like whether big cities should promote public transportation or if prostitution should be legalized. We would tirelessly research the topic and prepare for the arguments. The rebuttals got messy and that is when the fun started no matter how much you felt you were prepared. Within those classroom walls, we could freely express our thoughts even with grammatical errors, still feeling safe and secure. We all made many mistakes.

After coming to the United States, even as an advanced English learner/speaker, I struggled to speak up in classrooms due to my imperfect English. People speak super fast with slangs and colloquiums. Not wanting to slow down the group or embarrassing myself, I chose to be silent. Feeling frustrated, I joined my first Toastmasters club in Charlottesville, where I learned that public speaking (native language or not) is a skill that is learnable and it takes training and practice to improve. Even the beautiful and unique accent itself in both native and non-native speakers expands and diversifies the English language.

Early in my career, in the fast-paced American corporate world, I chose silence. My co-workers often remarked that they'd never heard me speak in big meetings. Even when I tried to voice my thoughts, I struggled to be heard or understood. That wasn't the real me. My active thoughts were at odds with my quiet demeanor. I turned to Toastmasters once more, joining a second club. There, an incredible leader, Lynn Wylde, believed in me and encouraged my leadership. With her guidance, I quickly gained confidence in public speaking and became more engaged by taking on leadership roles within the club.

Today, I'm here, eager to uplift future generations and offer them the encouragement and trust that once lifted me.