Teacher Talk

Something that has worried me about becoming a teacher, is speaking effectively in front of a class. I have had trouble in the past accurately expressing my thoughts and have worried that I might stubble on my words while teaching in front of a class. I took a speech class and did well when presenting speeches. I noticed that I just had to plan well and rehearse frequently. Some things that our book points out are to avoid talking too much, talking too fast. It also mentions that you should ask for frequent checks in comprehension and that you should be sure that you are being heard and understood. It is also important not to assume that your students know something or are familiar with a certain term. The last thing it says to avoid is monotone talk. This is one of my fears as well. I fear rehearsing too much to the point where it sounds unnatural and monotone. The book also points out some other good planning tips for talking to the class, such as monitoring delivery and using plenty of examples while presenting your lesson.