Student EXCHANGE

Michèle finds giving a talk to 100 school kids is a 'high stakes gamble'

- MICHÈLE A'COURT

There were two events I spoke at last week. One was for a few hundred civil engineers at a themed dinner in an aviation museum, most of them in costume.

The other was for 100 kids at the intermediate school where my daughter teaches.

Guess which one was scarier?

Pitching a talk to 11-year-olds is a tough call – an assignment I would have sweated over for days if I'd known that's what I'd be doing that Friday afternoon.

Fortunately (I guess?) Whaea Holly gave me only a few hours' notice - I arrived at morning tea to visit her school, and was speaking to her “pod” (four classes) after lunch.

Rough notes were made and deep breaths taken.

These Year 7 and 8 students are learning about public speaking, so they've been watching videos of iconic orators - Maya Angelou, for one to see what that looks like. And here was a chance to meet someone who makes a living out of talking to people.