The Middle School Review Semester 2!

Hello St. Paul's Family!

Well I am so excited about the next class of MS Communication! Second semester promises to be a good one! The elective in charge of this blog will begin meeting in January. Please check back then for weekly features from the class. We'll post speech videos, cool links, and updates from the elective!

Between now and then, I will post stories of interest from the field of communication, as well as plans for the elective curriculum!

Thanks!!!!!

Catherine Inge

Middle School Communication

MSCommunication has had an exciting and fast-paced start to the second semester! So far we have:

• Created "Speeches-on-the-Spot" in a matter of minutes and performed them immediately! These are a great way to loosen up in front of an audience and exercise a speaker's creativity and poise.
• Presented well-researched and throroughly edited Introductory Speeches. Speakers chose a celebrity and focused on one aspect of that person's life. Topics ranged from Drew Brees' charity involvement to Brad Paisley's family life. I was incredibly proud of my students' effort!
• Learned organizational tactics that help in every class - keeping clean binders/lockers, maintaining good classroom behavior, making lists of needed supplies, and more!
• Reviewed for upcoming tests by creating "Teaching Moments" - Students become the teacher, making review notes, power points, presentations, and even a Jeopardy! game about the lesson. Through this exercise students learn to focus on what is central to a unit or chapter and how best to prepare for tests.
• Practiced articulation and vocal variety through the reading of classic children's books. Such a fun exercise!
• Read in MS Chapel - They did a WONDERFUL job!
• Applied what we discuss about note-taking and study skills in other classes.
• Planned a collaboration with the staff of The Epistle, our SPS high school newspaper, to prepare for our Newspaper unit.
• Prepared an Informatory Speech that we will present after Mardi Gras Break. These topics range from a water park in Lebanon to the origins of Lacrosse, from the Women's US Tennis rankings to the effects of head-on collisions in football.

WE HAVE BEEN BUSY!!!!

Hello! I am thrilled to have eight wonderful students in this semester's elective. You will grow as a speaker, a writer, and a student. Check for updates on the blog often!

We have had a lot of fun introducing this course to SPS! Check out the other posts for entries from the first class!