Teacher Notes
These notes support a five-week unit on the fundamentals of public speaking for Year 9. They cover planning, differentiation, sensitive content, participation, feedback and classroom protocols. They do not prescribe a school program or a formal reporting instrument.
Purpose and scope
This packet is a teaching resource, not a faculty plan. It offers a sequence, explanatory pages, models and activities. Teachers should adapt the pace, tasks and level of challenge to their class. The unit assumes no prior public speaking experience and no musical or theatrical training.
The emphasis is on frequent, low-stakes speaking. Students should speak in every lesson, even if only for thirty seconds. The final short speech is an opportunity to integrate the skills, not a high-pressure test.
Planning the five weeks
| Week | Planning priority | Checkpoint |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Establish safety, routines and baseline speaking. | Can students speak for thirty seconds in a pair? |
| 2 | Teach clarity, structure and audience analysis. | Can students build a clear skeleton? |
| 3 | Build listening, feedback and regulation strategies. | Can students give one specific feedback sentence? |
| 4 | Rehearse in the space and with an audience. | Can students make one deliberate change? |
| 5 | Deliver and reflect. | Can students explain what changed and why? |
Creating a safe speaking classroom
- Establish clear norms: listen respectfully, no laughter at mistakes, no unsolicited personal questions.
- Start with pair and small-group speaking before whole-class performance.
- Offer choice in topic, format and audience size.
- Model imperfection: demonstrate a stumble and recover from it.
- Separate practice from performance; not every speaking task needs an audience.
- Allow students to record privately or speak to the teacher only.
- Never require disclosure of personal trauma, health or family information.
Sensitive content
| Content | Consideration | Response |
|---|---|---|
| Performance anxiety | Some students find speaking extremely distressing. | Offer low-stakes alternatives, small audiences, recorded or written options, and access to support staff. |
| Personal stories | Students may disclose grief, illness, family conflict or identity. | Do not require disclosure; provide fictional or text-based prompts; respond calmly and privately. |
| Cultural material | Students may draw on culturally specific knowledge. | Follow protocols; do not ask students to represent their culture; use authentic sources. |
| Political or contested topics | Speeches may address racism, gender, religion or politics. | Set norms for respectful disagreement; distinguish argument from personal attack. |
| Humour | Jokes can target individuals or groups. | Teach the difference between inclusive humour and punching down; intervene when needed. |
| Recording | Students may be filmed or recorded. | Obtain consent; explain storage and deletion; allow opting out. |
Differentiation
| Need | Support | Extension |
|---|---|---|
| Confidence | Pair speaking, short turns, scripted opening. | Lead a group discussion or chair a segment. |
| Reading and writing | Sentence frames, keyword cards, oral planning. | Write a longer speech or a counterargument. |
| EAL/D | Pre-teach vocabulary; allow first-language planning; model pronunciation without erasing accent. | Compare rhetorical strategies across languages. |
| Neurodiversity | Clear steps, predictable routines, visual timers, quiet rehearsal space. | Offer a choice of format and extended thinking time. |
| Gifted students | Compress the basics; focus on nuance and audience adaptation. | Ask for an independent speech, a rebuttal or a research question. |
| Vision impairment | Large-print scripts, audio cues, described visual aids. | Ask students to analyse vocal delivery without visual cues. |
| Hearing impairment | Transcripts, captions, clear sight lines, microphone. | Ask students to analyse a captioned performance. |
| Physical access | Step-free space, seated speaking option, flexible microphone use. | Ask students to design an accessible speaking space. |
| Anxiety or selective mutism | Non-verbal roles, written speeches, recorded audio, small audience. | Ask students to design and lead a low-stakes speaking activity. |
Participation without performance
Students can develop speaking skills without delivering to the whole class. Offer:
- pair or small-group speaking;
- recorded audio with no audience;
- a written speech read by someone else with permission;
- a support role such as timing, feedback, sound or cue cards;
- a sign-language or captioning role;
- a design or research role for a group presentation.
Formative feedback
- Focus on one or two choices per task.
- Use the “I noticed ... and it made me ...” sentence.
- Ask the student what they intended before offering a correction.
- Model the next step rather than rewriting the speech.
- Give time to try the change immediately.
- Record progress through a short reflection, not a score.
Classroom protocols
- Preview any audio or video before showing it.
- Keep volume levels safe.
- Do not require students to sing, act, disclose or perform personal material.
- Use a calm, predictable routine for speaking tasks.
- Offer a quiet space or an alternative task if a student is distressed.
- Model respectful listening and constructive feedback.
- Check consent before recording or sharing student work.
No assessment instrument. This packet contains no test papers, marking keys, scores, bands, weightings or reporting schedules. It is a teaching and formative-feedback resource. Teachers keep their own school instruments offline.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Possible response |
|---|---|
| Students refuse to speak in front of the class. | Start with pairs; offer recorded or small-group options. |
| Students rush and become unintelligible. | Use a slow-start drill and a visible timer. |
| Students read every word. | Teach keyword cue cards and chunking. |
| Students give vague feedback. | Model the feedback sentence and practise it. |
| Students laugh at mistakes. | Revisit norms; model recovery; separate practice from performance. |
| The room is too large or noisy. | Use a microphone, reduce audience size or move to a smaller space. |
| Time is short. | Prioritise voice, structure and one rehearsal cycle. |
Review checklist
- Do students speak in every lesson?
- Is feedback specific and focused on one or two choices?
- Are there low-stakes alternatives to whole-class performance?
- Do students understand the communication model and audience analysis?
- Can students structure a short speech?
- Are sensitive topics handled with care and choice?
- Is the room accessible and safe?
- Do students have a chance to reflect on one change?
This page is a teaching support document, not a formal reporting instrument. It contains no scores, bands, weightings or confidential school material.