Otherwise known as public speaking

Our older two boys were involved in the Speech Arts Festival for the Catholic schools on the North Shore this past week. Book'em recited a poem, G-man did a reading and also a speech.

I'm so proud of them for getting up on stage in front of a bunch of strangers! I hated public speaking as a teen and I don't think we ever did a speech until grade eight.

My grade one Book'em got the jitters (I think because he was the only child from his school in that group and I couldn't go in until it was his turn because I couldn't - ahem - guarantee that his naughty little brother and very well behaved little sister would be quiet for an hour). He refused to go up on stage the first two times. Then, at the very, very end, he went up. I was so happy that he did because otherwise the next time he has to speak in front of a group he might be more nervous. A bunch of parents from other schools came up to tell him how brave he was, which was just so very kind and generous of them and meant a lot.

G-man did well in both of his categories. He read with confidence and his speech came off beautifully. Thing is, when we signed up for Speech Arts the information said he could write his own speech about any topic he wished. He immediately decided that he would write a speech about his new puppy, Albert. A few weeks later his teacher said, no, all the children have to talk about their faith. This year's theme for Catholic schools in our archdiocese is, "We are His messengers." That, we were told, was the topic.

Well, you can imagine the excitement and enthusiasm that topic inspires in an eight-year-old boy who was absolutely set on talking about his new dog. Uh, huh. I'm a former Christopher Leadership instructor (hope to instruct again some day!!), so I showed him how if we got three points for him to talk about after a snazzy opening that would get us through his topic. I'm really proud of the speech he wrote and that he used the little story about St. Therese that I told him in his final point. It was a good exercise in taking something you're not keen on, slogging through it, and ending up with something you don't mind so much in the end.

But guess what? The kids could - and did except for the children from our school - talk about whatever they wanted! We sat there stunned and amazed as child after child talked about such things as global warming, numbers, and you guessed it, a new pet cat. G-man looked back at me as if to say, "What the heck?!"

I'm really, really annoyed. I think that his teacher must have figured that they would get extra points from the judges for piety or something. But what about the enthusiasm that they'd have all had for topics they originally chose? Forcing children to talk about religion if they don't have to isn't exactly the way to give them confidence up on a stage in front of a room full of strangers. I'm mulling over what I say to her on Monday because I am going to talk with her about this. I asked her point blank last month if G-man absolutely had to do a speech on the messenger of God theme and she assured me, eyeball to eyeball, that yes, this was the case. She lied to me. The grade three teacher lied!

Hilariously, my precocious yet polite little G-man told me after school yesterday that he went right up to his teacher and told her that all the children from the other Catholic schools talked about whatever topic they wanted. He asked her why he wasn't allowed to talk about his new dog and she said, "Well didn't you get extra points for religion?" He said he told her that he didn't care about points, he really would have liked to tell people about his new dog because he's waited years for us to get another dog.

Shouldn't it be about enjoying your public speaking experience and not whether you come home with gold, silver, or bronze?