Sept 19, 1997
IESA Keynote The Magic Within You Radisson, Bloomington
Steve… just a few lines of your Jr High speech? The Magic Within You… It is… the magic to take a young life and change it forever, … to open up possibilities it never knew existed, and find the wealth of the world inside one’s own self? If you feel like saying, “Get real!” then I’d simply say to you… “I am. What’s wrong with you?”
It is..the magic of Roy Flucky. Roy had physical and mental hadicaps. Everything came slow for him. Walked funny. Passed few classes. (before the grade requirement) Roy somehow memorized his speech. “Andy Griffeth and the Football Game.” Went to contest. Went 100 mph. Got a third. The happiest moment of Roy’s life to date. He will still tell you that. Performed around school. Kids loved it. He became somebody. Now.. manager of a Wallmart Automotive store in Jacksonville.
It is the magic of Matt Brogdon who also got a third in contest in his seventh-grade year… who had to drop out of school later because he couldn’t cut it. Who joined the army and went to Viet Nam. Who saw an announcement advertising saying that interviews would be held for squad captain. All that was required was giving a speech in front of his squad. He knew that speaking was the one thing he could do. Matt lead his company into battle in Viet Nam and came home a decorated veteran. I have his son in 7th-grade now and he’s just signed up for his first speech contest because, “Dad says it was important.”
It is that magic….. A magic which you could tell yourself of your own stories….
Let me begin with a magic trick. This may very well be the most amazing bit of slight of hand you have ever seen. Pretend with me.. go on a journey… feet comfortable, hands relaxed… eyes closed.. imagine your most favorite spot in the world, a specific spot.. a room a chair, maybe a cruise, maybe your grandmother’s house, maybe around the Christmas tree with your family.. imagine the actual colors.. the sounds.. the smells.. breathe deep and imagine the smells… When I say poof, press toes against floor gently and gently squeeze your hands…and smell the aromas, see the sights, hear the sounds. Poof! Try to again.. see it, smell it, feel it.. Squeeze… Poof!
Now .. you are in your classroom.. Next Monday morning…Your sub didn’t do a thing you left for them to do.… kids are hyper.. all summer with no parental guidance.. high on constant diet of caffeine … their bladders have shrunk to the size of acorns…. the very first day back and you’re in danger of losing control… One, two three.. Poof! You poofed ‘em!
Your administrator comes up and says that because of the current financial squeeze, you’ll have to get by with last year’s speech materials. There just isn’t enough money to buy basketballs AND scripts. Quick.. poof him. One two three Poof!
One week before contest… three duets are now dead in the water because of ineligibility … the cheerleading sponsor has announced that all your girls must practice after school tonight and your chorale group must go home… the janitor is vacuuming the rug in the hallway while your shyest little boy, Jason, is rehearsing Auntie Takes Jr to the Picture Show. One two three.. Poof ‘em!
…contest day… You’ve worked your tail off with this team. You’ve put up with administrators who can’t understand how a non-athletic event could possibly be of any benefit, you’ve handled mothers who think that if you schedule rehearsals after school you should have to take the kids home…. You somehow managed to get Auntie and the Picture show to contest, the boy is scared to death but you’re so proud of him you could cry… and the judge.. the wife of the principal who’s running the contest who was hired last night because he found he was one judge short, who hasn’t read the rules and thought it was silly to come to the judges’ meeting.. is sitting there watching little Jason perform. The principal’s wife is doing her nails while Jason speaks. She gives little Jason a third because she thinks he missed a line somewhere. You pull out your 44 revolver and… No!.. wait! One two three Poof!
Open your eyes.. What a trip! What a weapon! Let us resolve today… let’s give ourselves each a gift.. today at the conference and when we return to school Monday morning… let us avoid complaining whenever possible. Poof it.
Richard Carlson’s new book.. DON’T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF AND IT’S ALL SMALL STUFF. My favorite chapter, When you die, your In box won’t be empty. You will NEVER get it all done.
Please.. make this resolve. .not to save my ears today… not even for yourself.. but for the sake of your students….stay positive all day long and see what happens to you. Your attitude is directly reflected in your students.
In order to release the magic inside your students and your speech team, you must let go of the frustration in yourself. My Uncle Pete.. hay horse... didn’t see bales coming. When we uncovered him, he was laughing. “Why?” “Because boys, if I thought about how damn bad my leg hurts right now, I’d cry. Just thought I’d laugh instead.” Laugh your frustration away.
Sometimes the magic will take you by Surprise… Roger Ebert
One lady in our district.. every contest, the same story. “My kids aren’t ready. I can’t believe all the interruptions this year. I just haven’t had time with the kids. Just getting here was an accomplishment.” Would you like this as the leader of your child?
Start with this bottom line: Every student of yours will be better off because they’ve met you. You are concerned or you wouldn’t be here. You are going to introduce them to the world of speaking… the single most valuable skill they can learn in public school… Even if they don’t make it to contest, even if they make it to contest and are awful. .. all are better by having known you and worked with you. Start there.
My speech coach retired last year.. Age 77 .. still teaching a full load.. still speech coach in a high school of 47 students.. still directing plays…
The Magic to Change Children forever is Within You. Jeff Westerfield.. Knew how to enjoy life. One of the few free spirits I’ve ever taught. Family: no money… senior pix, senior announcements. Bakery robbery…..full ride at Knox on an acting scholarship. Went to work for UPS. Quit after fifteen years. He said he’d made enough money. Now director of Drama at his church. He sent me an E-mail. “Dear Ken. I was always afraid that I wasn’t as smart as everyone else. It’s taken me 30 years to realize that the simple ability to communicate is the most powerful tool in the world.”
Bob Slavens … you may have heard me tell this.
Ralph Waldo Emerson Speech is power: speech is to persuade, to convert, to compel. It is to bring another out of his bad sense into your good sense.
These are not the stories of Ken Bradbury alone. These stories belong to you…they belong to all of us. ______ kids participate in IESA speech contests.
IBM study… Fortune 500… 5,000 top executives… Traits in common: Economic background? Education? (few valedictorians) One thing in common: Extremely active in extra-curricular activities.
But to make the Magic, be warned For the good of your students, you must take care of yourself…. maintain your own energy level. Must keep it fun. .. for you and the students… If you’re worn out, you can’t do that.
Get some help… Older students.. parents.. You are the best-trained. Any minute you spend listening to a student for memory, you are wasting your time. My nurse takes my blood pressure and writes down my symptoms. The Dr. sometimes checks them himself. As a patient, that’s what I want. I don’t want to sit in the waiting room while the Dr. does something which an assistant could be doing.
So How you know if you’re a great speech coach?: Do you tears come to you eyes when your students succeed? They should. Today I wish upon you the magic ability to cry more. Do you end up loosing money by coaching speech because of the hours you spend and perhaps even the dollars out of your own pocket? Great! Today I wish upon you the magic of giving even more of yourself. May you end the speech season even broker. Dr. Albert Swietzer: “The Only ones among you who will be truly happy are those who have sought, and found out, how to serve others.” Tired? Give more! Do you suffer through each child’s struggle to overcome their own fears in performing? Good for you! I wish upon you the magic of suffering more. Do you find yourself daydreaming while listening to a child rehearse her speech, thinking instead of her future. Fearing for his chances in the world. A mother and dad whom you’ll never see at a conference.. shuttled back and forth from one to the other, no one to even wake her to send her to school in the morning, no one to hug her and tell her I Love You as she leaves. If you are afraid for this little girl or boy, then you are a great speech coach.
Please note that I didn’t mention academic qualifications once. Me: IC, pray, teach speech, direct plays? Sure! I was afraid… I thought that academic training was necessary. Took me years to find out that it was the love for children which God put inside me that would make me a good speech coach.
Today… Workshop for new teachers.. Listen to Kathy Litherland… she is great… one of the best Jr High speech programs in the state. Two new-comers to our conference.. Phil Funkenbusch and Gary Motta. Two men who’ve been asked to come for three reasons: They know speech and theatre They love kids They are absolutely sold on the life-changing possibilities of teaching a child how to present himself before an audience. Purposely went outside the IESA ranks for a fresh, new look at our opportunity. This afternoon, the specifics of the various categories. Listen.. ask questions.. share your joys.
My time is up Let’s make today real magic. Let’s share our successes! Let’s brag until everyone’s tired of hearing us. When we hear someone sharing a success, let us rejoice with them.
Let us discover the magic that was always there but which we have allowed to be covered by the cobwebs of despair, of frustration, of weariness… You are the magic in your children’s lives.. and if anything gets in your way????…. One, two, three, Poof!