Last Day with the Class of 2016: Valedictions & Videos

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Next week, my seniors take their IB Language and Literature Exams. Today and tomorrow are my last days with them.

Valedictions

To bring closure to our time together, my seniors will deliver valedictions, a formal farewell to this significant era of their lives. Similar to the President of the United States who delivers a Farewell Address to Congress at the end of his/her term, they, too, will deliver an address that reflects on their experience as a high school student and looks to the future. (Assignment adapted from ex-colleague, Esther Wu)

Their Audience

The objective of this assignment is to reflect on their educational career so far and give voice to their thoughts, revelations, dreams, hopes, and maybe even regrets for this era of their life.

As such, they may address a general audience or a specific person, and the class will stand in for their intended audience.

Some examples:

• Their family in general
• Their mother or father specifically or both parents
• A younger brother/sister (or all siblings)
• A significant other or even an ex-boyfriend or girlfriend
• A group of friends or a specific friend
• Asociación Escuelas Lincoln in general
• A specific club, athletic team, group they have been a part of (e.g. football, MUN, musical, etc.)
• An apostrophe to something absent (someone who has left AEL, someone who passed away, their childhood, etc)
• A previous home
• A language they used to speak regularly
• Audience of their choice

Ideas for Speech Structure

1. They must select their intended audience first. This will guide the tone and focus of their speech.
2. They should consider beginning their speech with a story that is seemingly mundane but takes on greater significance.
3. The best stories emerge out of simple, daily occurrences that yield extraordinary insight. For example, they could describe the flurried experience of changing costumes between numbers for In the Heights. From there, they could reflect on the chaos and color of high school.
4. They should connect their story to broader themes and how it illustrates their beliefs, reflections, and insights. (They may share more than one story or memory, but always connect it to a greater idea.)
5. They might share what they will remember from the past and why this is important.
6. They might discuss what they anticipate for the future and why this is important.
7. They should close with a profound, provoking, and/or memorable thought, thinking about how they want their audience to respond at the end.

TED’s Secret to Public Speaking, by Chris Anderson (TED Curator)

Chris Anderson, TED’s Curator, recently published this new “direct-to-camera” talk highlighting the patterns of what make great TED Talks. I also shared those secrets with my seniors.

Photostory via Animoto

Finally, to end class, we will watch this compilation of our work together over the last two years in this photostory that my colleague Yau-Jau Ku helped me create via Animoto. There may be tears.

For examples of some valedictions published with permission from my students, see the blog entry below: