Lesson Objectives

By the end of this newsletter, you'll:

• Understand how embracing discomfort accelerates professional growth

• Learn to use AI prompts for public speaking preparation and confidence building

• Discover how "building in public" can transform your leadership approach

• Get actionable tools to overcome speaking anxiety (whether it's parent conferences, board meetings, or conference presentations)

Do Now

Before we get started, take a moment to think about the last time you said "yes" to something that made your stomach flip. That moment when opportunity knocked and your brain screamed "I'm not ready!" but you answered the door anyway.

What We’re Working with Today

Today we'll explore how one conference acceptance letter became the catalyst for building StageReady, an AI public speaking coach. More importantly, we'll dive into why forcing yourself into uncomfortable situations is the fastest way to level up as an educator and leader.

I Do, We Do, You Do

I Do: Here’s What I Created

This week, I got an exciting acceptance email: "Congratulations! Your session proposal has been accepted for ACSA's Women in School Leadership forum."

My session is "AI Advantage: Great Equalizer in Leveraging Tech to Overcome Gender Disparities in School Leadership.”

I talk about it in this LinkedIn post:

I’m doing it… I’m building in public. You can follow my journey @heymegan on X or on LinkedIn.

We Do: Let’s Build This Together

Follow this step-by-step guide to transform your speaking anxiety into speaking confidence:

Step 1: The Fear Audit Prompt Copy this into your favorite AI tool:

I have to give a presentation about [TOPIC] to [AUDIENCE] in [TIMEFRAME]. I'm feeling [describe your anxiety/concerns]. 

Help me:
1. Identify the root causes of my speaking anxiety
2. Create 3 specific confidence-building exercises
3. Develop a realistic preparation timeline
4. Suggest 2 backup strategies if things don't go as planned

Make your response encouraging but practical. I need honest feedback, not just cheerleading.

Step 2: The Content Structure Prompt Use this prompt to organize your thoughts:

I need to create a [LENGTH] presentation about [TOPIC] for [AUDIENCE]. My main goal is to [OBJECTIVE].

Create a presentation outline that:
- Hooks the audience in the first 30 seconds
- Includes 3 main points with smooth transitions
- Incorporates interactive elements appropriate for [AUDIENCE]
- Ends with a memorable call-to-action
- Accounts for Q&A time

For each section, provide:
- Key talking points
- Potential audience questions
- Timing recommendations
- Energy level management tips

Step 3: Practice with AI Feedback Record yourself practicing (yes, really) and use AI to analyze your content and delivery.

Step 4: Build Your Confidence Portfolio Document your speaking wins, no matter how small. That parent conference that went well? That's data. The team meeting where people actually listened? Evidence.

You Do: Your Mini Task for the Week

Now it's your turn! Choose one speaking opportunity you've been avoiding. Maybe it's volunteering to present at the next staff meeting, offering to lead a parent information session, or submitting a proposal for a conference.

Here's your challenge: Say yes to something that makes you slightly uncomfortable. Not terrifying… we're going for productive discomfort, not panic attacks.

Then use the prompts above to prepare. Document your process. Build in public (even if "public" is just your trusted colleague for now).

Think-Pair-Share

• Think of 3 speaking situations you encounter regularly in your role (staff meetings, parent conferences, student presentations, board meetings, etc.)

• Pair up with a colleague to practice using the AI prompts above. Become each other's accountability partners for embracing speaking opportunities

• Share your speaking wins (and honest struggles) with our community of educators and connect with other Edumators who are transforming their classrooms with AI and automation.

Exit Ticket

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