Tell a story. People love hearing stories and telling the story of a child who is guided through a standardized examination to do his or her best can be uplifting.
Have a message. Sure, you are presenting your side, but you can also use the speech to make a strong message about how we should value certain things or people.
Write it out. Then go back through it and read it aloud. Every time you come to a part that is difficult to say aloud, you know that it needs to be revised to make it more speaker friendly. We tend to write formally, but for speeches, we should try for less formal speech, something more natural. Sometimes putting the writing aside and speaking from the heart can be helpful.
Tell people what you are going to tell them, tell them, then remind them of what it is that you told them. Repetition is at the soul of learning and speeches often use repetition to ensure that the message is heard.
Consider using a metaphor. One might be in building a house. Teachers lay the foundation for a student’s learning and can build something that is worth far more than the basic materials used in creating it.
