Baha'i Public Speaking: Teacher's Guide with Nine Workshops for Children, Youth and Adults

This practical, easy-to-use teacher’s guide contains nine hands-on workshops on Bahá’í Public Speaking. It is designed to prepare Bahá’ís of all ages with the skills and qualities needed to become more effective teachers of the Faith. Participants will learn to speak clearly and with confidence—from the kitchen table to the conference hall. Communicate effectively, whether giving a fireside, sharing a Feast report, telling stories at a Holy Day celebration, offering a prayer at a devotional gathering, teaching a children’s class, presenting materials to public officials, speaking at a large event, or talking with family members during a home visit. Using a step-by-step approach, participants will learn to stand up with courage in front of a group, speak with a strong clear voice, research the Bahá’í Writings, memorize selected passages, answer questions about the Faith, give short fireside talks, and develop their own speaking style. Complete with copy-ready student handouts, each lesson includes: * Warm-up activities * Speaking tips * Practice exercises * Homework assignment Bahá’í Public Speaking is a great resource for junior youth groups and campus clubs. Local Assemblies will also find it to be a useful tool for seeker response representatives and public information officers. Opportunities to share Bahá’í passages and speak directly about the Faith are multiplying. Be prepared!

Dr. Randie Gottlieb is the head of UnityWorks - an international diversity training firm, co-founder of the Mona Foundation supporting grassroots educational development worldwide, and adjunct professor of Multicultural Education at Heritage University on the Yakama Nation Reservation. She is the author of nine books and holds degrees in education from Cal State, Boston University and Harvard. Her work has taken her to over 30 countries, including 11 years in Puerto Rico, where she managed an international training center, and with her husband, founded a Montessori-based elementary school. A WORD FROM THE AUTHOR The Bahá'í writings encourage us to deliver speeches of high quality, to contribute to the betterment of society, and to strengthen our capacities for teaching and service. It is hoped that this guide book will serve as a useful tool. As our children and youth arise to play their part, these public speaking workshops should help to confirm their Bahá'í identity, strengthen their reliance on God, and empower them to express with increasing eloquence "high ideals and goals" so they may "cast their beams like brilliant candles on the world." ('Abdu'l-Bahá, Selections, p.136) I am profoundly grateful to my loving family without whose support this book would not have been possible.