At the moment, I'm helping several secondary school students prepare for their DNB oral exams - an exercise that is often underestimated, but incredibly rich in terms of training.
When you're 13 or 14, standing up in front of a jury and talking about a subject you've chosen, constructed, researched and illustrated... it's no mean feat. It's a real challenge. It's not just a matter of reciting what you've learned, but of embodying your message, controlling your stress, speaking with conviction, making yourself audible and visible.
Through their subject - often linked to history or art history - students must learn to :
Become actors in their own knowledge,
Structure their thoughts, speeches and slide shows,
Demonstrate creativity,
And above all... dare to assert themselves.
I can see just how emotional this moment is: a mixture of apprehension, stage fright, but also budding pride. Little by little, everyone finds their voice, their balance between the courage to show themselves and confidence in what they have to say.
My role? To be at their side to help them find their posture, their presence, their confidence. To encourage them to believe that what they say has value. And that with a little work, a lot of listening and a few breaths... you can move mountains, even at the age of 14.
@ see you soon on your way to success ;)
Anne Laure
