How many of you, on any given Monday morning, would rather go to the dentist than prepare and deliver a speech?  I daresay it’s a high percentage.  And why is that?  It’s because most of us find public speaking difficult – anxiety-producing, stressful, and high-risk.  Yet every now and then a 5th grader comes along and makes it look easy.  Dalton Sherman is worth watching, because he’s amazingly good, especially for a 5th grader, and because his verbal and non-verbal skills put many grownups to shame. 

Watch Dalton give the keynote to the Dallas Independent School Districts 2008 Back to School pep rally — in front of 20000 teachers.  He’ll teach you a thing or two about public speaking.  Specifically notice how well he pauses, waiting for the audience.  Notice how he moves on a thought, toward the audience.  And notice how he works the entire audience, from one side of the stage to the other – even though it’s ‘in the round’.  Most grown-up public speakers don’t do as well in any of those areas. 

Here’s Dalton strutting his stuff:  http://tinyurl.com/lbfvzf

Of course Dalton lacks some subtleties and nuances that an older person might get out of the material.  But for 10 years old, he’s a phenomenon.  And he doesn't use a single Power Point slide.