Term
Summer 2026
Capstone
Capstone Project
Degree Name
MAT
Facilitator(s)
Jana Lo Bello Miller
Content Expert
Roxy Janke
Abstract
Public speaking is an essential academic, professional, and civic skill, yet many secondary students experience anxiety when asked to speak in front of peers and when assigned a presentation. This capstone project explored the question: How can secondary English language arts teachers develop methods to decrease anxiety around students who struggle with public speaking? The end result of this project is a Google Site resource guide that is designed for secondary English language arts teachers. The site provides background information on public speaking anxiety in the classroom, a bank of low-stakes speaking activities that can be used independently or in classroom routines, a 10-day scaffolded public speaking curriculum, and teacher resources and handouts. The project draws from research on adolescent anxiety, public speaking anxiety, teacher-student relationships, cognitive-behavioral approaches, gradual exposure, social-emotional learning, mindfulness, peer-support, and experiential learning. Together, these resources are intended to help teachers maintain meaningful expectations around public speaking in their classrooms while creating a strong and supportive pathway to reduce anxiety and build student confidence. By using a Google Site, the final project remains accessible, adaptable, and practical for teachers in a variety of secondary classroom contexts. This project finds its success in translating research into classroom-ready resources that support more intentional and equitable public speaking instruction.
Project Type
Website Creation
Keywords
Curriculum, Grades/ Student Performance, Teachers/ Teaching, Public Speaking
Recommended Citation
Johnson, Nickolas, "Finding the Confidence to Speak: Reducing Public Speaking Anxiety in Secondary English Students" (2026). School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects. 1206.
https://digitalcommons.hamline.edu/hse_cp/1206
dc_type
text
dc_publisher
DigitalCommons@Hamline
dc_format
application/pdf
dc_source
School of Education Student Capstone Projects