Speech coach takes kids from terror to confidence, one talk at a time – Petaluma Argus Courier

This Petaluma instructor changes lives by teaching kids how to “speak and be heard.“
What: Cara Wasden’s next series of after-school speech-communication workshops
When: Wednesdays 3:15-5 p.m. from Sept. 11 to Nov. 13
Who: Students in grades 6 through 8 are eligible
Where: Classes take place at Wasden’s studio on Cypress Drive near Shollenberger Park
Cost: $400 for the 10-week session
Information: Go to coach-cara.com or call 707-787-7559
For many, there is nothing so frightening as the thought of speaking out loud in front of others ‒ especially when those others are complete and total strangers.
Since 2016, Cara Wasden ‒ professional public speaker and coach ‒ has been helping students and professionals, young and old, break through that fear, teaching people skills that will not only get them through a public appearance but do it skillfully and effectively ‒ and maybe even enjoy it a little.
“The hardest part, honestly, is just showing up to my class the first time,” said Wasden, who will be launching a 10-week Speak and Be Heard workshop for children in grades 6 to 8 on Wednesday afternoons beginning Sept. 11.
“I’ve had so many students, especially middle school students, who are just terrified just be in my class that first day, who would rather be anywhere other than sitting with me in a public speaking class.”
Noting that parents of such young people often try signing their kids up for theater programs, which can definitely help some kids with their stage fright, Wasden points out that while there are similarities between theater and public speaking, they are not the same.
“Standing in front of people to make a presentation and delivering a performance in a play do both happen on a stage, much of the time,” she said. “But look at the Academy Awards or the Emmys or the Tony Awards. How many times have we seen an actor whose just received an award for some amazing performance, yet they can’t seem to accept that award with any confidence, any clarity, any humor ‒ anything that is interesting ‒ because when they gave the performance they’d just won for, they were hiding behind a character, and now it’s just them. That’s different. And it’s scary.”
Theater, she adds, is great for kids whose first step toward building confidence in front of others depends on their pretending to be someone else first. But that requires its own set of skills, and it’s not for everyone.
“In my class, from day one,” she said, “they have to be themselves.”
To make her workshops as comfortable for students as possible, Wasden keeps the classes small, with no more than eight at a time. She says she also works to establish a safe and supportive environment for all the kids.
“They start out slow, sharing stories and gradually opening up, and it doesn’t take long for them to realize that they are not alone,” she said. “They learn that the struggles they have been having are the same struggles others are having, and they get to connect with those others who have been feeling the same way. It’s really a beautiful thing. Maybe not for the first couple of days, but there is a transformation that begins to happen pretty quickly.”
Wasden said that, though she does work with students of all ages, she likes to focus on middle school kids because it’s an age when the techniques and tips she teaches are often the most valuable.
“Let’s face it, middle school is one of the hardest times in our life,” she said. “If you can realize you are not all alone in your struggles, and can start to have confidence in yourself at that age, that’s going to take you so far. It can filter out into every aspect of your life, helping you move forward in a much simpler way.”
Wasden, who grew up with Tourette syndrome ‒ presenting as occasional tics and small body spasms ‒ said she struggled with self-confidence until she joined Toastmasters in 2005. The skills she gained from the talented speakers she met within the club helped her overcome a lifetime of self-doubt.
Eventually, she began to excel as a public speaker. When she was asked to coach the employees of another member, who payed her to convey what she’d learned about making successful presentations, she saw a new path ahead.
“It just grew from there,” she said, “and when I had an opportunity to start doing that kind of work with kids, I never looked back. I saw how important it was and how greatly these young people’s lives could change by learning some of the same things I’ve learned about connecting with others.”
By now, Wasden says, she has taught many dozens of kids to feel confident in front of others, and it is often a life-changing experience for them.
“By the end of my class, we have a graduation ceremony and every student makes a presentation, telling their own stories and their own journeys, in front of their families, which means a lot of them are standing up in front of strangers,” she said. “It’s pretty emotional for everyone, because 10 weeks earlier, a lot of them could never have done that. But they do, and now they know they can keep on doing it.”
For Wasden, the best part is hearing from students years down the road that what they learned during their time with her did indeed change how they feel about themselves in positive ways.
One of her students, a girl named Juliette who she taught during the pandemic, recently texted.
“She made my day,” Wasden said. “She recently started her senior year in high school, and she wrote, ‘I just watched a movie called ”Front of the Class,“ about a teacher with Tourette syndrome, and it reminded me so much of you. The teacher in it had an incredible impact on his students and it made me think of how much you helped me through middle school. I hope you know what an incredible teacher and mentor you are!’”
Wasden said it’s feedback like this ‒ especially hearing how much her students are able to accomplish after learning to be more confident speakers ‒ that keeps her going.
“When I see how much transformation is possible through simply beating your fear of speaking in public,” she said, “it just blows my mind. I’ve experienced it myself. And now I get to see lives change right in front of me. It’s the greatest thing in the world.”
What: Cara Wasden’s next series of after-school speech-communication workshops
When: Wednesdays 3:15-5 p.m. from Sept. 11 to Nov. 13
Who: Students in grades 6 through 8 are eligible
Where: Classes take place at Wasden’s studio on Cypress Drive near Shollenberger Park
Cost: $400 for the 10-week session
Information: Go to coach-cara.com or call 707-787-7559

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