Internationally Acclaimed Educator Teaches Seashore Students Never To “Sound like, um, kinda STUPID. Ya know?
LONG BRANCH, December 8 – Seashore students have improved their presentation skills threefold – significantly eliminating teen vernacular “um, kinda, ya know and like” from their vocabulary after spending the day with world renowned educator/media expert/guru Jacob Palenske. The internationally sought after lecturer who developed “You Sound, like, um, kinda STUPID, ya know?” flew in from Dallas, Texas to present his program at The Seashore School’s 410 Broadway Campus in Long Branch on Wednesday, December 7.
The fast moving, hard-hitting program, which was more like a stand up comedy show so funny students laughed for an hour straight worked. And it worked FAST. Students became painfully aware of how many times an “um, like and ya know” slipped out – caught themselves and each other midstream and stopped immediately.
In fact, if they said “um or like” during the Q & A period that followed, students flashed cards Palenske gave them with one side with a line through the word LIKE and the other stating “STOP: THINK: SPEAK. Only those who could ask a question um like free were called on.
“It was a humorous presentation about a very serious subject,” said seventh grader Makoto Brown. “After seeing it, I am very aware of how many times people say these words when speaking and it really annoys me.”
Palenske, President and CEO of NCompass Media, a Dallas-based media company, got his start by accident. The once Maverick Maniac “Fat Man Dancer,” with a Public Relations background, was called on to teach intelligent Maverick Cheer dancers to stop sounding like “dumb blondes” on interviews. Combining humor and an unorthodox approach (which included squirting them with a water pistol every time they said “um, like, kind and ya know?) his program worked so well started being called on to teach people to improve speaking abilities at scholastic journalism conventions and workshops across the nation and in Europe. He has been a featured instructor at Columbia Scholastic Press Association fall, spring and summer workshops, the Carolina Journalism Institute, the Association of Texas Photography Instructors summer workshop, the Gloria Shields All-American Publications Workshop and recently received the Southern Interscholastic Press Association’s Elizabeth B. Dickey Distinguished Service Award.
The Seashore School, which opened in 1974, is designed for families who want a smaller class size and more progressive curriculum than their town offers, at an affordable tuition. Starting with preschool and going through eighth grade, the curriculum includes advanced foreign language, computers, science and swimming lessons, along with training in dance, music, drama and art. The approach to education is so successful that students perform a grade above their peers, score in the top percentile in standardized exams, are recognized nationally for academic achievement and typically gain acceptance into the high schools of their choice. For more information, please call 732-222-6464 or visit www.seashorecampandschool.com