1.

Score-Keeper arrives early to begin marking scores for attire and promptness
2. Opening Activity (TL keeping score)
3. Activity debrief
4. Explain Skill of the day
5. 90-second Nugget about skill of the day
6. Discussion- when is this skill important in school, in career, in life?
7. How to do the skill effectively
8. Activity practicing skill
9. “Shout Outs” for skill
10. Team challenge, due next class

Session #2: “Filler Words: The Bad Impromptu”

Present Previous Assignment (7-10 minutes)

Each Team Lead will present the results of their team’s impromptu. They will announce how
many of their group members completed the assignment on time, and how they did during the
speech. Each scholar will give their report in 2-3 minutes each.

Opening Activity: “Say What?” (7-10 minutes)

For the next activity, scholars need to get into partnerships (and one group of 3 if needed). In
these partnerships, one person will have a piece of paper with both scholars’ names on it. The
first speaker will then tell a story (the topic can be given to them by their peer), but in telling
the story, they need to use as many filler words as possible (the LC may need to briefly explain
what filler words are—um’s, uh’s).

The listener of the story will tally up how many filler words their partner uses while telling their
story. After 2 minutes, their partner will go.

Note: The story must be coherent and make sense, but it will be laced with um’s and uh’s
throughout.

After the first 4 minutes, ask scholars to find a new partner and conduct the same activity.

Note: YLeaders can keep their own time, or LC should keep time for the whole class.

Sharing/Shout Outs (3-5 minutes)

Allow scholars to share one another’s stories. If they decide to share someone else’s story, they
will stand and tell the group what their partner’s story was about as best as they can.

Debrief: Share stories and Difficulties/Challenges (3-5 minutes)

Discuss with scholars what was difficult about this activity, both as the storyteller and the
listener. Answers should be surrounding how it was difficult to listen to a story that was so
broken up with filler words, how they were paying more attention to the filler words than the
story itself, and as a storyteller, it may have been difficult to keep their own story straight when
using so many filler words.

Explain Skill of the Day: Minimizing Filler Words (3-5 minutes)

Explain to scholars the skill of the day: filler words. Explain that filler words are words used
when the speaker is thinking or unsure of what they are saying, but can detract from what they
are trying to say.

The LC should then give tips about how to minimize filler words when speaking:
• Slow down—try not to talk faster than you’re thinking,
• Breathe—the audience will wait for you; if you’re unsure, take a breath and wait for the
thought to come,
• Think—think before speaking. Even if it is an impromptu speech, take a few seconds to
think before speaking at all to gather thoughts.

90-Second Nugget- Filler Words (1.5 minutes)

Scholars will watch the 90-second Nugget by Ambassadors explaining filler words.

Nugget Debrief: When Might You Need It? (7-10 minutes)

Allow flexibility for conversation. Scholars will talk about how and when they could or might
need to be conscious of their filler words when speaking in SCHOOL, CAREER, or LIFE. Each
comment must be geared towards one of those categories and students must specify which
they are referring to before or while they share. Facilitator should ask prompting questions to
assist in lulls in conversation.

Discussion minimum is 7 minutes, maximum is 10 minutes.

Activity to Practice: Ding It!(18-20 minutes)

Scholars will gather together with their squads. One at a time, the squads will come to the front
of the room. They will take turns adding one sentence to form a story for 3 minutes, but each
filler word they use will result in a “ding” from the bell, and will lose 1 point each. The team with
the most points at the end of the activity will earn what they have remaining.

Announcements/Leadership Lesson: Accountability (10-12 minutes)

Accountability

“The fact or condition of being accountable. The obligation of an individual to account for it’s
activities, accept responsibility for them, and disclose the result in a transparent manner. The
difference between responsibility and accountability is that responsibility can be shared
accountability can not.”

• Set clear expectations, roles, and responsibilities

• Have a sense of ownership
• Prioritize Task
 • Consider Greater Consequences
• 4 Steps of Accountability
1. Be a person your team can count on
2. Align with the purpose
3. Create the culture you want
4. Build the right team

Squad Activity Explanation: Principal Pitch (Rest of Session)

For the team activity, scholars will work together to develop something that they would want
their principal to do for their school. It should be something appropriate that none of the
teammates’ schools already do that they believe would improve student morale or make the
overall school better.

Once they come up with what the idea is, they will as a team prepare a 2-3-minute pitch that
they would give to their principal asking for this item/event. They will develop the speech as a
team, but only the Team Lead will present it at the next session.