The Best School Speaker In 2021

In some ways, life for a student in 2021 is more complicated than it’s ever been. Bullying on social media is rampant, with around 37% of students reporting that they’ve been bullied online.

Across the United States, inclusion and diversity have become a point of public discussion. Teens are looking for answers and guidance on how to navigate their worlds, classrooms, and relationships. Whether he’s speaking in a small classroom or a packed auditorium, JC Pohl creates a comfortable, inclusive environment that enables him to approach complex topics and provide strategies for students to work through their everyday problems.

Finding The Best Speaker For Your School

Selecting a professional speaker for a presentation at your school is not an easy task. Countless youth speakers offer seminars, workshops, and keynote speeches for school groups of all sizes and ages. Look for a speaker that can address the topics that are most relevant to your student body. When picking the best speaker for your school, it is important to prioritize experience and the ability to engage with students on their level.

What Makes A Great School Speaker?

As many people come to find out in their lives, public speaking is not everyone’s cup of tea. Some people get nervous, develop stage fright, or become stoic and unengaging. Anyone can stand on stage and read a script to get a quick point across. What separates the average presenter from a great school speaker is a natural ability to connect with others. Whether sharing personal experienced, stories, or effective multi-media presentations it is important to make your message meaningful to the audience. Having excellent qualifications and a personal story to tell doesn’t hurt, either.

School Speaker Experience

For a school speaker, experience in presenting to various audiences, from middle school to high school, is crucial in developing a level of comfort and respect of their audience. JC Pohl has made connecting with students, empowering their voices, and building school culture the pillars of TEEN TRUTH since its founding in 2006.

Every student body is different and diverse. A more experienced youth speaker understands this and knows how to adjust their speech to better impact the students they’re talking to. For example, some groups may be more receptive to humor when confronting an uncomfortable topic, while others may be offended and consider the subject matter too serious to joke about. An experienced speaker can read the room and adjust their approach accordingly.

Qualifications For Speaking To Teens

Believe it or not, not just anyone can hop on stage and be a great public speaker. The best and school speakers have solid qualifications under their belt, from bachelors’ degrees in counseling to state licenses in therapy practices. When looking for a speaker to take your school’s culture to new heights, make sure they’re qualified to talk about the topics they cover.

Don’t forget to factor in life experience, either! Anyone can talk about the theory of struggling through a dark time in life, but a theory doesn’t compare to having lived through it. Find out where they’re coming from and why they choose to speak or share their story. The motives speakers have for taking the stage can be just as crucial as any degree or qualification. Take a look at your speaker’s story. Most professional speakers have bios or an ‘About Me’ section on their website. Continue reading below to see JC Pohl’s bio or click on the following links to check out some of the other TEEN TRUTH Speakers’ Bios.

Solid Speaking Topic

No matter how charismatic, engaging, or well-informed a speaker is, their workshops will be unengaging if their topic is dull or weak. A great school speaker must address relevant and meaningful issues to their audience of students. When considering a speaker, find out their niche topic or their primary area of expertise. Make sure that this topic aligns with the message your school administration wants to deliver.

Ability To Engage With Students

As an educator, you undoubtedly know that keeping a teenager’s attention can be difficult. A crucial part of a youth speaker’s approach is to consider this and plan to keep the students engaged and following along with the message. The best school speakers are naturally engaging and comfortable in a room full of students. They make students feel more comfortable with humor or by demonstrating a very relatable personality. If a speaker doesn’t feel confident in front of an audience, a room of teenagers will be able to tell immediately.

Kids, teenagers especially, know when an adult is uncomfortable or feeling awkward. Not much else can make a student lose interest and respect in a speaker faster than if they pick up on these signs. A great speaker knows that speaking in a calm, confident, and engaging manner is the best way to keep the attention of a group of students.

JC Pohl – School Culture Expert

As the author of several books covering crucial topics relevant to students and educators, JC Pohl is a recognized expert on school culture. JC has been a keynote speaker at countless school assemblies and leadership summits. He is known for addressing difficult topics like bullying, depression, and suicide with multi-media presentations that are full of grace, compassion, and a touch of humor. His approach focuses on building an inclusive, positive school culture that can handle and overcome adversity that occurs in a teenager’s life.

School Speaking Engagements

JC Pohl has spoken at schools across the country, spreading a passionate message to more than 10 million students over his career. He engages with students in smaller groups and speaks at high school assemblies. His message highlights how to approach social-emotional pressures of being a student in modern America. JC empowers students to make positive changes for themselves and the lives of their classmates, infusing deep conversations about mental health while keeping students relaxed and comfortable.

JC’s Experience & Track Record

JC Pohl is the founder of TEEN TRUTH and RISING UP, organizations focused on empowering students to make positive changes in their lives and handle obstacles in their paths, both during their years in school and beyond.

JC Pohl has been around the world, delivering his powerful message for students, parents, and educators. Not only has he presented at a mind-boggling number of schools and campuses throughout his career, but he also has been featured on news programs and radio interviews across the country. He has been the keynote speaker for dozens of conferences for groups like CADA, TASSP, NASC, and the Texas School Safety Center.

School Speaker Topics

The topics JC covers in his speeches include a variety of issues that are affecting students of all ages today. From online bullying, to students struggling with feelings of depression and anxiety, to leadership development, JC touches on it all. His unique blend of story-telling blends of audience participation, real-world examples from his past attendees, student videos, and a deeper underlying message for students.

View the full list of school assembly topics and a quick preview of each.

Student Workshops

JC Pohl offers student-focused, workshop-style leadership summits for middle and high school students. These summits help make students aware of the issues that they and their classmates face in today’s school climate and give them specific, relatable strategies to deal with these issues.

Teacher Professional Development Programs

JC doesn’t believe that the work ends with just the students; he knows all too well that educators and school administrators can learn how to better support their school culture. He is an expert at hosting teacher professional development workshops for public schools, charter schools, and private schools teachers.

JC has created content for, consulted with, spoke to, and partnered with top brands like Warner Brothers, Disney, Lifetouch, Six Flags, Union Pacific, and he’s even worked with professional football teams like the Miami Dolphins and Baltimore Ravens! He adapts his message to each group or profession that he’s speaking for, providing an action-based message that promotes compassion, inclusion, and making a difference.

Start Building School Culture Today

The time has never been better to set up a TEEN TRUTH speaking event at your school. Student assemblies and workshops are an incredible way to build up a school’s culture for the better. A school with a strong culture is a school with strong students. Empowered students can stand up to bullying and help each other through their struggles. Contact us today to find out how JC can help boost your school’s culture!