My earliest recollection of being kicked out of class for talking was in 2nd grade. I started talking from the back of the room where students with a last name that starts with W often sit. Because of my frequent disruptions, my teacher Mrs. Engels moved me to the front of the room.
Unfortunately, to me that meant new kids to talk to. Since I didn’t stop taking, a frustrated Mrs. Engels moved me to the very front of the room so I was facing the class. Mrs. Engels thought that should keep me from talking. It didn’t. It was much easier to talk to people when I was in front of the class.
Now VERY, VERY upset with my continued talking, Mrs. Engels decided to put a piece of duct tape over my mouth. Surely, that would work, wouldn’t it? Sadly, the very first thing I did with duct tape over my mouth was to say – without really moving my lips – that “I can still talk with duct tape on my mouth”. That was the wrong thing to say and I soon found myself sitting in the hall with no one to talk to or look at.
I’m not proud of this but I have many memories of being asked to leave class for my continued talking in class. Isn’t it ironic that the thing that the talking in school that kept getting me kicked out of class is now how I earn a living. Instead of getting myself kicked out of class for talking, I now get invited into schools to get thousands of students out of class to hear me keep talking in school!
My name is Byron and I Speak to Students.