今天的分享的内容，是一个美国演讲培训课的老师对Zoe参加培训课表现的评价。顺便以小见大地聊一下美国教育关注培养学生哪些方面的素质和能力。

今年秋天，Zoe就要作为初中生升入六年级了。作为家长，我比较关注孩子在口头表达方面能力的提高。因为估计升入初中后，课堂上以及课后作业的完成会有更多小组讨论和口头展示的机会。

从三年级开始，我们就一直给Zoe请了写作私教老师，每周进行写作练习。在Zoe开始上五年级的时候，也给她报名参加了适合美国初中水平的英文写作大课。所以个人感觉笔头表达方面，Zoe已经做了一定的积累。

但是从笔头到口头宣讲，展示甚至辩论方面，Zoe还需要通过一定系统的练习来培养合适的方法，提高自信。

所以我这个暑假给Zoe报了两个young speaker（低年龄演讲者）的口头表达培训班。每次培训之间间隔了差不多一个多月的时间。

我感觉美国这边把young speaker（低年龄演讲者）的年龄划分在三年级到五，六年级这个范围。

每期培训班设置为期一周五天的课程，从早上9点上到下午4点左右。在每期结束的时候，每个孩子根据自己的选题，要进行一个半脱稿的选题演讲。

培训课结束后，老师发来对孩子综合表现的评论。都下来后，感觉这个评价实际上也体现了美国教育的一些基本理念。

我把英文原始内容和大致翻译分享一下。

评价的第一部分：

Dear Zeng Family,

Hi, I hope this email finds you well! This is Caera, one of Zoe's instructors this week in our Young Speaker's program along with Kate and Suning. Zoe has been a positive and welcoming force for this group of students. I remember that we had a student who was struggling with feeling very left out, and we were all worried. The next day, without knowing any of this, Zoe came up with a game of chase that had the student at the center of the group! By the end of the day, the student was much happier and even expressed that Zoe's game made him feel much more included. Zoe's creativity and thoughtfulness went a long way in helping everyone feel like part of a community.

上面是培训老师发来评论的第一段。一般来说最重要的评论，都会在开篇的时候体现出来。让我特别关注到的是，在这重要的第一段，老师并没有提到任何孩子本身接受培训取得的个人成绩。她第一点提到的是Zoe给整个班级带入了一种正向而温暖的力量。

培训老师在这一段的最后一个词，community，其实也表明了在教育，生活，工作中，美国人很看重的一个点：就是不管你个人能力有多卓越，他们更加看重的是当你加入一个集体后，能给这个集体（社区）带来什么样的影响。

这个部分老师对Zoe的表现用了两个词来评价，creativity（创造力）和thoughtfulness（体贴/亲切）。而老师认为Zoe做到这两点对整个团队的向心力的形成是有益的。

评价的第二部分：

I was most impressed by Zoe's passion for her Ted Talk subject. She chose to do her's on gun control, and from the beginning she expressed to me that this was something she really cared about. Zoe went above and beyond, researching statistics on gun deaths in the United States and then comparing that with gun ownership. Her commitment to a topic that she clearly cared about and believed was important made her final Ted Talk incredibly persuasive. I really believed that Zoe meant every word she was saying.

At times, I noticed that Zoe would get very shy and nervous about presenting her speech during practice, which was a contrast because she was very outgoing during games. After talking to Zoe more I explained that she didn’t need to be nervous, and that the more she practiced her speech the more comfortable she would be with it. Zoe really took my words to heart, and on the fourth day and volunteered to go outside and practice her speech with me! I was very proud of how hard she was trying, and that definitely was shown in her final Ted Talk.

其实我了解Zoe的性格是有点争强好胜的。第一期培训结束后，我收到的评价里老师专门提到，当别的孩子最后演讲的选题是关于体育，宠物等等小题材的时候，Zoe是唯一选择死刑是否应该被废除这样的大题材的

就我个人而言，有的时候特别希望Zoe能小见大，四两拨千斤地去从身边事聊起。但是我觉得每个孩子都有自己的个性；而对语言的把握，对世界的理解，价值体系的建立等等也是可能要在做足加法后才能慢慢用减法去沉淀。所以我一般都在修炼自己，让自己尽量闭嘴。而这次演讲课培训，Zoe的选题是是否应该禁枪。

说实话，作为家长我并没有对一个10岁的孩子能对这样的选题做出不错的演讲有所期待。但是我也忍住了没有给她任何选题上的建议。

回到上面两段老师的评论，看了一圈依然没有特别明显的针对Zoe学到的任何演讲或者辩论技巧的评价。

第一段老师的关键评价词是passion（激情）。老师关注到Zoe的确对这个话题真心关注的，所以她有commitment，真的投入。老师对于孩子最后做的演讲的评论非常口语化，就是她感觉Zoe的宣讲能够说服他人，而且每个字都是从心而发（潜台词就是不是什么照本宣科地唱高调）。

这里我得说一下，到目前为止我没有限制过孩子用IPAD搜索信息。不过我有的时候会查看她都看了些什么内容。感觉她有的时候的确会去搜索一些大是大非的讨论视频什么的。

老师第二段的评论提到了Zoe是比较爱紧张的。通过老师的观察，在日常与他人相处过程中，Zoe都是非常外向的。但是正式演讲她会紧张。这段中的关键词是try。面对你并不熟悉，有畏惧，有抗拒的事情，你能否尝试采用有效的建议？做适应性的改变？其实我感觉这里老师以比较间接的方式向我传递一个讯息。就是Zoe还是在众人面前发表言论时会有紧张感，但是她能听进建议，明白台上的侃侃而谈是台下不断练习才能得到的结果。

Zoe was also in a group with some of her close friends, and as a result she tended to only want to be partnered or play with them for activities. I was concerned, because it meant some of the other students felt left out. However, the more Zoe spent time with this group of students the more comfortable she became, and I noticed her branching out and talking to other students, and even inviting them to come and talk with her and her friends!

上面的评价我看着并不陌生。我感觉培训老师在认真观察孩子。其实Zoe在刚融入一个集体的时候，虽然大面上她会照顾多方的感受，但更深层次的交往的话她会比较倾向于熟人社交。就是和相熟的朋友玩的会多一些，也会形成小圈子。我观察到这点是因为从三年级开始，每次开学Zoe都会说她更喜欢上一学年的班级（美国这边都是打乱的，不是同一个班整个往上升）。而到了每学年的结束，她都抹着眼泪儿和老师同学们依依不舍。所以我看到培训老师提到这一点，不算惊讶。主要是这次培训班上有Zoe一个闺蜜。但是老师也提到，随着课程的继续，Zoe慢慢扩大了她的社交圈，和更多的同学产生了互动。

评价的最后部分：

I am very proud of how hard Zoe worked this week. On her first day here, she advocated that she wanted her friend to be her in group, and was so persuasive that we made it happen! She explained that her friend would do better in our group and that she would work better with her there. When she is passionate about a subject and believes in what she is saying, there is no stopping Zoe!

最后老师也说了Zoe的闺蜜先开始并没有和她分到一班，但是Zoe从上课效果的角度出发，说服了老师重新调配了班级。老师的评语是，Zoe对自己认定的事情充满热情，并会在正确的时候坚持为了达成目标而努力。