A teacher at St. Louise School in Bellevue is trying to lessen the fear her students have speaking in public with a technique called “Me Bag Speeches.”

Students in Paula Patterson’s sixth grade language arts program are asked to cover a grocery-sized paper bag with pictures and objects that assist the audience with an up-close and personal look at each individual student.

The assignment requires fill up the bags with likes, dislikes, dreams, wishes, travels, special abilities, goals and family through photos. Students are even given the opportunity to put something inside the bag that they may wish to highlight during their speech.

The advantage for the speaker is that the audience focuses on the “me bag” rather than looking at the speaker, thus making giving the speech less intimidating to deliver.

Other subtle lessons are incorporated into the “me bags” as well. To emphasize the concept of “commitment,” each student must select a date to deliver their speech and stick to it. Also, advantages of going first are suggested: completing the speech and being able to relax, and also receiving a little slack in the grading since it can be tough to go first.

Students also learn about the flow and organizational components of a speech, having to decide what picture to use as their introduction and what subsequently follows. The conclusion is something special in or on the “me bag.” One child loved Alpacas, and inside her bag was a stuffed Alpaca made from real fur.