One of the PIE (Partners In Education) goals is to bring local businesses and professional s together with classrooms so that they may share their experiences with students. You can read more about the committee in Sara’s article published in April:

http://www.lodinews.com/news/article_4d8f5a17-2261-5490-91f2-cbf21d58a21b.html

Personally, I have been working on lining up local professionals to guest speak. Today, I had the opportunity to bring Brad Goehring into the Lodi High School Speech and Debate class. After contacting him through a facebook message, he was more than willing to offer any advice he could to the class.

Having been a candidate for Congress, Mr. Goehring was able to discuss the ultimate debate experience. He participated in five congressional debates during his campaign. In addition, he offered advice on effectively speaking to individuals with a goal in mind. The students listened intently as he spoke about 15-minute Washington, DC meetings.

Here are suggestions that we can all put to use:

-Know your content and make sure you are completely accurate when you speak. The more prepared you are, the better you’ll be.

-Know your audience and dress appropriately. You want your audience to be able to identify with you. It’s okay to dress down if you are having a meeting in the middle of the field with farmers, but you certainly wouldn’t do that if you were meeting with bankers.

-Tailor your message and make it meaningful to your audience. Find a common thread to weave through your message so that they can identify with you.

-Keep it timely. Many business meetings are limited to 15 minutes. You need to be efficient and speak only the most important points. Do not stray off topic.

-There are always people watching, especially in politics. Be cautious of your actions at all times.

-Find a speaker than engages you and discern why you like listening to this person. Integrate those qualities into your speaking.

-Again, and most importantly, be prepared!

Learning Link, Lodi High and PIE would like to thank Mr. Goehring for taking time to serve the community!

If you are a business owner or professional who is willing to partner with us, PIE is for you too! Email cyndic@lodinews.com and let’s discuss how you can get involved.