Public Speaking Courses
The world is changing at light speed - faster than ever before in human history.
Education has not changed nearly as quickly as the world around us. Too often we teach the same way we have for thousands of years: rote memorization of facts; computational math drills; and memorized grammar and vocabulary.
Why is it our kids spend hundreds of hours learning Silent English, instead of skills that instill clarity and confidence when speaking aloud with those for whom English is their first language.
Traditional, rote education in the “hard” skills, is not enough to survive and thrive in the future.
The answer: “soft” skills
We now know that the “soft” skills of communication, leadership, critical thinking, and creativity are the skills we need most - and lack most.
Watch an online workshop taught by one of teachers Eliza Simpson!
Teachers/Coaches
Jim Fyfe
Jim Fyfe holds an M.A. in Educational Leadership from Bank Street College and a B.A. in Speech and Theater from DeSales University. In the classroom, he has taught AP US history and European history since 2003. He has coached clients from business, medicine, the arts and education for TED and Ted-x talks, including author Susan Cain, whose TED talk has drawn over 25 million views. A 20-year veteran of television, film and Broadway as a writer, performer, producer and director, Jim has also appeared frequently on television and in film, and has taught on-camera technique, acting and improvisation. He has written for Oxygen, A&E and Comedy Central networks. He was Consulting Producer on the Bravo TV series, Andy Cohen’s Then and Now, and was Segment Producer on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, producing appearances by Presidential candidates, film and pop stars, leading directors and bestselling authors.
Dr. Ken Petersen
Dr. Ken Petersen is the Technical Director for Online Learning and Assessment at American Councils for International Education, where he has overseen the development of Web-based language learning and assessment systems for over two decades. He is the principle architect of the ACLASS test development and administration system which has been used to assess language proficiency for tens of thousands of learners. He spent many years as an ESL teacher and a foreign language learner in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Turkey and Uzbekistan. He holds a Ph.D. in Applied/Computational Linguistics from Georgetown University and an M.A. from the University of Washington in Near Eastern Languages. His areas of expertise include instructional design, language testing, natural language processing, software systems architecture and multimedia.
Eliza Simpson
Eliza Simpson is a dialect coach for Hollywood film/television production and private clients, as well as a certified teacher. Eliza's recent dialect coach credits include Netflix's Tall Girl, the upcoming sequel to Fantastic Beasts, and Justin Chon's new film Blue Bayou with Alicia Vikander. She coaches performers from across the globe for film, TV, stage, voiceover, spokes-modeling, and corporate events. Her website: www.dialectsnow.com. Eliza is a proud graduate of Rutgers University and a member of the Voice and Speech Trainers Association. When she's not on set or at rehearsal, she works in conjunction with acting conservatories like HB Studios, American Academy of Dramatic Arts, NYU, and the New School to assist actors in mastering accent skills. She is also the founder and executive director of the "The Mother Line Story Project”, an arts non-profit which aims to promote the development of institutions and organizations that focus on women’s stories on a global scale. @MotherLineStory.
Hailey Fyfe
Hailey Fyfe is a teacher, director, and ex-actor based in Los Angeles. Hailey graduated with honors and a dual BA in Film and American Studies from Connecticut College where she served as the American Studies Student Board Chair as well as designing and teaching a freshman seminar, “Hollywood’s History,” alongside the department head. After college, Hailey received training in improvisation comedy and performed on improv teams for the iO theater and the Playground Theater in Chicago. Currently, Hailey utilizes her background in improv and extemporaneous speaking as a Performing Arts teacher and musical director at a private school in California. In April, Hailey will be back at school, this time as a student, as she begins the long road towards her MA in Education from Antioch University.
Ryan Ward
Ryan Ward is a New York City based educator and actor. His teaching background centers on public speaking and the performing arts. Ryan earned his BFA in Acting at Rutgers University, receiving his degree alongside friend and fellow JaTek instructor Eliza Simpson. After rigorous classical training at the world-renowned Shakespeare’s Globe in London, Ryan shared his love and knowledge of the classics as a Voice Instructor at the American Shakespeare Center Theatre Camp. Additionally, he works as a coach in his home recording studio, where he instructs and assists actors for on-camera auditions. His professional acting credits include a principal role in the Oscar-nominated Far From Heaven. More recently, he can be seen playing opposite Victoria Justice in the motion picture Naomi & Ely’s No Kiss List. Thanks to his work as an actor and instructor, Ryan has enjoyed over two decades of sharing his love of the performing arts with people of all ages and backgrounds.
Lauren Guglielmello
Lauren Guglielmello is a teaching artist, actor, and screenwriter based out of New York City and Boston. She earned a BFA in Acting from Depaul University’s Theatre School in Chicago where she was trained in classical and contemporary stage performance as well as speech and movement technique. Lauren attended renowned Roy Hart International Arts Center’s voice program in France and has continued her acting training under the Meisner Method. Currently, Lauren teaches drama and devising theatre at a private academy in Massachusetts and is a virtual audition coach for actors. She is an artistic associate of the Brooklyn-UK theatre company Invulnerable Nothings and toured internationally with the company, performing in Edinburgh, Scotland, Avignon, France, and Bristol, UK. Lauren recently garnered official selections and awards in the 2020 film festival circuit with a short film she wrote and produced. In her teaching, Lauren draws from her own experience and training as a performer to inspire authentic self expression, instinctive response, and skillful approach.