8 Suggestions for Graduation Remarks by Principals, with 10 book recommendations

Graduation remarks by Principals are expected, but some of the principals, heads of schools, and school superintendents might find themselves in a position of delivering multiple addresses over a very short time frame. Many might surely be delighted with these opportunities, for others, it can be a hectic and stressing situation, perhaps.

Listed below are different suggestions for school Principals that are preparing for such remarks.

• Having a way of Connecting to your audience.

This means that, you should always remember to speak to both the graduates and others.   Parents, other students  and other visitors are also there with the graduates  Of course, they are there to see you as principal speak to the graduates, and other students, although they might be  interested  in your level of wisdom or counselling mildly , but they will appreciate it , if they  hear you speaks and also talk  about them.

• Do not talk about the graduates only.

You might need to connect with your audience, but you should not only talk about the graduates’ achievement.  You are seen and known to be their educator and their source of wisdom, experienced guide, so make sure you use that wisdom for their inspiration and help them to convey a better understanding of a broader world which will soon be experiencing.

• Be moderate, you speech should not be too long, or too brief.

20 minutes speech is too long for graduation remarks by principals.   It is very difficult for distracted audience at public events like this to be attentive for that long, and not to be well-mannered entirely.  But don’t also  think  that since  20 minutes is too long, 10 minutes will  also be  too long 7-12 minute range is suitable for  speech at this type of event, although if you are facing a large audience and the event outdoors, it is better idea for you  to work  towards the 5-7 minute range of speech.

• Looking towards the future.

Yes the graduates are looking towards the future, and perhaps than at any other time of their life, and they are also doing so with both eagerness and nervousness.   Send a message to them about what the future needs from them, about their responsibility and sacrifices for achieving a better world in future, and also suggest that in order to achieve the most wonderful future opportunities available they have to be bold with a matured mindset and the right work principle.

• Draw upon the past.  

Graduations and Commencements are ritualized rightfully, so representing the continuity of such events alongside the school’s past and also symbolizing the continuous stability of our development that is being improved once again.   You can derive from the ancient wisdom writings e.g. (I favor the Greeks) in order to convey the continuity and the civilization tradition which the graduates are enhancing.

• Engage with and comment upon popular culture.

Popular culture is our society’s general language, and whether we like it or not, and with this the audience will be more attentive to your wisdom speech or counsel and perk up a bit more, if as a principal, you reference a current movie or a trending song or popular television show Some might   think that you are just making yourself cheap, and you will need to carefully do so in order to gain their attention and then to make your point. Make comment about pop culture in such a way that the graduates and audience will gain from it, but you will have to do so with a mindset.

• Also remember to talk about learning, most especially the new world and approach

of learning. Of course, you as a principal are an expert in learning, and a master teacher, and nothing else is more important to the, graduates, parents, and even grandparents  that they should keep on learning continuously . Encourage   them to keep on learning without stop, and also suggest on how they can continue to learn from our fast-changing times.  Our approach and concept of learning is developing rapidly, and new approach and resources been applied toward learning are coming rapidly, and this is an opportunity to share the wisdom about these fast coming developments.

• Referencing  current and recently published books , that speak about  our changing

times, books that talks about the world  in which our graduates are entering, and then the abilities and qualities that will help then in succeeding referencing  timeless, classic, or standard works in the field is also not bad thing to do  , but the most worrisome aspect is the when principals are making citations of books like “ In Search of Excellence, The World is Flat, Good to Great, or A Whole New Mind” to the address of  a 2011 graduation, they are suggesting to the  audience implicitly that they just do not read books often, and in cases like this , that is not that right  message that anyone wants to send.  Listed below are suggestion of some of the book current titles to help with speech ideas for graduation remarks by Principals. And here is a link to an article about some famous graduation speeches.

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