How do you introduce a speaker at a school assembly?
Keep it under a minute. Give the room two or three facts that show why this person is worth listening to, skip the full bio, and say the speaker’s name last, as the cue to clap. Ask the speaker for an intro ahead of time and read it as written.
Who should read it?
A student leader, the principal, or whoever runs your assemblies. A student leader is a strong choice for a high school crowd. Research on teenagers finds that messages carried partly by respected peers land better than messages that come only from adults (Yeager, Dahl and Dweck, 2018). More on that in Do School Assemblies Work?
What goes in
- Two or three facts that earn attention. Something they did, something they lived through, why it matters to a fifteen-year-old.
- One line on why they’re here. What the talk is about, in plain words.
- The name, last. Ending on the name tells the room when to clap.
What to leave out
- The full bio. Students tune out a list of degrees and awards. Pick the two that matter.
- The punch line. If the speaker’s story has a turn, don’t give it away in the intro.
- A behavior speech. Settle the room before the intro, not inside it.
How long should it be?
Thirty to sixty seconds. Read out loud, that’s about 80 to 150 words.
A fill-in script for any speaker
Good morning. Our speaker today [the one thing they did that students won’t believe]. [A second fact: what they lived through, or what they know]. [One line on what they’re here to talk about]. Please welcome [full name].
The intro I send schools
This is the 45-second intro for my high school assemblies. It’s in the press kit, ready to read as written:
Our speaker today holds four Guinness World Records titles, and he set every one of them pushing his kids in a stroller. The first time he tried the marathon, he missed by 46 minutes. The second time, by four. A week later, he set the record.
He’s the father of seven, including quintuplets born at 27 weeks who were given little chance of survival. He has a master’s degree in experimental psychology and taught at San Jose State University for five years.
He’ll tell you the records were never the point. Please welcome Chad Kempel.
Tips for the person reading it
- Practice the name out loud once.
- Wait for quiet before you start. The first sentence is the one they hear.
- Start the applause yourself on the name, then step aside.
- At the end, you or a student leader thanks the speaker and opens the Q&A, if there is one.
Quick answers
Who should introduce a speaker at a school assembly?
A student leader, the principal or whoever runs your assemblies. In a high school, a student leader is a strong choice.
How long should a speaker introduction be?
Thirty to sixty seconds, about 80 to 150 words read out loud.
Should the introduction include the speaker’s whole bio?
No. Pick the two or three facts that matter to students and end on the speaker’s name.
I’m a speaker, so I have a stake in this. Every rule here links to its source, so you can check it yourself. School and district policies vary, so check yours.