Lyra
03-12-2016, 05:44 PM
Hello everyone,
I wanted to share a personal experience I had with my public speaking class. I'm mostly a quiet type who doesn't speak unless I feel the urge to. I took a public speaking class one time and I think it did more harm than good. First, I was worried about my grade due to the fact that my teacher had very strict rules about how the presentations were going to be graded. During the presentations, no one was allowed to use flashcards. We couldn't stand behind a desk, podium, or a computer. Our visual slides were displayed on an overhead projector, and we could only change slides with a remote control while standing in front of the podium with the audience directly in front. It took me a great deal of practice to remember what to say, since flashcards weren't allowed. The presentations were also timed. My teacher didn't like them to be under the limit and we couldn't go overtime by too much. On top of that, we can to keep some other public speaking rules in mind: don't leave your hands motionless, make the right amount of eye contact with the audience, speak loud enough for people in the back to hear you, move around and don't stay rooted to the floor, don't use filler words, keep the audience engaged, don't look stiff, etc.
I made it through the class and got a good grade, but the whole experience was dreadful. They say practice makes perfect, and although I had multiple opportunities to practice my public speaking skills, my nerves couldn't be calmed. If my grade wasn't on the line and I wasn't forced to do it, I think public speaking wouldn't be a hurdle for me.
I wanted to share a personal experience I had with my public speaking class. I'm mostly a quiet type who doesn't speak unless I feel the urge to. I took a public speaking class one time and I think it did more harm than good. First, I was worried about my grade due to the fact that my teacher had very strict rules about how the presentations were going to be graded. During the presentations, no one was allowed to use flashcards. We couldn't stand behind a desk, podium, or a computer. Our visual slides were displayed on an overhead projector, and we could only change slides with a remote control while standing in front of the podium with the audience directly in front. It took me a great deal of practice to remember what to say, since flashcards weren't allowed. The presentations were also timed. My teacher didn't like them to be under the limit and we couldn't go overtime by too much. On top of that, we can to keep some other public speaking rules in mind: don't leave your hands motionless, make the right amount of eye contact with the audience, speak loud enough for people in the back to hear you, move around and don't stay rooted to the floor, don't use filler words, keep the audience engaged, don't look stiff, etc.
I made it through the class and got a good grade, but the whole experience was dreadful. They say practice makes perfect, and although I had multiple opportunities to practice my public speaking skills, my nerves couldn't be calmed. If my grade wasn't on the line and I wasn't forced to do it, I think public speaking wouldn't be a hurdle for me.