Monday, August 27, 2012
1.) Apprehension of Public Speaking?
When I was in high school, I loved giving speeches in front of the class. I felt confident in my abilities. One day, I gave a very important speech in my government class. After I delivered the speech, my teacher informed me that I had issues with keeping the audience interested in what I was saying. That meant I was putting everyone to sleep and was boring to listen to. Everyone, including my friends, began to laugh at me. Ever since that day, my anxiety increases at just hearing the word "Speech." In chapter 2, it states, "The less confidence you have in your speaking skills, the more apprehension you will feel about public speaking" (27). The teacher who criticized and humiliated me in front of my friends and classmates destroyed whatever confidence I may have had then. I finally have the courage to step up to the plate and regain that confidence I once had and prove to myself that it wasn't me being boring, but her being mean.
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Hello Kaylynn,
ReplyDeleteIt is very unfortunate that because of some insensitive and unprofessional teacher, you have had to live all these years with such a fear of public speaking. One thing to think about though, is that often times (especially in highschool) students often delight in the embarrassment of a peer, especially at the hands of a teacher. This is something that I have witnessed numerous times in the past. So it's quite possible that the students weren't actually laughing at your speaking abilities, but just being thoughtless and mean, and enjoying your uncomfortable situation. It's sad, but it happens all the time. Now that you are older and in a more mature environment, this is something that would be extremely unlikely to happen. My point in saying these things is to assure you that the original humiliation had more to do with immature students and a rude instructor, than with your actual speech giving abilities. Also, although I can totally understand your reaction to this traumatic event, if I were you I would try to turn a negative in to a positive. Use the criticism to help you alter your style of public speaking to better suit your audience. This is keeping in mind that sometimes speeches will just be boring! You can't always get around it! Especially if your speech is purely informative. One other suggestion that I would like to give you is that if you don't HAVE confidence, FAKE it. I know it sounds crazy, but a long time ago, that is a large part of what really helped me achieve more confidence and gain my audience's respect. If you portray yourself as a confident and strong speaker, that is how others will perceive you. If you get in front of the class and stare at the ground uncomfortably while mumbling out your entire speech, others will recognize your anxiety and formulate an image of what type of speaker you are based on that. So I suggest you just be whatever you WANT your audience to see, and that's what they will associate you with. Well I hope any of this will help a little bit. Good luck in our upcoming speech! Oh, and remember... no one will laugh or criticize you here! :)
Wow, I cannot believe that your teacher told you that! That would be so crushing, especially coming from a teacher, in front of everybody. A teacher is supposed to be supportive and encouraging, not mean and critical. I think that it its awesome that you are regaining your confidence, and are getting excited about public speaking. It is so interesting that just one negative comment can affect you for so long. It is hard to remember the positive comments, but the negative ones are hard to forget, and have lasting effects. That is why it is so important to be supportive, and to build each other up, especially in this class. Most of us are all nervous about public speaking; if we give each other support, we will all get through much easier and we will also gain more knowledge and confidence.
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