Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Week 2, Question 1
In an overall perspective, I think I do decent with public speaking. I have done it quite a few times to a vast majority of audiences. I used to work for the California Department of Corrections and while there I was the training coordinator and instructor for the 1 week Special Agent training and certification course. within that, I spoke many times, to people whom were usually much older that I, and also pretty high in rank with the department. This, at first, was quite a daunting task and responsibility, but over time it became the best part of my job and I looked forward to the responsibility and fun that came along with it. With that being said, doing this at a college level has me terrified. I think I have narrowed it down in that my biggest concern is the uncertainty about how I will be evaluated. I am a person whom has always striven for the best and I feel that, in this situation, it is completely out of my control. Compared to when I have spoken before, I was in control and the audience depended on me to pass the class and I had state guided material, these times speeches about random issues with a very structured outline needed, has my blood pressure very high. I have always just spoken on a whim and I function very well like that. I am a person who also talks A LOT and I enjoy talking. This whole timed thing will have me sweating for sure. I am sure I will be one of the people who is over the time limit every time and I am so paranoid that I won't get a good grade because if it. If we are researching topics and speaking about things we re interested in and or passionate about, how on earth are we supposed to shove that all into 2, 4, 6, or 8 minutes???
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Thanks for the comment. It should be an interesting semester for you and I. Considering we both have a great deal of experience speaking to an audience, however, neither one of us has spoken to an audience when conformed to a particular structure. I’m on the same page as you with the concern about being evaluated. In situations when people are required to give an evaluation I believe sometimes people feel the need to offer negative feedback for improvement and make something up. I hope the feedback we receive is honest and constructive. Oh well, I guess we are just going to have to wait and find out.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about the fact that when you like something or passionate about something how are you suppose to be able to talk about it in 2-6 minutes. All the information that you may get for it may require more time. What about when you cannot find enough information? Even though you are passionate there is just not enough information to make the 2-6 minute mark no matter how much research you do. I would make sure that I give the most important information, whether a lot or a little, ad spikes of jokes or innuendo that will pull the information in or out of the conversation and stick to the facts no matter what. Good Luck on your speeches.
ReplyDeleteSomething dawned on me when you mentioned cramming something that you are passionate about into a 2-6 minute speech. Maybe that is one of the takeaways from this class, as well as one of the reasons that we are using extemporaneous speech as the primary method in this class. Take it from me Madison, I have a huge problem with getting impassioned and speaking at length, or even talking over whoever I am carrying a conversation with.
ReplyDeleteIt is something that has hindered me at work somewhat and I often found that being nervous or excited, or both, was the cause. Something that interested me from our readings was the way that getting nervous or anxious is a natural human response. Which leads me to believe that conversely being passionate about the subject of our speeches and perhaps going a little long on a speech is also human nature.
I am not as confident as you are about public speaking, but I do agree completely about talking about subjects that we really enjoy. I think the time issue isn't the fact that we have to talk that long its more like we have to talk that little. If we get a chance to pick out some really interesting topics it is going to be really hard to cram all of that into a nice timed speech. I think you will do fine "college level" is nothing to be afraid of. Just imagine us as your 'captive' audience and you will do great!
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