For this journal I was supposed to talk to two or three of my teachers and ask about their public speaking experiences. For starters, I decided to interview my Calculus teacher Professor Haag. Professor Haag seems to be very good at public speaking and always makes a boring/hard subject interesting and fun. I first asked him what the hardest part of public speaking was from his point of view. Prof. Haag responded by saying that he believes the hardest part (as a teacher) is to make sure his message gets across and try to keep the audience engaged. He then continued on by saying how sometimes it can be frustrating when a class doesn’t pay attention because he can’t get his message across. Lastly, I asked for some advice to people trying to become a better public speaker. Prof. Haag said, you have to make mistakes and be okay with that. You have to learn to grow and get better, (just like math, have to make mistakes, be willing to be vulnerable). He also said it’s important to be willing to receive feedback. I think everything Prof. Haag said was very informative and helpful. I really liked the part about being willing to make mistakes and grow from it.
The second teacher I asked these questions to was my Environmental Issues Teacher Professor Sbrogna. My class with her went late so I had to follow up with her with my questions about public speaking, so I have word for word answers. Professor Sbrogna does a great job of talking to the whole class and helping to build confidence in her students to speak up for what they believe. I asked her three questions. What is your experience with public speaking? To this she replied, “No formal training but lots of practice with acting roles, reading poetry, introducing bands at a past job, and now teaching”. Second I asked her, Is public speaking a form of anxiety for you or are you comfortable doing it? With which she replied “It has been on and off depending on the particular event”. Thirdly I asked her, What is some advice you would give to someone trying to get better at public speaking? ” To this question she gave some good advice “It’s been helpful for me to imagine as though I’m stepping into a role in which I am really good at the task at hand, whether it be introducing a band, speaking about an organization, or reading poetry. “Acting” the role helps me put some distance from the nervousness somehow. Also practice! The more I’ve done it, the easier it gets” I really like all that Prof. Sbrogna had to say, but I really liked the advice to try to imagine the role and act it.
Overall, I really enjoyed getting to know my teachers’ views on public speaking and how important it is. I really liked this exercise.
The first teacher that I interviewed was my biology teacher, professor Speer. She explained to me that the most challenging part of public speaking for her is confidence. When you speak to an audience, they expect you to be an expert on that topic, and you have embraced that and be that expert. The best advice that she gave me was to just practice. It’s ok to mess up, when you mess up look back at it and use it to improve. It’s just a little bit of embarrassment and the more you give speeches it will feel more natural. Just think of it as a loud conversation. The next teacher that I interviewed was my Calculus professor Haag. He explained to me that the most challenging part was trying to get the message across and trying to keep the audience engaged. Especially teaching math, it’s difficult to keep the audience entertained and easily explain math at the same time. The best advice that he gave was to try and be okay with making mistakes. Try to be okay with saying the wrong thing and learn from that mistake. It’s just like math, learn from the mistakes. He also said to be willing to receive both positive and negative feedback which will also help you improve.
What do you view as the most challenging part of speaking publicly?
The hardest part of public speaking is letting go of or moving past self-consciousness. Self-consciousness is a killer. It snuffs out the particulars of my personality, the good parts that help me project and communicate, and it compromises my ability to connect with the audience. So, I have to develop strategies to work through this.
What tips or advice do you have for someone trying to become a better public speaker?
Consider a radically different approach to nerves and anxiety—the kind you feel before you speak to a crowd. The nerves indicate that you care, and that connecting with the audience is important to you. Internal narratives are powerful and it’s easy to talk ourselves out of something; in this case, the possibility that our speech goes well. My biggest piece of advice, aside from practicing to the point of (some) comfort, is to visualize, ahead of time, your speech going well. Sit and picture it and allow yourself to feel what it will feel like when you’ve finished, and when your listeners are clapping as a sign of appreciation and connection. Another quick suggestion is to think about what makes conversations with your friends/loved ones engaging: humor, curiosity, mutual engagement. Use those same techniques to engage with your crowd.
Professor Erhart
-I would say the most challenging thing about speaking publicly is having the confidence to stand up in front of a group of people! As a natural introvert, this is something that definitely did not come easily to me as I felt most comfortable in smaller groups. I would not have chosen to put myself in situations where I was speaking publicly until I was basically forced to for work, but I honestly am glad that I was!
-Practice really is the best way to become better at public speaking! When I first started I felt a lot of anxiety before speaking in front of a group, and I know it did impact the quality of my delivery. But you have to be ok with that – no one starts out as an expert so don’t let perfectionism get in the way of practice. Don’t be afraid to be a beginner! And don’t be afraid to let people know that – if you lose your place, tell your audience that you need a minute, take a deep breath and catch up. People generally appreciate authenticity and most people can relate.
The first professor that I spoke with was Greg, my biology lab professor. The most challenging part of public speaking for him would be tailoring his talk to meet the audience he’s speaking to. He mentioned how it is important and incredibly challenging, especially when you cannot relate to the audience because of an age gap, knowledge gap, etc. For someone who is trying to become a better public speaker, he would advise them to practice in front of a mirror. He talked to me about how there is no more uncomfortable moment than talking to yourself in a mirror. Greg also suggests lowering your standards when public speaking because you don’t have to have the best talk every single time you present/give a speech. He made sure to mention to not be hard on yourself and that it just takes practice. I then spoke with my pharmacy advisor Dr. Vincent. I have class with her once a week and the most challenging part for her when speaking publicly is speaking in front of her colleagues. She gets intimidated by their level of knowledge. She gets nervous because she does not want to make a fool out of herself. If she knows she does not have any relation to certain people or will never see them again speaking publicly comes easier to her. When she has to speak publicly she makes a habit of checking in with herself and making sure she can pull off everything that she wants to say. If she wanted to add a joke into her presentation she would rehearse it to make sure it does not sound unnatural. She is impressed by others’ abilities of adding humor into their presentations so she advises that I stay in my comfort zone and keep rehearsing because that allows you to sound impressive.
When asking my professors the two questions of what do they view as the most challenging part of speaking publicly? And what tips or advice do they have for someone? Most responses were fairly similar. Most of my professors have been teaching and speaking in front of an audience for a couple years now. Meaning they have had a lot of practice which is what most of them said was a tip that they would give. Which I mean isn’t that what everyone says for everything. You could say that because they teach multiple of the same classes repetition would be involved in the process of getting better at speaking in public. While asking my professors it was interesting to see what some of them had in common and seeing if even after all these years of facing an audience, if they still face the same challenges we do. And I did find something in common that I find a problem as well as I think everyone else does too. This common challenge was said by my animal behavior professor, Dr. Olson. One of the challenges he said he still faces is the problem of all eyes on him which he can’t really avoid because he is the professor. I think this challenge is one that many of us face and have to get past, and find a way to help combat that fear of everyone watching you, and watching everything you are doing while you are delivering a speech, or just speaking in public in general.
Most Challenging Part
-Teaching to a class of uninterested students
-Speaking in front of people who do not show respect for you
-Going off track to the main points
-Getting anxious while presenting
Tips and Tricks
-Focus on your speech and not the large audience in front of you
-Take it like a conversation, rather than a formal event
-Practice, practice, practice
-Think positively instead of negatively- it’s about the mindset
These are the answers that my professors said word for word.
Professor Susan Farady:
Could you please tell me about your experience in the field of public speaking? My experience is giving numerous presentations at various professional conferences, testifying at legislative hearings, presenting to community groups, as a trial attorney in court and teaching in various settings (outdoor education programs, law school, college).
What do you view as the most challenging part of speaking publicly? I think the most challenging part is figuring out what your own personal style is and how to address your own idiosyncracies that impact your ability to be a good public speaker. Everyone has different strengths and weaknesses, so figuring out what YOU need to do to be the best speaker YOU can be is important.
What tips or advice do you have for someone like me who is trying to become better at public speaking? Remember that a little enthusiasm from the speaker goes a long way. If you’re enthused and excited, your audience will be too! Even if you’re nervous, a deep breath and smile before you start will help immensely, fake it til you make it! Remember to make eye contact with your audience, don’t get nailed down to notes or computer screens, and remember to scan the whole audience to make eye contact with everyone. You also most likely know more than your audience about the information you’re presenting so keep in mind you’re the expert to address any nervousness. Prepare and PRACTICE, whether it’s in the shower, in the car, giving your presentation to a friend, etc. It can be painful to watch but recording yourself and watching it back is TREMENDOUSLY helpful, you’ll see good and bad things that you’re completely unaware of and will help you improve exponentially. As you get more experienced, you’ll be able to present in last-minute situations without a lot of prep but that won’t come without a lot of practice and confidence that you can do so.
Professor Jennifer Tuttle:
Could you please tell me about your experience in the field of public speaking?
I have been speaking publicly since I started teaching and presenting my research in graduate school in 1991. I enjoy it a lot. I like the challenge of conveying something effectively to an audience, and even more, I love talking to people about the things that excite me, especially literature. My very favorite thing to do is to present on my research to an interested audience—it’s quite thrilling, actually. The material itself is exciting, but I also love the performative aspect of it. I was never really trained in public speaking, though—that is, I never took a public speaking class. But I did receive good mentoring over the years about how to speak publicly in the course of doing my work.
In some ways, I think that good public speaking follows the same principle as good writing: It does not matter what you intend to say; it matters what your audience hears. It’s all about anticipating the audience’s needs and meeting them.
What do you view as the most challenging part of speaking publicly?
Timing. I do not like speaking from an outline or note cards; I find it very difficult to anticipate how long things will take, and I also really want to get the words exactly right. A huge element of presenting on my scholarship, especially, is creativity and wordcraft. That is half the fun. I love that in my field, it is perfectly acceptable and often expected that one will read one’s presentation rather than speak extemporaneously or from slides. The reason I love this as a speaker is that it allows me to present not just my findings but my actual writing about those findings. But you can probably already see the problem here: when reading a presentation, one must go to great pains to ensure that it is dynamic, clear, and engaging, right? And I can tell you from long experience at academic conferences that it usually isn’t. Dynamic speakers are pretty rare. So I always take that as a challenge to ensure that my presentation is the best one and that audiences keep engaged. I do this by writing out all of my remarks verbatim but then practicing them to death so that I can speak in a conversational tone, with conversational pacing and pausing, plus lots of eye contact, rather than in a monotone. Again, it’s performative, not unlike what a poet might do when they read their work. But this is also my way of controlling timing to ensure that I speak for the exact amount of time required.
With classroom public speaking, I don’t get those crutches, do I? Because I don’t read in class, I have to watch the clock and build myself a good outline so that I know what I need to cover and can keep on pace. It’s easier to do that in a classroom setting, of course, because it’s not about my artistry and wordcraft so much as it’s about providing the information that students need.
What tips or advice do you have for someone like me who is trying to become better at public speaking?
Slow down, even if it doesn’t feel to you like you are speaking too fast.
Enunciate!
Speak to the back of the room in terms of your voice level.
Make eye contact.
Practice! This is important, first, for timing, so you can get an accurate sense of how long your remarks will last. Second, it increases your confidence and familiarity with what you are going to say and reduces the chance you’ll mispronounce or mangle a phrase. Third, practice with an audience: this can tell you where you might not be understood.
You might even consider filming yourself practicing so that you can catch your own tics. For example, I had a professor once who spent the whole class stepping backward and then forward, backward and forward, and it was so distracting that I truly have no idea what he said.
Frontload your thesis so that your audience knows right away what your main point will be. That will make it easier for them to follow along.
Professor Patricia Thibodeau:
Could you please tell me about your experience in the field of public speaking?
I really learned how to speak publicly in college through summer research experiences. I had great mentorship from a faculty advisor that taught me how to construct a presentation and speak concisely in front of an audience. I then refined this skill as a public school teacher for a year where I had to learn to think on my feet a lot and also speak to a young audience. When I attended graduate school, I had more coaching from my PhD advisor that further mentored me on how to organize and deliver presentations in front of live audiences.
What do you view as the most challenging part of speaking publicly?
Frankly, I find the challenging part of speaking publicly is answering people’s questions because I worry I might not know the answer to their question. Especially in scientific meetings, people assume you are the expert so I feel unprepared if I’m unable to answer a question of my colleagues that I should be an expert in, but I’m learning to remind myself that no one knows everything and it’s ok to admit I don’t know something to an audience.
What tips or advice do you have for someone like me who is trying to become better at public speaking?
I found it helpful when I was first learning to speak publicly to write out everything I planned to say ahead of time. It helped me solidify the talking points in my mind so that I remembered them better during my presentation. It also helped me develop better transitions between talking points. I wouldn’t memorize what I’d written but it was a useful exercise when preparing to speak publicly.
When interviewing my professors I found that the most challenging part of speaking publicly is the fact that everyone’s attention is focused on you. It was said that “this can be nerve-wracking because I always assume that if I make a mistake or mess up, no matter how minor it might be, everyone is going to notice and remember”. They give me a couple of recommendations for becoming a better public speaker. The first is to practice as when you know the material of your speech/presentation really well you will be more confident in your ability to deliver the information. Also, practicing the actual act of public speaking will help you become better and more confident over time. The second tip is to make sure you are familiar with the room you will be presenting in. If possible, it is helpful to practice your talk in that room before the day of your actual talk/presentation. Third, pretend like you are talking to the person in the back of the room – this helps to ensure that you are speaking loud enough for everyone to hear. They also highlight that it’s okay to pause between points – you don’t have to fill every second with your voice. Give myself a few seconds to breathe, have some water, and look around the room. They also mention how eye contact with my audience is important. This doesn’t mean I have to stare at the same person the whole time, but should also avoid looking only at the screen/poster/computer/notecards. Also to be conscious about varying where I’m looking – switching between different parts of the room, glancing at the screen, looking down at my notes.
I talked to two professors about their public speaking experiences. First Professor Emily Estell, I am in her Nutrition 200 class. She said that the most challenging part of being a public speaker for her was students asking questions that she did not always have the answer to. Some advice that she gave was to try and be yourself, be comfortable, and just know that you aren’t going to have all the answers.
The second professor that I got the chance to talk to was Professor Caryn Husman, I am in her IHS class for public health. She said that the most challenging part of being a public speaker for her was just doing public speaking in general. She admitted that she is a very quiet person so to be able to navigate it was harder than say someone who is a more outgoing person. Some advice she gave was to be prepared but not over-prepare, stay calm, and just keep doing it. Practice makes perfect.
I agree that it is difficult for sure if you are say giving a speech and you don’t know the answer to someone’s question. As well as if you are usually a very quiet person, it can be hard to put yourself out there. It was relieving in a way to hear that even people who have to speak every day for their job have some of the same worries. The advice they gave was very helpful.
For my report on public speaking, I spoke to Kristen Bailey, Daniel Johnson, and Ashley Shaw.
Kristen Bailey:
Q: What do you view as the most challenging part of speaking publicly?
A: The fear of getting up in front of my class and choking on my words.
Q: What tips or advice would you have for someone who is trying to become a better public speaker?
A: Practice practice practice. The more time you put into it, the better it will be and the better you will feel.
Daniel Johnson:
Q: What do you view as the most challenging part of speaking publicly?
A: Getting over the initial fear. I was really scared as a grad student, but I always feel better after the first two minutes being up there.
Q: What tips or advice would you have for someone who is trying to become a better public speaker?
A: Practice. You’ll get more comfortable and less scared each time, but that won’t stop our heart from pounding fast every time from being anxious
Ashley Shaw:
Q: What do you view as the most challenging part of speaking publicly?
A: The hardest part for me is getting used to the idea of never knowing if someone in the room knows your material better than you. Like the idea of being humbled at a conference or even in the classroom.
Q: What tips or advice would you have for someone who is trying to become a better public speaker?
A: Take every opportunity you can to public speak because it can take a really long time to get used to it. Also slow down. It’s very common when you’re new to public speaking to be anxious and talk really fast. There was also a Ted Talk by Amy Cudi about power poses and how those can help before you speak.
Journal 5
The first professor I interviewed said that the most challenging part of public speaking for her was that she hates public speaking, so the most changeling part for her is just dealing with the nerves. Some tips and advice that she gave was to be prepared and practice a lot. Practice in front of a mirror or in front of a small group but if you’re really nervous try breathing exercises. The next professor I interviewed said the worst part of public speaking for her was that she gets distracted a lot. She focuses on what the audience is doing so she said that always takes her off track of what she’s talking about or what she might be doing. Her tips and advice are lots and lots of practice and to remember that you are up there to relay a message on what you are teaching and to be passionate about it.
When asked what the most challenging part of public speaking a professor responded by saying that she doesn’t see public speaking in her profession as challenging because she enjoys teaching. However, she said if she had to give a speech at an event like a wedding, she would be nervous because of the judgment. For someone trying to become a better public speaker, she gave a tip to remember that people are not paying as much attention as we think and that the audience will never know how nervous we are. I think this is helpful as I worry if people are paying enough attention to notice my mistakes. Another said that they worry about blank faces staring back at them when standing in front of a large audience giving a speech, talking fast, and stumbling over words. If it is in front of a small crowd, it is easier. A tip she had about becoming a better public speaker is to slow down when speaking and remember that it is not a race to finish. It can feel daunting because it means you may be in front of the audience for longer, but you’re less likely to stumble over your words.
The first professor I interviewed was David Pritchard. I met Professor Pritchard this semester as he teaches my Sociology class. Professor Pritchard explained that his most challenging part of public speaking was the anticipation. He said that he hates the anxiety that comes in the time leading up to giving a speech. When I asked Professor Pritchard what advice he had for an aspiring public speaker, he gave me a lot of good tips. He said to overcome his anxiety during a speech, he will start with topics that get the audience talking rather than him. For example, for his sociology classes, he will start with asking the class what current events are happening today. For a more traditional speech, he will start by making a few jokes to get the audience laughing, which relieves some of his stress.
The second professor I interviewed was Sarah Vincent, who teaches my Success in Pharmacy class. What Professor Vincent found most challenging about public speaking was speaking in front of her colleagues. She explained how it was intimidating because a lot of her colleagues might know a lot more than she does, so she fears that when she’s public speaking she might come off as less knowledgeable. Professor Vincent believes that it is easier to get up and talk in front of a bunch of strangers, but when it’s in front of people you see on a daily basis, it can be a lot more difficult. Her advice was to ask yourself, “can you pull it off?” She says that if you ask yourself this question, and you answer yes with no hesitation, then there is no doubt that you can do it if you try. However, if you hesitate, then maybe you need more practice until you are more confident. Professor Vincent also suggested listening to other public speakers can help you become a better public speaker yourself. If you take notes, you can pick up on the things that work for them and try them out for yourself.
fter speaking with my professors about public speaking they had a lot of helpful tips. Some of their hardest parts about public speaking was actually speaking to their colleagues. They said that it is much easier for them to speak to the students, or someone they will never see again. One even said they were scared to step on someone’s toes when discussing or speaking about something they may be less comfortable with. When I asked them what they do to make public speaking easier they gave some helpful tips such as asking yourself ahead of time if you can pull it off, or if you are comfortable enough with what youre talking about before you deliver your speech. If you have even a shadow of a doubt it means you need to prepare more or maybe choose a new topic that you might be more comfortable discussing. I will take these helpful tips and apply them to my next speech hopefully it will make my delivery more smooth.
Professor Johnson-Cramer,
Just getting started talking publicly is the hardest part.
Biggest advice is to have great knowledge about what you are talking about.
Professor Shelley,
Hardest part is holding the attention of the audience.
Best tip is to practice talking to a wall. “Because if you can talk to a wall you can talk to people”
Professor:- Sarah Vincent
Q. What do you view as the most challenging part of speaking publicly?
Ans. The challenging part for her is giving a speech in front of colleagues because most of the time they have knowledge about their field and she doesn’t know a lot about it.
Q.what tips or advice do they have for someone who is trying to become a better public speaker?
Ans. Habit of thinking twice before you write something or speak and the best thing she says is to do a lot of rehearsals before you are going to give your speech and always do research about your main topic.
Professor: Nicholas Arnista
Q. What do you view as the most challenging part of speaking publicly?
Ans. Challenge of public speaking was keeping the audience engaged.
Q.what tips or advice do they have for someone who is trying to become a better public speaker?
Ans. He gave me tips and tips about how to become a better public speaker and one of the tips he told me is just keep practicing about what you are going to say. And another tip he told me that every single time whenever you try to give a speech, take a take a deep breath before you start your speech that can relieve your stress.
When asking my professors how they felt about public speaking neither of them said that it was something that they enjoyed or felt confident about doing. I asked Dr, Stephenson my EXS 120 professor what she viewed as the most challenging part of public speaking to which she replied as getting distracted by the audience. She explained how she often gets distracted with trying to figure out what her audience is thinking and often times finds herself getting stuck on the idea that the audience could possibly be judging her and it makes staying on track even harder to do. Her piece of advice to somebody who wants to better their public speaking abilities was to practice, focus on teaching or convincing of your idea, making sure you’re prepared and educated on the topic, but also making sure it is something that is of interest to you. The second professor I interviewed was Katie Hawke who teaches EXS 180. She explained how public speaking is her worst fear and that it is something that she hates the most. She explained that the hardest part for her is dealing with the nerves of getting in front of a crowd with people staring and trying to give the perfect speech without messing up and making a fool of herself. The best piece of advice that she offered was to be prepared and make sure to practice a lot. She finds it helpful to practice in front of a mirror to herself if nobody is around, but if there are people around to give your speech to them. She mentioned to do deep breathing exercises as well as using imagery and imagining your presentation going well as it will help make you believe that it will go well.
I talked to Leah Bymers, Kenneth Courtney, and Tara. All three of them were worried about how the audience would react and they saw that as their biggest challenge. As for the other obstacles, they found it difficult to keep their audience interested. Leah said to picture yourself in the audience. What would you want to hear and gain from this speech? They others also said similar things such as how can you relate to the audience and grab their attention rather than just speaking mindlessly. It was very interesting to talk to my acting professor as I thought she would have the least doubts about public speaking, but she also seemed to be the one who was the most anxious, especially about her censorship and watching to make sure her content matches the topic. Overall, good posture, good exercises before speeches, and a lot of rehearsal and planning makes for a good speech as well as many other factors.
18 thoughts on “JOURNAL # 5”
For this journal I was supposed to talk to two or three of my teachers and ask about their public speaking experiences. For starters, I decided to interview my Calculus teacher Professor Haag. Professor Haag seems to be very good at public speaking and always makes a boring/hard subject interesting and fun. I first asked him what the hardest part of public speaking was from his point of view. Prof. Haag responded by saying that he believes the hardest part (as a teacher) is to make sure his message gets across and try to keep the audience engaged. He then continued on by saying how sometimes it can be frustrating when a class doesn’t pay attention because he can’t get his message across. Lastly, I asked for some advice to people trying to become a better public speaker. Prof. Haag said, you have to make mistakes and be okay with that. You have to learn to grow and get better, (just like math, have to make mistakes, be willing to be vulnerable). He also said it’s important to be willing to receive feedback. I think everything Prof. Haag said was very informative and helpful. I really liked the part about being willing to make mistakes and grow from it.
The second teacher I asked these questions to was my Environmental Issues Teacher Professor Sbrogna. My class with her went late so I had to follow up with her with my questions about public speaking, so I have word for word answers. Professor Sbrogna does a great job of talking to the whole class and helping to build confidence in her students to speak up for what they believe. I asked her three questions. What is your experience with public speaking? To this she replied, “No formal training but lots of practice with acting roles, reading poetry, introducing bands at a past job, and now teaching”. Second I asked her, Is public speaking a form of anxiety for you or are you comfortable doing it? With which she replied “It has been on and off depending on the particular event”. Thirdly I asked her, What is some advice you would give to someone trying to get better at public speaking? ” To this question she gave some good advice “It’s been helpful for me to imagine as though I’m stepping into a role in which I am really good at the task at hand, whether it be introducing a band, speaking about an organization, or reading poetry. “Acting” the role helps me put some distance from the nervousness somehow. Also practice! The more I’ve done it, the easier it gets” I really like all that Prof. Sbrogna had to say, but I really liked the advice to try to imagine the role and act it.
Overall, I really enjoyed getting to know my teachers’ views on public speaking and how important it is. I really liked this exercise.
The first teacher that I interviewed was my biology teacher, professor Speer. She explained to me that the most challenging part of public speaking for her is confidence. When you speak to an audience, they expect you to be an expert on that topic, and you have embraced that and be that expert. The best advice that she gave me was to just practice. It’s ok to mess up, when you mess up look back at it and use it to improve. It’s just a little bit of embarrassment and the more you give speeches it will feel more natural. Just think of it as a loud conversation. The next teacher that I interviewed was my Calculus professor Haag. He explained to me that the most challenging part was trying to get the message across and trying to keep the audience engaged. Especially teaching math, it’s difficult to keep the audience entertained and easily explain math at the same time. The best advice that he gave was to try and be okay with making mistakes. Try to be okay with saying the wrong thing and learn from that mistake. It’s just like math, learn from the mistakes. He also said to be willing to receive both positive and negative feedback which will also help you improve.
Professor Brod
What do you view as the most challenging part of speaking publicly?
The hardest part of public speaking is letting go of or moving past self-consciousness. Self-consciousness is a killer. It snuffs out the particulars of my personality, the good parts that help me project and communicate, and it compromises my ability to connect with the audience. So, I have to develop strategies to work through this.
What tips or advice do you have for someone trying to become a better public speaker?
Consider a radically different approach to nerves and anxiety—the kind you feel before you speak to a crowd. The nerves indicate that you care, and that connecting with the audience is important to you. Internal narratives are powerful and it’s easy to talk ourselves out of something; in this case, the possibility that our speech goes well. My biggest piece of advice, aside from practicing to the point of (some) comfort, is to visualize, ahead of time, your speech going well. Sit and picture it and allow yourself to feel what it will feel like when you’ve finished, and when your listeners are clapping as a sign of appreciation and connection. Another quick suggestion is to think about what makes conversations with your friends/loved ones engaging: humor, curiosity, mutual engagement. Use those same techniques to engage with your crowd.
Professor Erhart
-I would say the most challenging thing about speaking publicly is having the confidence to stand up in front of a group of people! As a natural introvert, this is something that definitely did not come easily to me as I felt most comfortable in smaller groups. I would not have chosen to put myself in situations where I was speaking publicly until I was basically forced to for work, but I honestly am glad that I was!
-Practice really is the best way to become better at public speaking! When I first started I felt a lot of anxiety before speaking in front of a group, and I know it did impact the quality of my delivery. But you have to be ok with that – no one starts out as an expert so don’t let perfectionism get in the way of practice. Don’t be afraid to be a beginner! And don’t be afraid to let people know that – if you lose your place, tell your audience that you need a minute, take a deep breath and catch up. People generally appreciate authenticity and most people can relate.
The first professor that I spoke with was Greg, my biology lab professor. The most challenging part of public speaking for him would be tailoring his talk to meet the audience he’s speaking to. He mentioned how it is important and incredibly challenging, especially when you cannot relate to the audience because of an age gap, knowledge gap, etc. For someone who is trying to become a better public speaker, he would advise them to practice in front of a mirror. He talked to me about how there is no more uncomfortable moment than talking to yourself in a mirror. Greg also suggests lowering your standards when public speaking because you don’t have to have the best talk every single time you present/give a speech. He made sure to mention to not be hard on yourself and that it just takes practice. I then spoke with my pharmacy advisor Dr. Vincent. I have class with her once a week and the most challenging part for her when speaking publicly is speaking in front of her colleagues. She gets intimidated by their level of knowledge. She gets nervous because she does not want to make a fool out of herself. If she knows she does not have any relation to certain people or will never see them again speaking publicly comes easier to her. When she has to speak publicly she makes a habit of checking in with herself and making sure she can pull off everything that she wants to say. If she wanted to add a joke into her presentation she would rehearse it to make sure it does not sound unnatural. She is impressed by others’ abilities of adding humor into their presentations so she advises that I stay in my comfort zone and keep rehearsing because that allows you to sound impressive.
When asking my professors the two questions of what do they view as the most challenging part of speaking publicly? And what tips or advice do they have for someone? Most responses were fairly similar. Most of my professors have been teaching and speaking in front of an audience for a couple years now. Meaning they have had a lot of practice which is what most of them said was a tip that they would give. Which I mean isn’t that what everyone says for everything. You could say that because they teach multiple of the same classes repetition would be involved in the process of getting better at speaking in public. While asking my professors it was interesting to see what some of them had in common and seeing if even after all these years of facing an audience, if they still face the same challenges we do. And I did find something in common that I find a problem as well as I think everyone else does too. This common challenge was said by my animal behavior professor, Dr. Olson. One of the challenges he said he still faces is the problem of all eyes on him which he can’t really avoid because he is the professor. I think this challenge is one that many of us face and have to get past, and find a way to help combat that fear of everyone watching you, and watching everything you are doing while you are delivering a speech, or just speaking in public in general.
Most Challenging Part
-Teaching to a class of uninterested students
-Speaking in front of people who do not show respect for you
-Going off track to the main points
-Getting anxious while presenting
Tips and Tricks
-Focus on your speech and not the large audience in front of you
-Take it like a conversation, rather than a formal event
-Practice, practice, practice
-Think positively instead of negatively- it’s about the mindset
These are the answers that my professors said word for word.
Professor Susan Farady:
Could you please tell me about your experience in the field of public speaking? My experience is giving numerous presentations at various professional conferences, testifying at legislative hearings, presenting to community groups, as a trial attorney in court and teaching in various settings (outdoor education programs, law school, college).
What do you view as the most challenging part of speaking publicly? I think the most challenging part is figuring out what your own personal style is and how to address your own idiosyncracies that impact your ability to be a good public speaker. Everyone has different strengths and weaknesses, so figuring out what YOU need to do to be the best speaker YOU can be is important.
What tips or advice do you have for someone like me who is trying to become better at public speaking? Remember that a little enthusiasm from the speaker goes a long way. If you’re enthused and excited, your audience will be too! Even if you’re nervous, a deep breath and smile before you start will help immensely, fake it til you make it! Remember to make eye contact with your audience, don’t get nailed down to notes or computer screens, and remember to scan the whole audience to make eye contact with everyone. You also most likely know more than your audience about the information you’re presenting so keep in mind you’re the expert to address any nervousness. Prepare and PRACTICE, whether it’s in the shower, in the car, giving your presentation to a friend, etc. It can be painful to watch but recording yourself and watching it back is TREMENDOUSLY helpful, you’ll see good and bad things that you’re completely unaware of and will help you improve exponentially. As you get more experienced, you’ll be able to present in last-minute situations without a lot of prep but that won’t come without a lot of practice and confidence that you can do so.
Professor Jennifer Tuttle:
Could you please tell me about your experience in the field of public speaking?
I have been speaking publicly since I started teaching and presenting my research in graduate school in 1991. I enjoy it a lot. I like the challenge of conveying something effectively to an audience, and even more, I love talking to people about the things that excite me, especially literature. My very favorite thing to do is to present on my research to an interested audience—it’s quite thrilling, actually. The material itself is exciting, but I also love the performative aspect of it. I was never really trained in public speaking, though—that is, I never took a public speaking class. But I did receive good mentoring over the years about how to speak publicly in the course of doing my work.
In some ways, I think that good public speaking follows the same principle as good writing: It does not matter what you intend to say; it matters what your audience hears. It’s all about anticipating the audience’s needs and meeting them.
What do you view as the most challenging part of speaking publicly?
Timing. I do not like speaking from an outline or note cards; I find it very difficult to anticipate how long things will take, and I also really want to get the words exactly right. A huge element of presenting on my scholarship, especially, is creativity and wordcraft. That is half the fun. I love that in my field, it is perfectly acceptable and often expected that one will read one’s presentation rather than speak extemporaneously or from slides. The reason I love this as a speaker is that it allows me to present not just my findings but my actual writing about those findings. But you can probably already see the problem here: when reading a presentation, one must go to great pains to ensure that it is dynamic, clear, and engaging, right? And I can tell you from long experience at academic conferences that it usually isn’t. Dynamic speakers are pretty rare. So I always take that as a challenge to ensure that my presentation is the best one and that audiences keep engaged. I do this by writing out all of my remarks verbatim but then practicing them to death so that I can speak in a conversational tone, with conversational pacing and pausing, plus lots of eye contact, rather than in a monotone. Again, it’s performative, not unlike what a poet might do when they read their work. But this is also my way of controlling timing to ensure that I speak for the exact amount of time required.
With classroom public speaking, I don’t get those crutches, do I? Because I don’t read in class, I have to watch the clock and build myself a good outline so that I know what I need to cover and can keep on pace. It’s easier to do that in a classroom setting, of course, because it’s not about my artistry and wordcraft so much as it’s about providing the information that students need.
What tips or advice do you have for someone like me who is trying to become better at public speaking?
Slow down, even if it doesn’t feel to you like you are speaking too fast.
Enunciate!
Speak to the back of the room in terms of your voice level.
Make eye contact.
Practice! This is important, first, for timing, so you can get an accurate sense of how long your remarks will last. Second, it increases your confidence and familiarity with what you are going to say and reduces the chance you’ll mispronounce or mangle a phrase. Third, practice with an audience: this can tell you where you might not be understood.
You might even consider filming yourself practicing so that you can catch your own tics. For example, I had a professor once who spent the whole class stepping backward and then forward, backward and forward, and it was so distracting that I truly have no idea what he said.
Frontload your thesis so that your audience knows right away what your main point will be. That will make it easier for them to follow along.
Professor Patricia Thibodeau:
Could you please tell me about your experience in the field of public speaking?
I really learned how to speak publicly in college through summer research experiences. I had great mentorship from a faculty advisor that taught me how to construct a presentation and speak concisely in front of an audience. I then refined this skill as a public school teacher for a year where I had to learn to think on my feet a lot and also speak to a young audience. When I attended graduate school, I had more coaching from my PhD advisor that further mentored me on how to organize and deliver presentations in front of live audiences.
What do you view as the most challenging part of speaking publicly?
Frankly, I find the challenging part of speaking publicly is answering people’s questions because I worry I might not know the answer to their question. Especially in scientific meetings, people assume you are the expert so I feel unprepared if I’m unable to answer a question of my colleagues that I should be an expert in, but I’m learning to remind myself that no one knows everything and it’s ok to admit I don’t know something to an audience.
What tips or advice do you have for someone like me who is trying to become better at public speaking?
I found it helpful when I was first learning to speak publicly to write out everything I planned to say ahead of time. It helped me solidify the talking points in my mind so that I remembered them better during my presentation. It also helped me develop better transitions between talking points. I wouldn’t memorize what I’d written but it was a useful exercise when preparing to speak publicly.
When interviewing my professors I found that the most challenging part of speaking publicly is the fact that everyone’s attention is focused on you. It was said that “this can be nerve-wracking because I always assume that if I make a mistake or mess up, no matter how minor it might be, everyone is going to notice and remember”. They give me a couple of recommendations for becoming a better public speaker. The first is to practice as when you know the material of your speech/presentation really well you will be more confident in your ability to deliver the information. Also, practicing the actual act of public speaking will help you become better and more confident over time. The second tip is to make sure you are familiar with the room you will be presenting in. If possible, it is helpful to practice your talk in that room before the day of your actual talk/presentation. Third, pretend like you are talking to the person in the back of the room – this helps to ensure that you are speaking loud enough for everyone to hear. They also highlight that it’s okay to pause between points – you don’t have to fill every second with your voice. Give myself a few seconds to breathe, have some water, and look around the room. They also mention how eye contact with my audience is important. This doesn’t mean I have to stare at the same person the whole time, but should also avoid looking only at the screen/poster/computer/notecards. Also to be conscious about varying where I’m looking – switching between different parts of the room, glancing at the screen, looking down at my notes.
I talked to two professors about their public speaking experiences. First Professor Emily Estell, I am in her Nutrition 200 class. She said that the most challenging part of being a public speaker for her was students asking questions that she did not always have the answer to. Some advice that she gave was to try and be yourself, be comfortable, and just know that you aren’t going to have all the answers.
The second professor that I got the chance to talk to was Professor Caryn Husman, I am in her IHS class for public health. She said that the most challenging part of being a public speaker for her was just doing public speaking in general. She admitted that she is a very quiet person so to be able to navigate it was harder than say someone who is a more outgoing person. Some advice she gave was to be prepared but not over-prepare, stay calm, and just keep doing it. Practice makes perfect.
I agree that it is difficult for sure if you are say giving a speech and you don’t know the answer to someone’s question. As well as if you are usually a very quiet person, it can be hard to put yourself out there. It was relieving in a way to hear that even people who have to speak every day for their job have some of the same worries. The advice they gave was very helpful.
For my report on public speaking, I spoke to Kristen Bailey, Daniel Johnson, and Ashley Shaw.
Kristen Bailey:
Q: What do you view as the most challenging part of speaking publicly?
A: The fear of getting up in front of my class and choking on my words.
Q: What tips or advice would you have for someone who is trying to become a better public speaker?
A: Practice practice practice. The more time you put into it, the better it will be and the better you will feel.
Daniel Johnson:
Q: What do you view as the most challenging part of speaking publicly?
A: Getting over the initial fear. I was really scared as a grad student, but I always feel better after the first two minutes being up there.
Q: What tips or advice would you have for someone who is trying to become a better public speaker?
A: Practice. You’ll get more comfortable and less scared each time, but that won’t stop our heart from pounding fast every time from being anxious
Ashley Shaw:
Q: What do you view as the most challenging part of speaking publicly?
A: The hardest part for me is getting used to the idea of never knowing if someone in the room knows your material better than you. Like the idea of being humbled at a conference or even in the classroom.
Q: What tips or advice would you have for someone who is trying to become a better public speaker?
A: Take every opportunity you can to public speak because it can take a really long time to get used to it. Also slow down. It’s very common when you’re new to public speaking to be anxious and talk really fast. There was also a Ted Talk by Amy Cudi about power poses and how those can help before you speak.
Journal 5
The first professor I interviewed said that the most challenging part of public speaking for her was that she hates public speaking, so the most changeling part for her is just dealing with the nerves. Some tips and advice that she gave was to be prepared and practice a lot. Practice in front of a mirror or in front of a small group but if you’re really nervous try breathing exercises. The next professor I interviewed said the worst part of public speaking for her was that she gets distracted a lot. She focuses on what the audience is doing so she said that always takes her off track of what she’s talking about or what she might be doing. Her tips and advice are lots and lots of practice and to remember that you are up there to relay a message on what you are teaching and to be passionate about it.
When asked what the most challenging part of public speaking a professor responded by saying that she doesn’t see public speaking in her profession as challenging because she enjoys teaching. However, she said if she had to give a speech at an event like a wedding, she would be nervous because of the judgment. For someone trying to become a better public speaker, she gave a tip to remember that people are not paying as much attention as we think and that the audience will never know how nervous we are. I think this is helpful as I worry if people are paying enough attention to notice my mistakes. Another said that they worry about blank faces staring back at them when standing in front of a large audience giving a speech, talking fast, and stumbling over words. If it is in front of a small crowd, it is easier. A tip she had about becoming a better public speaker is to slow down when speaking and remember that it is not a race to finish. It can feel daunting because it means you may be in front of the audience for longer, but you’re less likely to stumble over your words.
The first professor I interviewed was David Pritchard. I met Professor Pritchard this semester as he teaches my Sociology class. Professor Pritchard explained that his most challenging part of public speaking was the anticipation. He said that he hates the anxiety that comes in the time leading up to giving a speech. When I asked Professor Pritchard what advice he had for an aspiring public speaker, he gave me a lot of good tips. He said to overcome his anxiety during a speech, he will start with topics that get the audience talking rather than him. For example, for his sociology classes, he will start with asking the class what current events are happening today. For a more traditional speech, he will start by making a few jokes to get the audience laughing, which relieves some of his stress.
The second professor I interviewed was Sarah Vincent, who teaches my Success in Pharmacy class. What Professor Vincent found most challenging about public speaking was speaking in front of her colleagues. She explained how it was intimidating because a lot of her colleagues might know a lot more than she does, so she fears that when she’s public speaking she might come off as less knowledgeable. Professor Vincent believes that it is easier to get up and talk in front of a bunch of strangers, but when it’s in front of people you see on a daily basis, it can be a lot more difficult. Her advice was to ask yourself, “can you pull it off?” She says that if you ask yourself this question, and you answer yes with no hesitation, then there is no doubt that you can do it if you try. However, if you hesitate, then maybe you need more practice until you are more confident. Professor Vincent also suggested listening to other public speakers can help you become a better public speaker yourself. If you take notes, you can pick up on the things that work for them and try them out for yourself.
fter speaking with my professors about public speaking they had a lot of helpful tips. Some of their hardest parts about public speaking was actually speaking to their colleagues. They said that it is much easier for them to speak to the students, or someone they will never see again. One even said they were scared to step on someone’s toes when discussing or speaking about something they may be less comfortable with. When I asked them what they do to make public speaking easier they gave some helpful tips such as asking yourself ahead of time if you can pull it off, or if you are comfortable enough with what youre talking about before you deliver your speech. If you have even a shadow of a doubt it means you need to prepare more or maybe choose a new topic that you might be more comfortable discussing. I will take these helpful tips and apply them to my next speech hopefully it will make my delivery more smooth.
Casey Jordan
Journal 5
Professor Johnson-Cramer,
Just getting started talking publicly is the hardest part.
Biggest advice is to have great knowledge about what you are talking about.
Professor Shelley,
Hardest part is holding the attention of the audience.
Best tip is to practice talking to a wall. “Because if you can talk to a wall you can talk to people”
Professor:- Sarah Vincent
Q. What do you view as the most challenging part of speaking publicly?
Ans. The challenging part for her is giving a speech in front of colleagues because most of the time they have knowledge about their field and she doesn’t know a lot about it.
Q.what tips or advice do they have for someone who is trying to become a better public speaker?
Ans. Habit of thinking twice before you write something or speak and the best thing she says is to do a lot of rehearsals before you are going to give your speech and always do research about your main topic.
Professor: Nicholas Arnista
Q. What do you view as the most challenging part of speaking publicly?
Ans. Challenge of public speaking was keeping the audience engaged.
Q.what tips or advice do they have for someone who is trying to become a better public speaker?
Ans. He gave me tips and tips about how to become a better public speaker and one of the tips he told me is just keep practicing about what you are going to say. And another tip he told me that every single time whenever you try to give a speech, take a take a deep breath before you start your speech that can relieve your stress.
When asking my professors how they felt about public speaking neither of them said that it was something that they enjoyed or felt confident about doing. I asked Dr, Stephenson my EXS 120 professor what she viewed as the most challenging part of public speaking to which she replied as getting distracted by the audience. She explained how she often gets distracted with trying to figure out what her audience is thinking and often times finds herself getting stuck on the idea that the audience could possibly be judging her and it makes staying on track even harder to do. Her piece of advice to somebody who wants to better their public speaking abilities was to practice, focus on teaching or convincing of your idea, making sure you’re prepared and educated on the topic, but also making sure it is something that is of interest to you. The second professor I interviewed was Katie Hawke who teaches EXS 180. She explained how public speaking is her worst fear and that it is something that she hates the most. She explained that the hardest part for her is dealing with the nerves of getting in front of a crowd with people staring and trying to give the perfect speech without messing up and making a fool of herself. The best piece of advice that she offered was to be prepared and make sure to practice a lot. She finds it helpful to practice in front of a mirror to herself if nobody is around, but if there are people around to give your speech to them. She mentioned to do deep breathing exercises as well as using imagery and imagining your presentation going well as it will help make you believe that it will go well.
I talked to Leah Bymers, Kenneth Courtney, and Tara. All three of them were worried about how the audience would react and they saw that as their biggest challenge. As for the other obstacles, they found it difficult to keep their audience interested. Leah said to picture yourself in the audience. What would you want to hear and gain from this speech? They others also said similar things such as how can you relate to the audience and grab their attention rather than just speaking mindlessly. It was very interesting to talk to my acting professor as I thought she would have the least doubts about public speaking, but she also seemed to be the one who was the most anxious, especially about her censorship and watching to make sure her content matches the topic. Overall, good posture, good exercises before speeches, and a lot of rehearsal and planning makes for a good speech as well as many other factors.