Public Speaking Notes

Presentation anxiety leads to
- Fight: Confrontation
- Flight: Avoidance
- Freeze: Inaction
- The speaker identifies this response as natural and common.

The speaker shares a personal story about giving a speech in front of esteemed colleagues, demonstrating that anxiety is universal, even for experienced speakers.
During the speech, the anticipation of judgment (by peers and superiors) heightened nervousness.
Reflection on personal responses to anxiety, which include:
- Fighting through the nervousness (engagement)
- Freezing and hoping the moment resolves itself (inaction)

Emphasize the importance of taking action when faced with anxiety:
- Acknowledge deadlines and commitments.
- Plan: Review outlines, practice frequently.
- Recognizing that feeling nervous is common and okay, indicating preparedness.
The instructor expresses confidence in the assignment, stating:
- Each assignment should not induce stress or be unreasonable
- No harmful expectations are placed on students, as the instructor will also engage in the same conditions.
Historical reassurance:
- No students have experienced severe consequences during speeches.
Speech structure:
- Introduction: 30 seconds
- Object 1: 1 minute
- Object 2: 1 minute
- Conclusion: 30 seconds
- Total of 3 minutes.

Transition to using technology in class:
- Instructions on logging in to answer questions via clicker apps (either on phones or laptops).
- Details on how to find the correct class and enable location settings.
Importance of accurate engagement to prevent cheating by location tracking.

Example Question: Identifying the function of a strong blank statement:
- Options included purpose statement, thesis statement, etc.
- Majority selected thesis statement.
Follow-up Questions emphasize class topics and concepts being learned throughout the course.

Focus on relaxed and confident positioning:
- Posture: Importance of standing tall to project confidence.
- Movement should enhance engagement, not detract focus.
The speaker encourages avoiding memorization:
- Preferred method: Extemporaneous speaking (natural and conversational).
- Note-cards allowed but should aid focus instead of becoming distractions.

Connection with audience through eye engagement.
Gestures should be purposeful and at shoulder height.
Encouragement to practice movements to integrate them into speech delivery naturally.

Strategies include:
- Avoiding fidgeting or playing with items (e.g., jewelry, hair).
- Recommending the positioning of water bottles strategically to minimize distractions.
- Managing filler words, such as “um,” by embracing pauses instead of using fillers.

The concept of collective support was emphasized:
- If a speaker falters, the audience should uplift them through positive gestures (e.g. smiles, nods).
- Mirrors analogy of school groups to emphasize support and encouragement for each other.

Normalize feelings of anxiety before speeches:
- Discussion on how different individuals cope differently (e.g. loss of appetite, increased energy).
- Importance of maintaining usual routines on speech day (e.g. breakfast habits, exercise).
- Not introducing new routines or habits (e.g., caffeine consumption) on the day of the speech to avoid added anxiety.

Importance of being prepared but flexible in delivery.
An understanding that mistakes are part of the journey and should be embraced, not feared.
Realizing that anticipation and physical symptoms can be managed with practice and familiarity.

Public speaking is a learned skill that improves with practice.
Every student should aim to rise to the occasion, let go of fear, and embrace the opportunity to express themselves confidently.