Speech Preparation

Identifying the general purpose was the most helpful aspect of preparing my speeches.  Most of the subjects that I chose I could easily talk about for hours.  However, talking about them with a certain intention, for a certain purpose, or to get a specific result required more fine tuning.  It forced me to consider and think about my topics in ways that I possibly had not ever done before.  By determining if I was going to discuss the topic with the purpose of informing, persuading, or entertaining helped narrow down which aspects of my topic I would address.  It forced me to eliminate some information that I would have spoken on otherwise and add information I would have normally ignored.  Of the different types of general purposes, probably speaking to inform was my favorite.  I like to teach and increase the knowledge of others just as I like to increase my own knowledge.  By speaking to inform, I am able to allow a little bit of my knowledge to rub off on others.

Affect on future

Prior to taking this class, I really never gave any thought into all the precise details about my speech.  Things such as considering the time and audience, making sure to give a preview of the main points as well as a review, the fact that there are different types of speeches, utilizing presentation media with a purpose, ethical responsibilities, different types of reasoning, etc. These fine details are probably what will most influence my speech giving in the future.  I would typically just jot down ideas that I had whenever I previously gave a speech and then just talk about them randomly.  By creating an outline with an introduction, main points, and conclusion, even if it is only a mental version of it, creates a flow of speech that I haven't had before.  Having a purpose and ensuring that all aspects of the speech revolve around that particular purpose and its success is what I will endeavor to do in future public speaking engagements that I have.

Favorite Speech

My favorite speech was the demonstration speech.  For this speech I demonstrated how to shoot a bow.  I think it was an excellent type of speech for the first main speech as it gave those who were a tad on the nervous side something to hide behind.  However, I liked it just because I enjoyed having something visual to reference.  I felt that it helped me connect with the audience much more than having just a power presentation or some other kind of media.  I am very experienced with public speaking and have found that the audience tunes in much better at the point that a visual aid is used.  There is so much media used today that I think traditional forms of digital media are mostly washed out and don't help the audience connect.  However, visual aids are something that most of the audience can typically relate to and therefore it does a better job of getting their attention.

Speech Buddy Videos

Probably the biggest thing that I learned is how much persuasive information you can really fit into five minutes.  I was impressed by how much they were able to say, while still speaking slowly and methodically.  Both speakers connected with the audience by bringing the subject matter close to home, literally.  By talking about homeschooling, the speakers spoke on a subject that most people have had to approach at least once in their life.  The speakers were easily able to draw the audience in by making personal.  The appeal approach that was used by both speakers was an emotional appeal. By speaking on subject matter that involves one's children, there is automatically an emotional connection.  The audience had to consider the well-fare of their children not only scholastically, but socially as well.  In an attempt to come to terms with which situation really is best for their child a parent can feel guilty having to recognize the fact that they really may not be doing what is best for their child.

Tribute Speeches

Depending on the occasion, tribute speeches could be one of the most important type of speech.  Tribute speeches are meant to speak in high regards about a person or group.  The tribute speech that I am most familiar with is the eulogy.  I have probably been to about 30 funerals in my lifetime and have heard quite the variety of eulogies given.  In a time of grief, what someone else says about a loved one that has passed can either dig a bigger hole of depression, or help you celebrate the life they lived.  Careful consideration must be given to the eulogy speech in regards to the families desire for the atmosphere, the type of person the eulogy is about, and time limits.  Although death is always a tragedy, speaking about the fond memories, funny times, and special characteristics about the one who has passed can lighten the mood.  On the other hand, focusing on the sadness, the emptiness, and loneliness puts more emphasis on the tragedy and will only darken the mood.  I prefer to be at funerals and hear eulogies that hardly mention the tragedy of the death, but rather speak about the good that the individual accomplished and the positive impact he/she had on others.

Persuasion

My boyfriend races motocross.  About 6 months ago, on a Saturday morning, he went to a track to practice without me.  I was studiously studying for my upcoming Physiology exam.  About 11:00 I get a phone call from him. He says, "I think I hurt my ankle,  but I'm okay. I am going to load my bike up and go home."  Apparently, he landed a jump and went into a corner. While turning, his boot got caught in the mud and twisted his ankle.  He heard a loud "pop!"   I met him at his house to assess the situation.  Although he managed to load and unload his motorcycle by himself, once he took his boot off the outside of his ankle looked the size of a tennis ball.  His reaction to it was, "It's just a little swollen. I probably just sprained it.  A little ice and it will be fine." 

I had to utilize causal reasoning to convince him to go to the doctor.  If it was just a sprain that was fine, he should just stay off it for a bit.  However, if it was broken, there could be severe ramifications to not getting it set properly.  Putting any weight on it could make the brake worse.  It could heal incorrectly causing more long-term damage. He potentially would not be able to race anymore.  However, if he went to the doctor and it was broken, it could be properly set, he could get a release from work to give it time to heal, and he would be able to continue to race. 

The end result was that he went to the doctor within an hour's time and found out that it was indeed broken and he was in surgery a week later to get 2 screws and a plate put in.  Now 6 months down the road he is training for his next race in May with hardly any limitations due to the brake.

Audience Types

I don't think that I have really ever necessarily thought in detail about the different types of audiences and how they should be addressed differently from each other.  I think I have just automatically altered my approach but not really taken thought as to why.  The way the textbook broke the audience down into different categories was interesting and quite helpful.  Showing how each audience type had similarities and differences in relation to each other was something I would not have taken into consideration on my own.  I like how the text broke down within each category not just what their opinion of the subject was but also what their opinion of it was.  However, when writing a speech, it is not always necessarily known whether or not the audience is educated on the subject matter or not and if they are educated about it, their viewpoint may not be known.  To cover this approach, I think it would often require generalizing the speech toward the assumption that you are speaking to a divided audience.

Monroe's Motivated Sequence

Monroe's Motivated Sequence is about getting the response from the audience throughout the duration of your speech.  In essence, properly manipulating them to see things your way.  You get their attention by first establishing the relevancy of the topic.  Then you explain that there is a specific need that needs to be addressed. After that you describe the solution that you have to this specific need, and visually show how this solution will best solve the need and what the costs would be if the solution was not utilized. Lastly, you explain how the audience can take action to implement the solution bringing them to the conclusion that they will do it. 

In contrast, the problem-solution pattern puts more emphasis on the fact that their is a problem that needs solving versus having the emphasis on a particular solution.  Once the problem is established, a reasonable solution will seem logical.

I will opt to utilize Monroe's Motivated Sequence primarily because it appears to be a better fit for my topic.

Sea of Persuasion

I am probably immersed in a sea of persuasion a little more than some.  I work for a smaller home improvement company and we do tons of marketing and advertising.  I not only am one trying to be persuaded by others, but am also involved in the process of persuading.  A hefty majority of our day is spent with other people trying to persuade us about something.  When we turn on the radio there are advertisements, when we watch TV there are commercials, as we drive down the road there are billboards. All of these are  promoted by companies trying to convince us to pursue them and buy from them in their industry rather than their competitors. At home there are children trying to persuade us to spend our attention with them rather than their siblings or with housework. If we become aware of the fact that people and businesses are trying to persuade us, we will be less susceptible to the messages.  Rather than going with what appears to be the flow we will actually stop and think for ourselves what the best choice will be instead of going with the easiest choice due to the information being more readily available.

Language and Gender

I found the flickr dialogue to be mostly a waste of one's time and words.  I am not one to be offended by how things are phrased in relation to gender and don't think anyone should.  I believe that by having to make things be gender specific it reduces the amount of detail that is given.  For instance, I would find it much easier to say "the waiter" versus "the server who was male" (although I would be more inclined to say "the server who was a boy," but that would also be incorrect).  I believe that man was created as the more dominant of the two sexes and should be shown respect in that manner.  I will always say the husband's name before the wife's. For me it is more honorable to do so.  Even the terms "female" and "woman" have the masculine terms within them because he is first.  No part of man or male has a suggestion of femininity within them.  I think that there are a few people that need something to complain about and so have chose it to be the terminology in which they are referenced and have made enough noise about it that there is now rules to govern how people are referenced.  I believe the majority of people would not even notice they were referred to in an unfair manner if someone else did not point it out to them.  I know I probably wouldn't.

Managing Your Body

When giving a speech, how you carry yourself is almost as important as what you say.  What you say will not hold any relevance or capture anyone's attention if they are distracted by other aspects of what they are looking at.  Your appearance should both take into account the occasion and your own personality.  When giving a speech you should be speaking in such a manner as though you were having a conversation with the audience.  In doing such, you should be making eye contact and other gestures that include them.  Thoroughly practicing your speech will give you more confidence and allow you to do this better as it is a natural reaction to look up when you are trying to remember something.  Your facial expressions are one of the biggest things that will convey your own personal emotion about the subject.  Even if the audience does not hear your words, based on your facial expressions they should know if you are saying something funny, serious, exciting, or sad.  Correctly moving your body to coincide with your speech will be most perfected through practice and timing.  Matching gestures to speech content will help with the flow as you are giving your speech.  Keeping these things in mind will help drawn your audience in and help you be more comfortable as you give your speech.

Speech Buddy Videos

You would think that the subject matter of the speech buddy videos would be pretty much common sense. However, it is actually quite common that I will hear public speakers do everything wrong according to the speech buddies.  I remember very vividly having a history teacher in high school that was monotone and wasn't engaging at all.  I personally always have to pay attention to the speed in which I speak as I have a natural tendency to talk fast.  There are some speakers that I have listened to that were irritating just because of the pitch of their voice.  Knowing what pitch is the most desirable will assist in drawing in an audience and make them more comfortable listening to you.  Adapting to the audience is key in this regard. 

I think the video and discussion about how to practice your speech would have been more ideal towards the beginning of the semester.  Having an increased repertoire of how to practice is helpful.  It is good to see what techniques possibly work for others.

Eval #2

The purpose of my speech was to explain the benefits of massage therapy. I feel that I did achieve this purpose focusing on Swedish, deep tissue, sports injury, and infant massage. I was confident in the material that I had to present and am comfortable talking in front of people in general. However, I was nervous about the time limits. I could talk about the subject matter for hours so restricting and focusing the information at hand was a challenge. Also, remembering to incorporate the cited sources into the speech made me nervous as it is not typically something that I have to take into consideration. The biggest difference I would have made in preparation is to not start writing it the weekend before it was due which would have then allowed me ample time to rehearse it.  In regards to support and organization I don’t think I would have made any changes.  As far as delivery of my speech, the only change I think I would have made would be to step away from the computer so that I could not see it to read from the slides.

To improve the content of my next speech, I will probably attempt to get more quotes and statistics to assist in relevancy.   To improve the delivery of my next speech I will make it more of a point to have more eye contact… something that I think can always be improved upon.  Having to utilize power point rather than a visual aid that was tangible made this speech less enjoyable to give and had more of a sterile feel to it.  However, the power point display did allow us to display more aspects of the speech content. Since I don’t have the video to watch I am not sure if I did anything distracting or not.  Based on other classmates’ feedback there wasn’t anything specific stated that I did.  However, on the last speech I was told that I was saying “um” a lot and that was not brought up on this one.  

From what I remember I would rate my eye contact as a 7.  I tried to make it a point but am not sure if I remained consistent in it or not.  Based on this performance I would give myself an “A” rating.  I had a strong introduction and conclusion and main points, I utilized power point slides, and only felt that I showed nervousness on occasion.  Throughout my speech, I had 4 resource cites to acknowledge but think I only mentioned 3.   I feel that I performed my last speech better than this one mainly because I was more nervous about the time restraints with this speech.  Having a tangible object to talk about also helped maintain focus and flow.  I was aware of the fact that it helped draw the audience in.  Also, not having a tangible visual aid on this speech made me a tad more self conscious.  It added more aspects that needed to be remembered such as advancing slides, making sure to look at the audience rather than the slides, and having to utilize the note cards in conjunction with the slides.

Ethics

Utilizing the work of someone else deserves just as much respect as part of presentation media as it does when writing a paper.  That which someone else created took their own hard work, possibly money, and creativity.  Taking that which someone else created and utilizing it for a speech is fine as long as proper credit is given.  However, if one is so inclined to take that object and modify or tweak just to call it their own is not allowed. Proper credit should still be given to the original creator and depending on the circumstances, such as when using copyrighted music, permission must first be granted.

I am responsible for securing the mechanical license's for my friend who is a song-writer/musician. In order to cover anyone else's songs they must first grant permission even if our intent is not to earn money off of it.  Although it sometimes makes things complicated and is a bit more work, citing the original creator is definitely the ethical way to go.

Paper Handouts

Although they may seem a bit out of date, I actually prefer when a speaker uses paper handouts during a presentation, particularly when they have blanks that I need to fill out.  By having the need to fill in blanks, it draws my attention to the subject at hand as I am listening for the key words that I need.  In order for it to not disrupt the flow of the speech, these handouts do need to be passed out at the beginning of the presentation.  However, a handout that might be just more informative would be more appropriately handed out at the end of the presentation, especially if it is a repeat of slides or media that have already been shown visually.  The downside of utilizing paper handouts is that they are noisy, they can just become more trash to pick up, and it can distract the audience from listening and paying attention to the speaker if they are reading what is in front of them instead.

Presentation Media

Probably the most impressive use of presentation media for me was a couple of years ago when I went to a seminar on financial success in real estate.  The speaker was obviously a bit of a tech geek and was also a very talented public speaker.  During his presentation he utilized both power point and various websites.  He was obviously very comfortable utilizing presentation media. 

The presentation media drew the audience into the subject matter and allowed us to connect better with the speaker.  I was appreciative when there were key points that the speaker made that I was able to note down only because it was on the visual screen. I would have forgotten them if I had to rely solely on what I heard.  There wasn't really any point that I would say the presentation media detracted from the speaker's presentation.  If anything, if it weren't for the presentation media, I probably would not have gotten as much out of the seminar.

Speech Buddies

Unlike most of the speech buddy videos these actually held my attention.  It was good to be able to make note of how Evan, Janine, and Katherine set up and concluded their speeches.  It appeared to me that they had good flow and were easy to listen to.  Also, I noted that they were able to convey a lot of information in a short amount of time.  I was especially interested in Evan's speech as I greatly enjoy listening to techno music and find it relaxing.

From what I heard, probably the biggest thing that I will be able to apply to my own speech is how the introduction sets the pace for the rest of the speech and determines the flow.  If you have the speech organized well and have a good establishment of how the information you want to convey than it will be easier for you to communicate this information that is welcoming to hear.  By setting this up in the introduction, it takes the pressure off of having to establish it throughout the speech and you can convey more information.

In Conclusion....

 A speech is only as effective as its ending.  The end of a speech is like the last bite of a good meal... you want it to be the last good flavor that is left in your mouth.  How a speech is concluded determines the overall opinion of the whole speech.  Regardless of the information that was given or the style in which it was portrayed, the conclusion will determine what kind of lasting impression it leaves. 

The means by which a speech is concluded is an important aspect of how effective the conclusion is.  Using a quotation can help make the speech contents easier to relate to.  Through the use of presentation media the speech contents can be put in a visual perspective which for some is more easily remembered.  Dramatic statements can cause an emotional feeling within the audience that ties them to the speech contents.  This will leave a more lasting impression.  These are just some of the means by which it can help assure that a speech has the impact and effect that is desired from the speech.

Self-Evaluation

As I was presenting my speech I had a clear idea of the overall information that I wanted to cover, and some finer details that I would have like to cover.  My endeavor was to acquaint those that were unfamiliar with the sport of archery, to its history, mechanics of it, and its use in our culture today.  I feel that I accomplished this purpose during the duration of my speech.

Primarily because of the time limitations I was a tad nervous.  There  was a lot of information that I could have presented so choosing what was priority was probably the hardest part.  This is because I knew that I would have to cut off information that I found interesting but wasn't necessary to the fulfillment of the speech's purpose.  Knowing how to quickly eradicate unneeded information is a skill that will be developed through more practice.  The actual act of talking in front of people doesn't bother me at all. 

Preparing for my speech is probably the biggest area that I would change if I had it to do over again.  I was unable to practice delivering my speech at all which probably would have eliminated all nervousness if I had. The flow and organization of the speech seemed to be consistent.  I think the delivery was a bit lacking since I could feel that I was nervous although others say it was unnoticeable.  Although I did cite 4 references I did forget to mention them verbally.  This is the main way that I could improve on the support aspect.

For my next speech I will do thorough research to ensure that the content is all that I desire it to be. I am very familiar with the subject matter so having enough content will not be an issue.  For improving the delivery I intend to be more interactive with the audience. After I gave my speech I realized that I said "um" a lot.  Using "non-words" is something that I try to avoid so I will attempt to be aware and correct this in the next speech.  Although I don't have a video to watch, from my recollection I think I can safely rate my eye contact at a 7..  It is an important aspect to connecting with the audience and something that can always be improved upon.  As far as verbally mentioning sources, I know I mentioned at least 2 of the 4 sources that I had cited.

If I were viewing myself and had to give myself a grade it would probably be an "A".  I presented the material according to the guidelines.  I had a clear flow with an introduction, body, and conclusion.  My main points were clearly stated and explained.  My demonstration flowed well with the rest of the speech and fit well with the allotted time.  Although at times I probably came across as being a bit nervous, I feel that I sufficiently presented the material regardless.  The biggest areas of improvement that I feel I had was to verbally mention all citations, make more eye contact, and eliminate the "non-words."

Speech Buddies

For me, Katherine's speech was the most beneficial to learn from because it showed me a lot of what not to do.  First off, she seemed extremely rushed, probably because she was nervous.  Since she was talking too fast it caused her to stutter and stumble over words.  In turn, this probably caused her to be even more nervous.  Also, Katherine looked at her notes a whole lot.  It appears that she wasn't properly prepared for her speech.  She didn't feel confident in the subject matter or in the flow of the speech.  I believe this is a prime reason why some are nervous when they are speaking.  If you know your subject well, and have a planned out thought of how you are going to present it, then there is no reason to be nervous.  If you are feeling a little nervous, just taking a deep breath prior to speaking and concentrating on going slow and allowing the thoughts to process in an orderly manner will definitely help in the presentation.

Organizing a Speech

When someone is passionate about a topic, they may not have much trouble at all finding reasons to talk about it. However, the conversation can be very choppy as they jump from one topic to another merely as they think about it, not necessarily with any specific reasoning about it.  This is where speech organization comes into play.  It forces you to stop and think about the topic in a way that will make it easier for you to convey your passion in such a manner that the follower will be able to understand and possibly share in your passion.  Just thinking about the process is a good step in organizing your thoughts.

Placing your thoughts down in outline format causes you to begin to think in a general flow.  It causes you to think specifically about what you want to talk about, and then what details specifically you want to share through main points and sub points.  By utilizing this format you will be able to speak more clearly and the audience will better be able to understand and thoroughly grasp the information that you are trying to convey.

Stats and Facts

When found from a reliable and trustworthy source, statistics and facts can be very much utilized to drive home a certain point or to help sway an opinion your way.  From my experience, statistics are the most impacting when they are given a little at a time throughout the speech.  Some speakers that I have heard give a whole list of various stats at one time.  The only time that this has been an effective way to draw me in or to peak my interest is when all of the statistics given at one time pertain to me.

I often find it captivating when random facts are given throughout a speech.  I like to hear what someone else has taken the time to find out so that I don't have to.  However, I often find myself remembering what the facts were and having no clue what the speech was about.

An audience...

When one says the word "audience" most will typically think of a large group of people watching or listening to something on a stage.  However, we have audiences in everything we do everyday.  Anyone who is a parent knows that their children is their audience 24 hours a day.  Their children are watching, evaluating, and processing everything their parents say and do.  When we are with an audience of  friends, our friends are observing our responses, attitudes, and mannerisms.  Our spouses are such a captivated audience,  observing and knowing their mate well enough to actually manipulate and push buttons knowing the response they are going to get even before it happens.

With this in mind, we should be as aware of our everyday actions as we are when we are actually speaking in front of a designated group of people.  Just as you need to utilize audience analysis and adaptation with a group of designated people, you should be doing this with your children, friends, family, co-workers, and spouse.  You are always being watched and evaluated.  There is always an audience before you.

Knowing Your Audience

Adapting to your audience is a HUGE aspect of giving a speech.  If you don't draw in and cater to your audience there wasn't much point in speaking to begin with.  Even if you are speaking on a topic that the audience is interested in, if you don't deliver it in such a way that includes them they will become distracted and drift off from listening. 


Some things that need to be considered in analyzing your audience include the age of the audience, along with their standpoints, values, attitudes, and beliefs.  Other speech considerations are type of setting, the occasion, the time of day and duration of speaking time.  When giving your speech, you will adapt to the type of audience by choosing how you phrase opinions, choosing specific examples or stories that won't offend someone, including the audience with their feedback or acknowledging a situation that most will be already encountering in their life.

When I give my speech I will utilize speech analysis by recognizing that I am speaking to a small group, in a closed environment, to people that have a shared culture with me of being college students.  I will attempt to draw them in by catering aspects of my speech to include them or bring a relation of where they are in life to what my topic is about.

Ch.6 Speech Buddies

The speech buddies did not seem to be too incredibly helpful this week.  There was only one short video that seemed to cover material on research speeches and it mostly reiterated what was already covered in the reading.  Just as far as speech presentation in general goes, the slug speech was somewhat fascinating.  Whether or not Shaura really is a slug enthusiast, she at least had fun with the speech and played the part well.  The media slides that she used were not very visible, however I could get an idea of how they could be utilized to better express what she was trying to say.  To someone that is nervous, it could also be an avenue to take the center of attention off of the speaker and put it towards the media.  Also, it gives the speaker something direct to be talking about which can also help decrease the nervousness.

New Concept

The research interview was a new and unique concept to me.  I have not had much experience doing research interviews and never really thought about the strategy behind it.  It was interesting to me to actually label the different kinds of question asking.  Although I know that I utilize primary, secondary, open-ended, closed-ended, neutral, and leading questions, I can't say that I use them on purpose.  Typically, I would ask questions just as they pop into my head, not really asking specific questions on purpose or seeking a particular result.

Also, I don't believe that I have previously ever had a particular plan or layout whenever I have interviewed anyone.  The concept of having an interview guide is new to me.  Of course I always have a purpose when I interview someone, but to actually anticipate an opening, utilize different types of questions, and end with a specific conclusion is something I have never consciously utilized.  I can see how putting this layout to use could be beneficial to more efficiently getting the result from an interview that I want.

Research Interviews

My experience conducting research interviews is pretty limited.  In fact, I don't recall ever conducting one aside from interviewing candidates for job positions.  When I am interviewing, I am researching how well the interviewee will fit with the company.  The interview not only gives me an avenue to research what skills they possess based on previous work and life experiences, but also how they conduct themselves during the interview such as body language, how well they communicate, and their clarity and articulation in speech. 

Typically in this situation the candidates are nervous so I have found that the best types of questions to ask are primary, secondary, and closed-ended.  I am typically looking for very specific answers or responses and therefore, if I were to use open-ended questions, the topic may stray too much from the information that I am looking for. However, by asking secondary questions I have discovered that I oftentimes will find out valuable information about the interviewee's personal life that may also impact the position I am interviewing for. When conducting these interviews, I definitely stay away from leading questions.  The answers are typically very short and don't give an accurate representation of the candidate as it is easy to anticipate what the interviewer is wanting to hear and give the assumed response.

A Whirlwind of Ideas

I lived in Oklahoma for a period of time.  While there, I experienced a number of tornadoes and tornado warnings.  One of my favorite things to do was to go outside right before the sirens went off and watch the lightning and clouds swirl around, much like a strobe light. When I hear the term "brainstorm" I think of a tornado.  As a tornado travels along its path it will pick up whatever it encounters and toss it around and tumble it about.  Eventually the items it picks up will be either thrown about in some inconvenient array, or placed down unharmed. 

Brainstorming is probably one of my favorite aspects of preparing a speech.  Similar to a tornado, it involves picking up random pieces of information, some of which will be used in the speech, some tossed out of the way, and others put on a shelf for use at a later date.  Brainstorming has no limits to what ideas are potential content.  It gives allowance for any interactions that take place in daily life to become part of the presentation.  I always find it interesting to see what content I find that I am able to utilize in a speech that I probably wouldn't  have even considered if it weren't for the brainstorming process.  It is because of this very important piece of the public-speaking planning, that aspects of one's life are able to take their place in the presentation.

Buddy Learning

In seemed to me that a good majority of what the buddies said was already covered in the chapter reading.  Probably the most that I learned was the result of watching their body language and how they carried themselves.  They appeared to be comfortable in front of the camera. In observing Jessica giving her speech, I did notice how much I was attracted to the fact that she smiled so much.  It caused me to have more of an awareness at how critical facial expressions are when conveying a thought or opinion.  When she smiled, it gave the appearance that she was at ease in speaking even if she wasn't.  Also, it helped draw me in to what she was saying.

People often tell me that I look too serious or too focused on what I am doing. Being able to recognize my own personal reaction to the facial expressions of another will help me to be more aware of the affect my facial expressions are having on others and if I am communicating the same thing through my face that my words are.

Does what I say really matter?

Growing up my older brother was always pretty loud and obnoxious.  When he walked into a room his presence seemed to consume it, and not necessarily in a positive way.  Over the dinner table, most conversations somehow seemed to always get routed to either talking about him or for him to be the one talking.  As a result, I developed the personal opinion that what I had to say didn't matter.  Still to this day, he will ask me a question and go on to something else before I even answer. 

The repercussions of this that I have seen in my own life are that I typically won't take on a debate or try to convince someone that my way is right, and in a crowd of conversations I will have a tendency to listen rather than interject a thought or opinion on what is being said.  Probably my biggest speech anxiety is that no one really cares what I have to say. 

One tool that I plan to utilize to overcome this is visualization.  I will be visualizing the response and reaction that I want the audience to have and anticipate that to act itself out as I am giving my speech.  Also, by choosing a topic that I care about, my passion for it will come out which I know will draw in the audience causing them to want to hear what I have to say. Ultimately, I know that what I have to say is valuable.  If it affects even one person I know it was worth going through whatever anxiety I had to go through for that one person to hear it.

Helllo All!

My name is Wealth Creator and I am a nursing student.  I have been taking classes at Sierra off and on since 1997. This is the last class I need and I am planning on getting into the nursing program at ARC in the fall.  I work full time and spend the small amount of free time I have with my boyfriend, usually doing stuff outside.  Some of the things we enjoy together are hiking, biking, backpacking, and going to Motocross and Supercross races (he races, not me).  He has two children, a son who is 11 and a daughter who is 18. 

The most public speaking that I have done took place when I was a youth pastor for 4 years at Harvest Time Church in Lincoln.  I think if anyone can get in front of a group of teens and speak on a weekly basis then any other public speaking should be easy.  My goal for this class is to get an A and possibly learn some different styles of speaking and areas that I need to work on.  I look forward to it!