Before I continue with my remarkable blog realization for the week, I want to congratulate everyone on a speech well delivered.
That being said, I noticed something not so wonderful about our speeches. As a class, we tend to bob. If you just read that sentence and said, “pshh… Not me,” then I am probably not talking about you (or maybe I am and you should better analyze your presentation skills). No one was doggie on a dashboard bad, but more rehearsal would have benefited most.
Ask yourself, is this you?
I am included in this bobbling group too. I knew it while I was giving my speech too. No matter how focused I was on what I was saying, it amazes me that I was still able to have a running dialogue with myself while presenting.
A brief glimpse inside my head:
…I am looking down at my notes too much. I need to make some eye contact. Okay, I should make eye contact when I actually know what I am saying so I don’t get lost. I don’t like the way I’m standing right now, but I can’t move too much, that’s distracting. Eye contact. Notes. Eye contact, eye contact, eye… don’t know what comes next, notes. I’m still not comfortable with the way I’m standing, but eye contact…
It’s not that I didn’t know my speech, because I did. I don’t even know what makes me feel this need to look at my notes. You could say it was nerves, but that doesn’t make sense to me. From my ‘this I believe’ many of you know I’m a dancer. So putting myself ‘out there’ isn’t really that big of a deal for me. I’ve performed a half-time show, learned in about a week, in front of 110,000 of my closest friends at Beaver Stadium, multiple times. Before those shows I didn’t have a second though. It’s just half time. But fifteen people, who also have to give practically the same speech, makes me cling to note cards.
{I know, I don’t get it either.}
I’m just going to have to prepare more for the next speech, so I can kick the bobbling habit.
What are you talking about? You gave great eye contact! But it's admirable that you focus on aspects of speech that you think needs improvement. I remember your speech well because it was delivered so clearly! Well, I bobbed my head because I was so nervous--I don't know why. I think it's just that room because I'm so fine in other rooms ahaha
ReplyDeleteGreat post -- honest, humorous, and insightful. You're right: notes can get used as a crutch. They're there, so we look at them. It's this magnetic draw.... a force as strong as gravity.
ReplyDeleteDitching the notes -- or really, really paring them down -- might be one way to stave off the reliance on them.
Thanks for a great post here!