If a fear of speaking in public is holding you back then you owe
it to yourself to take a Public Speaking Class as soon as possible.
Since
I was a young teen I wanted to be a teacher, but the idea of standing
in front of a room full of students, and sometimes parents, terrified
me. See, I was very shy as a kid and well into my adulthood, so speaking
in public was just not an option for me.
Once my children left
home I found myself reconsidering becoming a teacher but I thought I
could bypass the public speaking side of it by becoming an online
teacher. That way I didn't need to worry about who was watching me, I
could just teach. But I was in for a surprise. There were no specific
course selections geared to teaching through technology.
All the
education classes were designed to teach me HOW to teach in front of a
classroom full of people. I'll be honest, I almost quit. But, I am not a
quitter and I figured either I would conquer my fear or drop dead
trying. So, as you can see I am still here, so let me tell you some of
what my public speaking courses taught me.
First, I learned that
everyone, yes everyone without exception, has some level of fear when it
comes to public speaking. We are, after all, creatures who want
acceptance and approval and public speaking opens us up to criticism,
right.
Next I learned some tricks to help get me through the
ordeal. Most importantly, I think, is the need for preparation. You need
to prepare by researching the topic you will speak about. If you really
know your subject matter, and are confident in that knowledge, speaking
about it becomes much easier. It is sort of like talking to a small
group of friends about something you love.
I also learned a few
tips to help relieve the nervous jitters. One is to imagine your
audience sitting there in their underwear. People tend to be much less
intimidating when in their underclothes. Be careful though. If your
imagination is too vivid you could erupt into fits of giggles and that
would spoil the whole idea.
Today I am proud to say that I
conquered my fears and can confidently walk into any setting and give a
well prepared speech with confidence. I have also learned that I have
become pretty good and speaking to small groups about things I love or
know quite a bit about, without a second thought.
I truly believe
that if I had not taken public speaking courses in college I would never
have managed to reach a level of comfort when speaking to groups. And I
will also admit that i probably would never have participated in many
of the events, associations, and organizational meetings I now find
myself involved with.
If you have a profound fear of public
speaking the best thing you can do is sign up for a public speaking
class. After all, the biggest fear really is the fear itself. You may
suddenly discover a hidden part of yourself, like I did, that actually
enjoys sharing your ideas and knowledge with others. Good Luck.
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