Public Speaking For Smarties, not the Others

Public Speaking For Smarties, not the Others Envirothon Public Speaking Training, 2009 Judith P. Leith Ed.D.

Now that we have passed…. • The Mechanics *Eye Contact *Stage Presence *Tone *Rate All the other stuff, like ??????? (think with me, here)

Some Other Aspects to Consider 6 P’s of Preparing a Presentation Picking the right topic (in our case, picking the problem aspect to address) Perusing material Pondering Piecing together ideas Practicing presentation aloud Pronunciation checks for proper nouns, unfamiliar terms

Transitions Various Ways • Refer to next speaker • Change stage position • Refer to visual aid (poster) • Anything that breaks the pattern- BUT, be careful, don’t lead focus to the transition itself • Can do the usual “And Now” or “Here is” – it works, but is kind of trite

Give Me a BRAKE • A mental brake, that is. You should have your rate of speaking down by now, but here are some strategies for when you speak too fast. Imagine an audience of young kids to whom you have to explain a difficult concept Use difficult word combinations which force you to slow down so that you don’t stutter over them

The BRAKE Continues • Do specific practice sessions concentrating on varying your speed- addresses both rate and effect • Edit your material so that it fits your time • Remember that varying your speed can be effective to make a point or restate a concept

“Acting” Like a Public Speaker • The larger the crowd, the larger and slower the gestures- WHY? • Small crowd, or videoconferencing, or on TV, use smaller gestures-WHY? • Eliminate distracting or nervous gestures; but don’t add new ones unless you practice • LET YOUR WORDS TRIGGER YOUR ACTIONS- hold out fingers if counting, etc.

Setting the Stage before the “ACT” • Agree as a team as to how you will dress, stand, speak, transition, use poster, etc. • Energy=Power Also called enthusiasm, fire, passion, etc. If you don’t care, why should your audience (and judges)?

“Acting” with the “Script” • Note card use Don’t read it – memorize it to a point where you can glance down. Have words or outline only Credibility rises- “This person knows his stuff; even if I don’t agree, I can see this person believes in their message.” Can memorize easier in “chunks”; goes in brain easier, gives you more available time to practice

This Time, a BREAK Not good- you lose your audience. Can be from: • Jargon, repeated phrases • Mispronunciations • Unneeded “Lofty” vocabulary- save it for the SAT’s • Distracting actions • Taking your audience where they may not return- “Remember a time, event, etc.”

Color Use on the Poster • Black, blue, and green have greatest visibility • Blue is the most pleasing color to look at, with red second (Pleasing and Visibility are not the same) • Do not do entire poster in red; avoid purple, brown, pink, and yellow • Permanent markers give most vivid color; water colors are less vivid- follow RULES

Using Colors Psychologically RED= brutal, dangerous, hot, stop DARK BLUE= stable, trustworthy, calm LIGHT BLUE= cool, refreshing GRAY=integrity, neutral, mature PURPLE=regal, mysterious GREEN=organic, healthy, new life, go money ORANGE/YELLOW=sunny, bright, warm BLACK=serious, heavy, profitable, death

Think of These C’s for Success (and Less Stress) Credible Creative Caring Competent Cohesive Calm

Public Speaking For Smarties, not the Others