Sometimes when I feel uneasy giving a presentation in front of a large crowd, I start feeling tingly. My stomach turns and I keep reading over my notes over and over hoping that the right message is said. This only happens moments before the bright lights turn on and the focus is on me. I have to make sure that all the information I am giving is correct, and up to date. From my previous experience, I gave more than one presentation on STD’s, HIV and most importantly, abstinence.
Like the chapter states, I had to adapt to my audience who were eager 8th grade girls. Most of the girls did not even know what abstinence was, so to inculcate this idea I wrote the definition in large poster paper and posted it behind me. Also, the chapter talks about the importance of visuals, the use of a visual does aide a speech presentation because whenever I randomly asked what abstinence meant, the girls would look; but, by the end of the presentation, they no longer looked, they had remembered its meaning, and most of all its importance.
As for the various types of STD’s and contracting HIV, the same technique was used, but most significantly the use of stories, statistics, and rhetorical questions were used to open the girls’ eyes about the dangers of having sex which have a huge impact in your life if you don’t use a good condom every time. I always acted calm and made sure that everything I was saying was true because of the seriousness in my tone. Yes, if something funny came up, they would giggle but I made sure that contracting STD’s was not a laughing matter. For all of my presentations, I made sure that I researched every detail if the girls had any questions no matter how random they were.
I was not always this confident about presentations so all I can say is that practice is key. Without practice, I think I would still be nervous and jittery.
-LTD
