Start.Stop.Continue #2

Start:

I really liked Connor’s use of props in his Police Interrogation Speech

• When he slammed the papers down it had everyone’s attention
• It gave you a first hand feeling of what he was explaining
• The entertainment aspect made it enjoyable

I also really liked Polly’s choice of video

• Though it wasn’t an actual example of what a server should act like when taking an order, it was humorous
• Everyone knows what it’s like to have their order taken so instead of showing the audience something redundantly obvious she showed us what “not to do” in a creative and entertaining way
• This “mean” waitress was out of the ordinary and therefore kept everyone engaged

Though I made an improvement from last time, I still need to use more hand gestures

• This was an area on my rubric which showed a need for improvement
• Speaking with the hands adds a sort of fluency to what you’re saying
• I made an effort this time to use more and restrain from showing nervous hand ticks but more improvement is needed

I still need more practice prior to my speech

• Practice will enhance my confidence in what I have to say and thus help me ease off the board

I need to start making better eye contact.

• This goes hand and hand with my over-reliance on the screen. If I stop looking at the screen so much it will allow more opportunity to really connect with the audience by dispersing eye contact over everyone.
• This is so very important because it keeps your audience engaged.

I would still like to pace myself better

• At first I was worried that I wasn’t going to be able to talk about anything for 5 minutes, but after I really got into my topic, I found that there was so much I wanted to talk about. This became an issue when I went to address the moves. I had been so worried about going over the time that I quickly went over the moves slide without giving a full analysis of why they were important.

Stop:

I said “uhm” a total of 4 times.

• This is a great improvement from my use of “uhm” 11 times in my previous speech. Even with this improvement I feel that it shouldn’t be used at all, so hopefully by my last speech I will be able to completely ban the use of this “filler.”

Stop relying on my screen

• This was a note made on my grading sheet that went slightly below expectations. I want to make sure I don’t leave any of my information out so I tend to constantly look at the screen in order to make sure all my points have been made
• This again, can be improved with more practice by knowing what I want to say before I say it.

Stop leaning to one side when I’m presenting

• Although I like the tone a casual stance gives in terms of making myself and others feel more comfortable, I don’t feel it is appropriate for a presentation. Posture is key to how you are perceived and even though my audience isn’t a very formal one, a firm stance is something I need to get in the habit of.

Continue:

• I again believe that my topic was interesting enough to keep everyone engaged and showed that I was actually interested in what I was talking about instead of just getting the assignment over with by using a generic speech.
• I felt that the formality of my speech was appropriate for my intended audience
• I again felt the tone of my voice was good for this speech as my vocal tone fluctuated thus preventing a boring mono-toned presentation  
• Again, I felt that I came off confidently and didn’t look or sound nervous. This is especially important because I know as an audience member that when I perceive a performer to be nervous, I become anxious for them which distracts myself completely from what they’re saying and makes the entire performance rather unpleasant to watch.
• Kinesics! My facial expressions were good, I didn’t come off as stone cold. The smiling allows for a positive and comfortable vibe in the room.
• I liked that I provided an overview side as an introduction and closing to my presentation. I learned this technique in Interpersonal Communication last semester, it really helps your audience follow along with what you’re presenting as well as reminds them at the end of what you covered, further reinforcing your points.
• Although they weren’t perfect and there’s still room for improvement I feel as if I did allow for some slight moments of pausing during my speech, these were to replace those annoying “filler words” and allow for a paced and controlled overall atmosphere.
• I liked that I was able to move around more during this speech, though it wasn’t as much as I would have liked, I made it a point to move away from the computer and stand more central while pointing to things on the board.
• I think this time around I was able to project my voice much louder than I had prior and I think that’s due to feeling more comfortable as this isn’t the first speech