SPEAKING TESTIMONIALS
•Natacha B: “Effective
Speaking is the first class in [school] that I actually truly got
something out of it. There are no words to explain how I love the
class so much. This is talking straight from the heart. I used to
despise talking in front of the class. Now I look at it in a way to
speak my mind freely. This class showed me a whole new level of
confidence I never knew I had. Even though I would get nervous
before I did my talks, I would get this feeling of excitement when
I went to talk in front of the class. This is the first time I
actually liked going to a class in [school]. This class also gave
me an idea of what I want to do as a career when I get older. Not
only did I learn how to talk, I learned that I am a strong,
confident, and unique individual. . . . I want to thank you so much
for a lesson you taught me in life.
CONFIDENCE
•Michael J: First speech: “I was sweating and shaking. I
was nervous to get in front of the class. I then felt better when
my classmates clapped for me when I was going up. I felt a little
better but I was still nervous. When I finished my talk my
classmates clapped for me and said I did a good job. I also felt
better because they were quiet and they listened to my
talk.”
•Daniel B: “I gained more confidence when talking in
front of an audience.”
•Carlo E: “Then I present a show of my own, hear
positive comments from my classmates, and feel good about myself. I
still don't want to be a center of attention but now I’m more
comfortable doing what I have to do.”
•Vera M: “Public Speaking is the best class I have ever
taken. I saw the change in people like C and S who were never
outspoken and the change in them is incredible. I learned more
about my image.”
•Kate K: “I feel I have gotten a lot out of this course.
I am confident when speaking in front of a group of people
(especially my peers). I know I can get through an interview
successfully. In saying all this, it comes as an obvious statement
when I say I thoroughly enjoyed this course.”
•Tina C: “As a result of this course, I have gained a
confidence before my audience that I have never felt
before.”
•Jessica F: “I have learned a lot from it because my
confidence has grown and now I can’t wait to give my next
speech.”
•Diane S: “This class has made a big difference in my
life. Before Effective Speaking I was a lot shyer than I am now, a
couple of months later. The first time I went to make a talk, I was
scared to death. I was worried about what the rest of the class
would think. Now I feel so comfortable talking in front of people.
I actually have a lot more fun giving the talks now that I have
overcome my fear.”
•Vincent P: “Every one of my talks were successful and
each time I felt more confident than the last. Every time I get up
to talk now, I feel like I belong up in front. Learning to speak in
front of the room increases your confidence, self esteem and
comfort level as well as speaking ability and level of preparation.
Effective Speaking is one of the most worthwhile classes I have
ever had the pleasure of being in.”
•James K: “The way of complimenting and giving positive
remarks rather than criticizing has helped make it [speaking] more
comfortable and [I am] more willing to do a better speech the next
time.”
•Chris S: “Now after taking this course, I can
comfortably give a speech without the fear that I used to have. I
can now arrange mental notes so I remember what I would like to
say. Effective Speaking greatly helped me and I enjoyed taking it
this year.”
•Sean O: “This class is important because before I took
this class I used to shake and stutter when I got in front of the
class. Now people compliment my speaking skills.”
•AJ J: “I’ve seen numerous changes in
people’s confidence levels in front of the class and have
seen them improve drastically.”
•Kimberly P: “I was totally intimidated by all the
seniors and thought I wasn’t able to continue to take that
class. But, as time went by, and with the help of the class . . . I
was able to overcome the fear I had of speaking in front of the
class. By the end of the semester I was able to stand up in front
of the class in a confident manner and express myself.
Effective Speaking has changed me in many ways. I am now able to
raise my hand in class and not get nervous or turn red, because I
have found my level of comfort. I truly believe that it was
Effective Speaking which changed me. I am glad that I close to stay
in the class. Many of the students showed drastic changes in the
way that they speak. Everyone in the class has the ability to
control an audience. Most of the students in the class speak well,
most students will find that they can, in fact, go into a
profession where there is speaking involved.
•Paul I: “This was a class that I enjoyed very much, and
at the same time learned even more. This class helped me with one
of my biggest weaknesses and made me stronger in it than I ever
thought I could be. I loved going to this class to see what I was
going to learn that day. Plus, on top of everything else I believe
that this class gave me a lot of self-confidence in myself that I
never knew existed before.
SELF
ESTEEM
•Stephen K:
“This class, hands down, has boosted my confidence. I
especially like that all the comments were positive and no
negativity at all was used. In this class I felt more in charge
than others but yet still being the student.”
•Kevin G: “All of us made blunders but it was worth it.
This class does not just work while speaking to a whole bunch of
people. It also helps you one on one.
The second benefit of public speaking was learning how to be
yourself to get through to people. Each talk showed a different
side of our personality. That just let me be myself.”
•Lisa V: “One thing that is great about this class is
that I have an advantage over everyone who has not taken it. After
I was finished with my talk I received so many compliments about
how I looked so calm and I kept everyone’s attention. It felt
good to know that I did keep their attention without making a fool
of myself and also the fact that I now know that I can handle
talking or teaching kids my age and older.”
•Erin: “Leaving this class I feel my self esteem and
confidence has really gone up big time.”
•Jason K: “The best part about Effective Speaking is
pointing out the positives in a person’s talk. [The teacher]
lets you know all talents you have and makes you feel more
confident about these talents.”
•Beth S: “[The teacher] always gave comments that
boosted our self esteem and give us the will to do
well.”
•Krystal M: “After the class I felt more comfortable
about myself. It really picks up your self esteem.”
•Lauren K: “It [Effective Speaking] made us see that it
is possible to pick out something positive in everyone. It also
helped us to point out the pluses in ourselves before putting
ourselves down.”
•Michael A: “The most important aspect of the speech
class is that it builds up your self esteem and it will make you a
stronger person. That was the case for me. My fear of speaking in
front of large groups of people declined rapidly.”
•Sheana H: “Because of positive feedback, students
don’t fear criticisms. Everyone builds each other’s
self esteem by keeping an optimistic atmosphere and giving support.
This is very important in reaching our full potential.”
•Carlos F: “I got a lot out of Effective Speaking. When
I first started the course, I was shy and didn’t open up to
people I didn’t trust. I also had stage fright. I was always
worried about what people were thinking about me, whether it be my
voice, which was always made fun of in grammar school, or my
clothes, which I always tried to make perfect. I learned to change
all those things that I hated and enjoyed meeting and learning
about new people while in this course.
My first speech was rather terrible. I mumbled and didn’t
speak very loud. I moved my feet and played with my arms and
sleeves. I was glad for the positive feedback I got because it made
me realize that I didn’t do as bad as I thought and I needed
to do work on a few things and I changed those habits.”
UNDERSTANDING
OTHERS
•Carlo E:
“One of the major things about this course was not only
talking to the class but listening to my classmates’
presentations. Each person was unique in their
approach.”
•Sergio S: “. . . public speaking is more than an
academic class, but a bonding class where people learn about one
another by communicating.”
•Tina C: “Not only did I learn things for myself by
actually getting up in front of a group, but I learned a good deal
by watching and listening to others in the class.”
•Adam L: “Effective Speaking has also taught me how to
listen to others and be able to pick out the
positives.”
•Jessica L: “Effective Speaking has helped me most with
my people skills and conversational skills. I now listen better to
what people say and do when they speak.
•Cherod H: “I got a lot out of Effective Speaking
because I never knew how much I could affect so many people just by
my preparation and the way I presented my stories. The thing I
enjoyed the most is the positive feedback that I got from my fellow
classmates.
Because of the positive responses [the teacher] made the class
comment on about each individual, the audience could see a complete
metamorphosis in some students--students who were shy and did not
have the comfort level that they had at the end of the
year.”
•Alberto G: “The reason I feel that this class is so
effective to its students is because it makes you listen to someone
who maybe you have never spoken to before. It [the talks] will show
sides of people that you probably think were never there. It also
brings students closer together; it gives a quiet person the
spotlight for just 2 minutes and it also gives the normally loud 2
minutes to be serious as C. C. showed with his talk on his father.
Just by that one talk I learned a lot about all the people in the
class. No one said one word or laughed once because everyone knew
it was time to be serious. To see that side of someone whom I
thought would never be like that in front of a class, to see how he
felt good after his talk, to get some of that off his chest, to
feel better about one’s self was worth taking this
class.”
•Anthony D: “I learned to respect others and realized
that not everyone feels as comfortable as I do and that the best
compliment I could give them was my full attention. I watched my
peers improve and felt good about myself for being a part of it and
proud of them for accomplishing their goals. I closely listened to
the talks of the others in the class and learned a valuable lesson
from all of them. Also I learned that I can show many different
sides of my personality and that people will still appreciate what
I have to say.”
FRIENDSHIP
•Andrew
M: “. . . the best thing I got out of this class were the
friendships and connections I made. It wasn’t so much at all
what I learned in this class this year, but who I learned about and
I guess in a small way that I may have been able to do for
them.”
•Andrea A: “Effective Speaking is more than a class to
learn how to speak; it’s a class to learn to get out of your
comfort zone and let people know the real you.”
•Diane S: “Effective Speaking brought all of us closer
as a class. Just by getting up and sharing personal stories, we saw
a different side to each person.”
•Jim K: “The speeches my classmates gave helped me to
get to know others better and created a bond on which friendships
could build. It was an icebreaker to help spark new friends and
acquaintances.”
ACCEPTANCE
•Laura P:
“I, as well as every other student in this class, have grown
as a speaker from the beginning to the end of the course. We have
improved whether it was through our confidence, our articulation,
or our whole demeanor in general.
This class is very genuine because we the class have come together
and bonded through sharing and listening to the speeches that we
told. I enjoyed listening to the points and morals of some of the
talks, which were very important for life’s everyday lessons
such as self-esteem, treating others with respect, and the deaths
of loved ones. I gained the feeling that we have come together and
bonded with each other all because of this class. Now, because of
this class, I am comfortable with speaking in front of a large
audience. Therefore, I’m very glad to have taken this class
and I can contend that the title of this class is very
fitting.
•Carlos F: “This class helped me open up a lot. I became
a lot more comfortable with who I am. When I talked about my
parent’s divorce and then seeing the support of my class,
their listening and their applause made me feel a whole lot better
about my speech, my situation, and myself.
I also learned not to judge people. Prior to this class, I thought
DB, KG, and JR were all snobs, jock jerks, and conceited
know-it-alls respectively. I found out they weren’t and that
they are probably some of the nicest people I go to school with. .
. . through this class I learned not to think bad things about
everyone else.
Last December I went to Northeastern University for an interview
and the interviewer asked which is your favorite class. Even though
I get A’s in history and English, I said that Effective
Speaking was. It helped me open my shell and discover that showing
people the real true me is a good thing and they will always like
and respect it.”
•Caitlin F: “The reactions I got from the class was a
good feeling. Their reactions made me stronger and gave me so much
more confidence.”
•Sameerah S: “From Effective Speaking I have acquired a
skill of patience. I have learned that it isn’t that easy for
someone to get up and do speeches. Because of this I give them my
undivided attention, and respected them when they make a mistake. I
have also become more open with others in and from this class. I
have made friends from this class, who encourage me outside of
class to speak as I feel. I believe Effective Speaking is a course
where you learn more about you as a person, which helps you relate
to others.”
•Kimberleigh P: “In this class people can be themselves
and not worry about stupid comments or be made fun of because [the
teacher] always keeps the class on a positive note.”
•Alessandra M: “The final and probably most important
skill that I learned in class was to only look for the positive in
people. Because we were instructed to write down only positive
things on our evaluation cards, picking out the good in people
instead of bad has become second nature to me. This skill not only
makes other people feel better but it also reflects itself on my
own disposition. When a person learns to see the positive in other
people it brings a much more peaceful, optimistic outlook to the
rest of the world around them.”
•Judy G: “In the beginning I felt I was probably nervous
because I did not know how everyone would react to my talks. Just
the thought of having to go up and look at everyone made me nervous
but once I heard the class’s comments I gradually started to
relax. The class support definitely made the class less
pressuring.”
•Megan O: “The encouragement I received from my
classmates helped me through each speech. This class gave me the
ability to get my thoughts and feelings to the
audience.”
•Demetric G: “...it helps me become stronger as a person
by hearing all the positive things being said about me. ...helped
me grow out of my shyness.”
NERVOUSNESS
•Colleen
M: “Upon finishing [my talk] I was pleasantly surprised and
relieved that no one laughed, they just applauded. I faced my fear,
got the courage to speak and I felt success for the first I spoke
in front of a group. From that day forward I was able to face the
crowd and speak.”
•Scott W: “With this course I mastered the technique of
getting over my nervousness.”
•Kerry B: “Now after taking the class I realize that
being nervous is really just all in our heads.”
•Jessica S: . . . I found how to relax myself in front of
people. Now it’s easy to get in front of a class. I can just
get right up and tell it [talk] without any hesitations. Everyone
is there watching me and telling me that I did a wonderful
job.”
•Damaris H: “Taking this course has not only helped cure
my nervousness and bring about unforgettable experiences, but it
has also helped me to be a better person.”
•Kevin G: “Interview with Rider University: “When
I got to the interview I was a nervous wreck. I remembered the talk
we had on nervousness. I used the finger technique to keep my
poise... I think that is the main reason I got accepted to
Rider.”
•Beth S: “My Effective Speaking class has given me the
confidence, courage, and preparation skills to go up and speak--and
do it well.”
•Joe L: “I feel that I have improved simply because I
feel more comfortable up there and I know how to prepare for a
talk.
You really get to know people and what they are about. That is the
definite value and it makes the class all that more
special.”
•Kim W: “Just a few months ago, I would have shuddered
at the thought of having to speak before an audience. I knew once I
was up in front of the room, my stomach would be in a knot, my
hands would be clammy, and my heart would be pounding out of my
chest. I would be trembling all over, and my voice would convey my
nervousness.
However, now if I need to speak before an audience, I’m not
overwhelmed by the sense of dread I had once felt before. The
Effective Speaking class helped me to overcome my fear of public
speaking. Although I might still feel a little nervous at times, I
now know how to calm myself down by using breathing or other
techniques, and I know how to appear comfortable and confident in
front of an audience even if I feel it not. Also, stepping outside
of my comfort zone helped me to see different ways to capture an
audience’s attention.”
•Susan F: “When I began this course in September, I was
very nervous when presenting myself in front of the class. At this
point in time, I do not feel that nervousness any longer. In fact,
it has been amazing to watch as the people in my class have changed
along the way, and become so much more comfortable speaking in
front of a large group of people. “People skills” are
probably one of the most important tools that one needs to order to
become successful. And it is true when they say that first
impressions leave a lasting mark. So, I feel that this course has
helped me to improve my “people skills,” and in the
long run, that will help me greatly.
The Effective Speaking course offers students something beyond the
basics, and in that, helps each person progress into an eloquent
and poised speaker. This is a skill that comes into play every day,
and is essential to the success of each person. In my own personal
experience with this course, I feel as though I have transformed
from someone who might come across shy to a very articulate speaker
who is now comfortable when speaking in front of an audience.
Effective Speaking may not be a course that helps you get a 1600 on
the SAT’s, and its influence on the student may be more
subtle, but in the long run Effective Speaking is remarkably
“effective.”
•Laura P: “I am happy that I have taken this effective
speaking class. I’m fortunate that it was offered as an
elective because of the countless ways that it has helped me right
now and for the long run. This class was a great learning
experience. At the start of the course I nervously approached the
podium and struggled to speak in front of my peers. However, I
shouldn’t have been uneasy because [the teacher] does not
allow anyone in the class to snicker, mock, or laugh at the
speaker. Also, after each speech we compliment the speaker with
only positive feedback. In a world where we constantly hear
negatives, it is nice to receive positive regards from others
because by doing so it helps increase our self esteem. The class
has always been respectful to one another, and the value of respect
has always been enforced and upheld in Effective
Speaking.”
•David-John P: “...this class helped me a lot. I am a
very shy and quiet person. And what I learned in Effective Speaking
got me to be more sociable and to not be so nervous in front of
people in any kind of situation, may it be just talking to someone
or talking in front of a class. This class has helped me a lot. And
also when in the class you get to see what other people think and
feel are your strong points, it makes you feel better. So you know
people don’t have it in for you if you are the paranoid
type.”
SPEAKING
SKILLS
•Carlo E:
“The spontaneous impromptus help me to get my mind flowing a
bit quicker than usual.”
•Erica T: “Thinking on my feet is something I am walking
away with.”
•Sergio S: “A person cannot communicate well if he does
not master the art of speaking, and I feel that I have definitely
improved because of practice and good teaching.
I always loved speaking in public, but I had one problem. I was
nervous; I could not overcome my nerves. This class taught me ways
to relax, and the constant speaking in front of the room method
worked.”
•Mary D: “[The teacher] never told anyone to stop doing
something. It was always how about trying it this way and when
you’re being told to try new things, you feel yourself
changing for the better inside and out by your peers.”
•Amy K: “I learned so much. I learned about body
gestures, different techniques to grab the audience’s
attention, ways to remember talks, and more importantly that I had
what it takes to be a teacher.”
•Michael D: “I feel more confident and more relaxed in
front of a group. My nervousness has dropped considerably and I am
not afraid to give a talk. Without this class I probably would have
been just as nervous as I was before I took this class. I
don’t know if I need these speaking skills in college but I
am glad that I took this class and it was really worth
it.”
•Joey L: “...watching and hearing other students speak
helps you to become a better speaker. Listening to others speak
also helps to develop your listening skills.”
•Vincent P: “It [Effective Speaking] has provided me
with the skills necessary to deliver a dynamite talk to a large
group.”
•Judy G: “We also learned to use these strengths to our
benefit. Focusing on the positive played a significant part on my
becoming more confident.”
•Nicole W: “I saw how it greatly affected my fellow
classmates. In one semester I saw people transform from shy and
intimated to dynamite speakers. I did not just learn speaking
techniques but the strength of the human spirit.”
•Laura M: “I feel the closest to our effective speaking
class because we were able to get to know each other so
well.”
•Erica T: “The main thing I liked about this class was
it taught me how to remember my talks without memorizing it or
reading it word for word from a piece of paper.”
•Adam H: “Most of all, I think this class has helped me
organize my talk. I can go up to the front of a class, get a
situation and speak about it. I can connect it in my life to a real
experience. I can also improvise. I can make up a story so quick
now. This class I consider to be one of the best courses in the
school.”
•Fiona G: “The most important thing we learned was how
to plan a talk. For every talk I had to fill out a planning sheet.
This helped me organize my talks and ensure that the talk had a
beginning, middle and end. Having a specific format keeps the
audience interested because it cuts down on rambling. The
techniques for opening and closing a talk will always stick in my
mind.”
•Irene S: “I learned that eye contact is a very
important factor and including a personal incident helps to capture
the audience’s attention.”
•Caitlin F: “One of the ways I learned to capture the
audience’s attention was my silent pauses and my alert eye
contact. It helped me so much. This was my favorite
class.”
•Christian B: “This class helped me on being more
creative and helped me making pauses (when my mind goes blank) look
like part of my speech.”
•Brian M: “I used my new ability to be comfortable in
front of a group to give a speech and in a presentation I gave in
one of my classes. Being able to enunciate my words enabled me to
seem more profession in college and job interviews.
I use the relaxing techniques to calm myself down before wrestling
matches. They help me focus and to perform a lot better. I
don’t know where I would be without this course.”
•Alessandra M: “This course has done much more for me
than I ever expected. It has not just made me a better speaker, but
it has made me a better person overall. I now feel more confident
in my skills to relate to other people on a daily basis. I would
recommend this class to everyone because the lessons they will
learn they will carry with them throughout their lives. I never
would have thought that I would get this much from a class when I
could talk a lot and there was no final exam.”
•Michael A: “This class also prepared me for college and
my future. I feel I am one step ahead of everyone that attends
college with me in the fall.”
•Rafael R: “I have improved in being able to give oral
presentations in other classes. It helps with job interviews
too.”
•Kim W: “Not only have I benefited from this course when
it comes to formal speeches, but it has helped me in my everyday
life as well. I’m more aware of the way I come across to
people I meet for the first time, such as an older relative
I’ve never met before, and I’m much more confident in
interviews, both for jobs and colleges.
Effective Speaking has helped me to be more aware of the way I
present myself, so I appear to be calm, confident, professional,
and responsible. Because, after all, first impressions are
everything.”
GENERAL
REACTIONS
•Sergio S:
“Richard Nixon once wrote in one of his many books,
In the
Arena, that,
“the written word, no matter how elegant, is different from
the spoken word. It is often too sterile and lacks rhythm and punch
that a speech needs. That can be corrected to an extent if the
speaker works the language through aloud.” (Nixon 243). The
former President was an astute politician and known for his
successfulness in public speaking. He encouraged all to work on
their speaking ability for success throughout their life and as the
quote states, public speaking must be practiced and worked on. I
realized this and decided that maybe I should take the class, and
it has been one of the greatest experiences of my high school
career.
It is not a class using huge textbooks or a calculator, but it is a
class that gets results, which will help us in life, not only in
high school. I mean with sincerity that public speaking has opened
me up to others, and I will definitely seek to take some type of
speaking course in college.”
•JP R: “Overall, this class has been the most exciting
and entertaining class that I took.”
•Kim P: “This class is fun because it gives us a chance
to be creative which we don’t get to be very
often.”
•Melissa F: “This was the best elective that I could
have possibly taken and I’m really glad that I
did.”
•Michael D: “I did not know what to expect when I walked
into my first day of Effective Speaking. Even though I chose this
class as part of my schedule, I felt really nervous about it. I
pictured myself standing in front of the class, red in the face and
shaking life a leaf. I was worried that I would not know what to
say or forget my words and look like an idiot. But as I watched my
classmates do their talks, and then doing my talk, I felt like a
big weight was lifted off my shoulders. I was excited to go to
class and listen to the interesting talks that my classmates did,
and I became less and less nervous after every talk I
made.”
•Casey R: “Well once I got into the class I loved every
minute of it. I loved getting up in front of the class because they
are such great people that they are in no way rude or disrespectful
and they help you feel more comfortable up there. Whenever you ask
a question they respond with enthusiasm just to help you along in
any way they can.”
•Joey L: “Of all the courses that I have taken so far at
[school] I definitely believe that Effective Speaking has been the
best, “funnest,” and most helpful one. I love the fact
that the class is based on all positives. It is really wonderful to
hear about the good things you did and how great your talk was.
Hearing the positives boosts the confidence of the speaker and
helps them become more relaxed.”
•Adam L: “Effective Speaking is one of the best
courses/decisions I have ever made.”
•Stephen K: “I loved this class because it was all hands
on, no lecturing involved.”
•Monique D: “You have taught me that no matter how great
you are, you can always become better. I also learned that you have
to find what’s special within you and then others will love
you for who you are.
I have come to realize that if I have just an ounce of confidence
you can move mountains. Effective Speaking should be a required
course because it opens up your heart to what the world has to
offer.”
•Jen O: “This class by far was my favorite class and one
of the most helpful for my future.”
•Erica T: “Who would have thought that I would have come
out of my shell in front of a room the way I did. This class also
helped me see a whole other side of people that I would normally
just walk by and not even give a thought about. This was a real
personal class to the fact that some of my classmates opened up to
all of us and shared personal experiences. I learned how not to
show the fact that I am nervous because if I do I would be eaten
alive in a positive way.”
•Chris C: “...I don’t want to leave the class at
all.”
•Pat G: “Effective Speaking is hands down the class that
has had the most impact on me throughout high school. I could go on
about how well my ability to speak has improved and how effective
speaking is so important. Everybody already knows how important it
is and how the class helps students become more comfortable
speaking in public. I would speak of something I noticed about how
the class affected some of the kids I know.
What I saw was the changes in people’s personalities. Shy
people who would barely speak loud enough for you to hear them were
screaming in your face at the end of the course. Some of the most
impersonal people were able to share some truly personal stories
with the class. Also one of the most “unoutgoing”
person in our class has changed completely. The way I see it is she
changed from the things that went on in the class. She was forced
to get up in front of class and talk to everyone. So this class may
not be the most challenging or have the most work, but I feel that
it’s had the most impact on me and many of the other
students.”
•Steve H: “The class is not public speaking; it’s
effective speaking. This class affected my life sufficiently. I am
no longer afraid of speaking in public. My goal is to become an
officer in the United States Marine Corp. Because of the course, I
have more confidence now than I had before.”
•AJ J: “Effective Speaking to me is one of the most
important classes in our school.”
•Michael A: “This course was my favorite course
throughout this year.”
•Jill P: “I think every student should have to take the
class because it teaches you how to speak in front of a room and
actually feel comfortable. It teaches you to be prepared and how to
relate to the audience. It teaches you how to stand, speak, move,
etc.”
•Adam K: “What does one learn in 12+ years of education?
Ideally, one learns how to add, subtract, read, write, and other
tidbits pertaining to science, history, etc. Something is missing.
There is something that we take part in everyday of our lives, yet
12+ years of education refuses to recognize it. Of course, I am
referring to the art of speaking. The spoken word is indeed one of
the most beautiful artistic talents in this world. With words we
can cause others to shed a tear of sadness, crack a smile of hope,
or conduct themselves in whichever manner they choose to feel after
hearing our words float out of our mouths.
What I am trying to get at here, is that while math may play a part
in 40% of the actions in our lives, talking is involved in 90% of
the actions found in our day. Whether we are giving a speech,
speaking with a friend, or even talking to ourselves, it is still
there. It almost seems insane to not to help mold something as
important as the spoken word, which plays such a huge role in our
lives, during our years of schooling. By this you are obviously
avoiding a sect of children that excel in the spoken word, which in
turn does not allow their talents to grow.
I know this, because I was one of those children. The reason I
“was” one of them is because I happened to take the
class known as Effective Speaking. This class gave me ideas and led
me in the right direction on how to channel my abilities. The many
little “knick-knacks” that I have learned in that class
proved their worth rather quickly.
I had to deliver a speech in front of a semi-large audience of
perhaps 50 people or so. I went in with some butterflies in my
stomach, but surprisingly calm. I delivered perhaps the best speech
of my life, not that I would think so, but the compliments I
received convinced me that this class is the reason for my success.
Without it I would have gone in totally ignorant to the
audience’s needs. That night was perhaps my proudest moment,
for not only was I given the honor to speak, but also proved that
the faith they put in me was not a mistake on their part. I have
Effective Speaking and [the teacher] to thank for my proud moment
“in the sun.