Michelle Li, 3/19 Week 13 - Person of American Significance
David Koresh, my Person of American Significance. Image source: Financial Times
I think it’s because I don’t notice how I deliver my speeches. When I’m presenting, I switch into a different mindset where I cut out filler words, enunciate things for emphasis, and use hand gestures. It happens near automatically now through a phenomenon called implicit memory---a type of long-term memory that causes us to unconsciously recall behavior or skills, typically through repeating these habits in the past.
Since delivery has become second nature, I only focus on the content of what I’m speaking about—which I’ll admit was lackluster and cut out important information I wanted to include. Still, your manner of speaking is just as important as the content you display on the slides. If you’re confident enough, the information you show will look better. Here are my top five tips for everyone who has yet to present for POAS:
Slow down. The faster you speak, the more likely you are to start stumbling over your words.
If you do mess up, brush it off and move on. Start the next slide with a clean slate. Once you concentrate on a blunder, it becomes overwhelming and you’ll keep making mistakes.
Practice in front of a mirror and be intentional with your hand gestures. Some people get nervous but still want to use hand gestures, resulting in their arms flopping around without actually emphasizing key points.
Unless you’re walking around the classroom, plant your feet. Don’t shift your weight.
If you are walking around, make sure it’s natural and the movement comes with a change in topic. However, walking back and forth too often (intervals less than a minute long) just looks like nervous pacing.
Good luck!
Hi Michelle,
ReplyDeleteReading your blog gave me a quick flashback to my post-presentation thoughts, and I was immensely embarrassed as well. I remember when I presented and felt like a rock stuck in place while talking. Your POAS presenting tips are great; it would have been useful if I did not present on the first day before you. I totally agree with the confidence part; I genuinely forgot to time myself even though I brought my phone up there, and I still got within the time range like when I had been practicing. Being confident is 100 percent recommended, but it is also important to be calm and know what to do. Great blog!
Hi Michelle! I can finally understand our experience presenting as I am finally done presenting my person. I totally understand that feeling of disconnect between how I perceive how my presentation went versus how others see them. I remember after mine I felt like I made so many mistakes, and I was tearing apart every little mistake. However, afterwards people told me it was good, and it made me realize I don't remember the whole thing but just the bad parts. It's comforting to know it's a common experience.
ReplyDeleteYour tips are really helpful, especially the one about planting your feet. I hadn't consciously thought about that before, but I can see how it would project more confidence. When my leg was shaking, I tried planting it and it helped me level myself.
Hi Michelle! I’m still preparing for my presentation next Monday—to say I’m nervous would be an understatement. I’ll make sure to keep your tips in mind, I’m super thankful for these pointers!
ReplyDeleteI know that you’re a dancer and a cheerleader; I’m also a dancer, so I’m sure that both of us are familiar with performance and its similarities to public speaking and giving presentations. As I read your blog, the points reminded me of how I act during a dance performance or audition, such as brushing off mistakes and keeping a clear head. Your point about implicit memory also resonated with me well, especially in relation to muscle memory in dance.
Hello Michele, I loved your tips regarding presentation tips for POAS, unfortunately I have already given my presentation. One concept I highly resonated with was implicit memory, I have participated in giving presentations and performing skits tumultuously ever since I was kid, along with my extra extrovertish nature I have joked about how I am unable to feel social anxiety. To be honest, I had not spent any time on POAS presentation, I spent 2 hours at most the night before the presentation, and those minutes sporadically, spending from 8pm to 4am as I spent the night doing POAS, binging my TV show and doing a lot of calculus. I felt underprepared for that class compared to my other English presentations. Yet, as soon as I got on stage, I got possessed by someone else's body, and my entire self changed. On a closing note, I loved your POAS, I still believe that you still had the best POAS, It was so good and I was so entranced that I almost just forgot to take notes.
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ReplyDeleteHi Michelle, I wish I saw your tips before my presentation! I really wish I knew your last tip before my own presentation. I didn't practice my body language for my presentation so honestly a lot of my movements were simply what I felt was right at the moment. Going off script for me tends to break my flow and make me get nervous on the spot. However, I actually went to one of the POAS Presentations Workshop and one really important thing I remembered from it was that no one knows your script except you. It honestly helped me so much to not get stuck on my mistakes which ties into your second tip on just moving on from mistakes. Your tips are genuinely so helpful, especially the last tip for me personally, also your presentation was great!
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