There are lots of articles and tips on how to deliver a good speech. Just search and surf, and you will be presented with pages after pages offering informative advice on this topic.
I am and have been a teacher since the beginning of 1989. That’s twenty-one years now. In my line of duty, in a way, I practise public speaking a lot. Here, I would like to share my own experience on speaking in front of a large group of people.
My audiences consist of around one thousand students and at other times, fifty of my colleagues, the other teachers. The tone and body of speech will differ according to who the audience is. In this article, I will concentrate on delivering speeches to students.
You shouldn’t put in too much facts when speaking to students. They prefer to listen to stories pertaining to them and their peers. For example, when trying to inform about the abuse of drugs, instead of harping on facts after facts, why not talk about someone who takes drugs illegally, and feature that person’s daily struggles while on drugs. Try your best to braid the facts into stories the students can easily relate to. This way, you will succeed in captivating their interest.
Of course, w
atch your tone, your rhythm. A microphone is compulsory. Surely you don’t want your audience to wander off to dreamland. When inducing a sad line, soften your voice and use longer pause.
When called for, shout if you must. Do whatever it takes to enliven your session. At times, you can even include a short song/poem reading. A monotone(absolute NO NO) on your part is like forcing your audience to watch paint dry.
Grill them! Get them to participate either orally or distribute papers for them to mark their answers. Don’t give them any space that can be filled in with behaviours leading to chaos, though! This can be achieved by letting them know the limit to their conduct. Address them all. Connect to each and every one of them. Use eye contact. Let them know that you care and you are transferring the information to make them a better person.
Talking about your own fear ... After more than twenty years of delivering speeches in front of large groups of people, I still find myself fighting the butterflies deep inside my stomach right before a speech. So, I guess, they will always come. But, then you will learn to make them go. Just deal with it. It’s normal to experience a certain level of nervousness before you walk to the podium.
Experience teaches pretty much. One will grow better eventually. So, the next time you are asked to climb the stage, take the challenge. The more you do it, the better you will be.
