If a fear of speaking in public is holding you back then you owe it to yourself to take a Public Speaking Class as soon as possible.
Since I was a young teen I wanted to be a teacher, but the idea of standing in front of a room full of students, and sometimes parents, terrified me. See, I was very shy as a kid and well into my adulthood, so speaking in public was just not an option for me.
Once my children left home I found myself reconsidering becoming a teacher but I thought I could bypass the public speaking side of it by becoming an online teacher. That way I didn’t need to worry about who was watching me, I could just teach. But I was in for a surprise. There were no specific course selections geared to teaching through technology.
All the education classes were designed to teach me HOW to teach in front of a classroom full of people. I’ll be honest, I almost quit. But, I am not a quitter and I figured either I would conquer my fear or drop dead trying. So, as you can see I am still here, so let me tell you some of what my public speaking courses taught me.
First, I learned that everyone, yes everyone without exception, has some level of fear when it comes to public speaking. We are, after all, creatures who want acceptance and approval and public speaking opens us up to criticism, right.
Next I learned some tricks to help get me through the ordeal. Most importantly, I think, is the need for preparation. You need to prepare by researching the topic you will speak about. If you really know your subject matter, and are confident in that knowledge, speaking about it becomes much easier. It is sort of like talking to a small group of friends about something you love.
I also learned a few tips to help relieve the nervous jitters. One is to imagine your audience sitting there in their underwear. People tend to be much less intimidating when in their underclothes. Be careful though. If your imagination is too vivid you could erupt into fits of giggles and that would spoil the whole idea.
Today I am proud to say that I conquered my fears and can confidently walk into any setting and give a well prepared speech with confidence. I have also learned that I have become pretty good and speaking to small groups about things I love or know quite a bit about, without a second thought.
I truly believe that if I had not taken public speaking courses in college I would never have managed to reach a level of comfort when speaking to groups. And I will also admit that i probably would never have participated in many of the events, associations, and organizational meetings I now find myself involved with.
If you have a profound fear of public speaking the best thing you can do is sign up for a public speaking class. After all, the biggest fear really is the fear itself. You may suddenly discover a hidden part of yourself, like I did, that actually enjoys sharing your ideas and knowledge with others. Good Luck.