Reflection on Speech One

Posted on September 19, 2012 by Megan Flaherty

In retrospect, my very first college speech went better than I had originally thought. What I mean is that I originally expected myself repeating the scene from the “Princess Diaries” where Anne Hathaway gets so nervous during a speech in front of her class that she makes herself physically ill. With that said I feel that there were multiple improvements that I could have made during my speech. The first thing that I wish I could alter would have been my confidence. Because it was my first speech since senior year, I did not feel the most comfortable speaking in front of an audience; and I feel that my nerves showed during my speech, ultimately hindering my performance in the beginning. Towards the end of my speech, I began to feel a little more comfortable and therefore feel that I will not be as openly anxious for my next presentation as I was during this speech. Another aspect of my speech that I wish I could have changed is my introduction. I noticed on the peer scoring sheet that one of the criteria included how engaging the introduction was. For this reason I wanted to “hook” the audience by giving a personal introduction and then transition into the core topic of my speech. However, I feel that my introduction took up to much of my already limited time and I therefore felt rushed after completing the beginning. Overall I am glad to say that I completed my first speech in college and have been enjoying listening to everyone else’s speeches as well.

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3 Responses to Reflection on Speech One

  1. Pete Goodman says:
    September 24, 2012 at 12:05 am

    Megan, I thought your speech went great. You shouldn’t be so hard on yourself. Overall I thought you showed great poise and confidence. Your introduction was informative and even though you thought it went a little long, I think it turned out fine and was a great way to inform your audience on both your aunt and the Head Start program.

  2. kpg5077 says:
    September 21, 2012 at 2:01 pm

    Megan,

    I am also very critical of myself when it comes to public speaking. However, as a member of the audience, I thought you did a very nice job. Although you were nervous, I could not tell from my point of view. Your points were clear and one thought transitioned nicely into the next. I do not give my speech until Monday, so I was able to take this week to observe other members of the class and their speaking techniques. As one of the first speakers, I think you should be extremely proud of yourself!

  3. amg5834 says:
    September 21, 2012 at 1:56 pm

    Megan,

    It is totally understandable that you were nervous. Remember my story?!

    I do think you are being a little hard on yourself, though. Your introduction seemed just fine. The purpose is to essentially introduce your topic and did just that by starting off with a story about your aunt. (It was your aunt, right? I hope I’m not mixing things up!) Also, it is a good sign that you are more aware of your timing. I don’t recall your introduction dragging on, but it is definitely something to consider.

    The only thing that I can suggest for next time is that you maybe speak up a bit with more confidence, like you had mentioned. Believe that your speech is good and you will deliver it well!

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