I gave my Ted Talk about the relationship between homosexuality and Christianity. Overall, I think I did a pretty good job getting my message across and speaking confidently, but I definitely could have done better. I clearly said what I would like to throughout my talk, but I did not show how confident I was in discussing my topic.
There were a few things I did not do very well. Right away, I stumbled on my intro and turned around to glance at the screen and I forgot I had the slides right in front of me. I have no idea why I could not manage to say “I will be talking about the relationship between homosexuality and the Christian Church” without pausing before saying “Christian Church.” The bright lights and just getting nervous about speaking in front of a group must have got to me. I notice that throughout my talk, I often spoke fairly quickly. Sometimes I seemed to notice this and slow down, but the speed changes made my talk seem less practiced and unprofessional. Also, there were some facts and stats that I had memorized that, under the pressure of speaking and being graded, I forgot the exact numbers (66% approval vs. 68%) and verse (Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind; it is an abomination -Leviticus 18:22) I had used to prove my points. The pressure of the speech and small mistakes I made with my words only helped to make me more nervous and make more small mistakes, but I definitely did a few things well.
Throughout my presentation, I looked like I definitely understood my topic. I clearly looked like I had practiced my speech even though I stumbled on words and certain facts. The best part of my presentation was its organization. Everything seemed to flow in order of time; it began with the problem, then talked about change, and concluded with how the church is changing its views (granted slowly). I particularly enjoyed the stories I told about going to Pittsburgh and hearing about how my aunt’s church had fired a gay pastor and also the other story about how my church is supporting gay marriage. It related personal life to my topic well, and also helped me regain my confidence mid-presentation. Overall, I conveyed my message clearly and effectively, but it was clear that my nervousness was preventing me from saying everything as smoothly as I would have liked.
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