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Papa
Joe ~ Stuff & Things
Preparing a Story was written to the Students
at Sanborn Regional High School while I was providing a residency
program.
Folks,
I thought you could use a handout. Here's an excellent way to
prepare for an oral presentation.
Whether the source is oral or written, a list can be made of all
essential elements. The items listed should be short terms with
only the most important, if any descriptions. The items should be
listed in the order you wish to use them.
Next, visualize a picture, in your mind, of what the item looks
like. It should be a vivid picture and include any other of the
senses possible. Example: a rose could be imagined as a red
flower with many petals from a single axis on a green stem with
green leaves and imagine the softness of the petals, the sweet
scent of the flower, and the sharpness of the thorns. Each item
on the list should have its own complete picture. If the item is
an action, the visualization can be like a film clip.
Next, you will need to review the items in order, visualizing
each in turn, at least three times during a single study session.
You need to bring back the picture or film clip with all the
details each time.
Any special parts of the presentation such as poetry or complex
phrases can be remembered through rote and/or print them out on que cards for reference. The more you repeat them out loud, the
easier it will be to say them, whether you memorize them or not.
By the way, anything can be memorized for life if you repeat it
three times a day for at least 21 days. After that you'll only
need to refresh your memory by reading the lines out loud once or
twice before you want to use it.
Next, find a friendly audience. A mirror wouldn't do, but one or
two persons will do. Give your presentation to your audience, not
to the group, to each person in the group. Use your own words.
That way you don't have to remember what to say. Make sure you
give each person your personal attention for at least the time it
takes to deal with one item on your list. Describe the item to
that person. Make sure they understand what you're trying to say.
Make eye contact. Watch how they react to each statement you
make. The more attention you give to a person, the more attention
they'll give to you.
Consider what parts of the presentation were misunderstood.
Remember to pay closer attention to those items on your next
practice session. You may use your list during practice, but it's
better to do without, then check your list afterwards to see how
close you were. If you find some items were out of order,
consider whether you should revise the list to improve the flow
or if you should try to stay with the order as listed.
If you practice your presentation three times, you will find it
runs rather easily. Just review the list before each
presentation, ensure that you have your visualizations down, and
remember to talk to each person, one at a time, not try to talk
to the whole group at once. Try for a different audience each
time if you can find one. That way they won't know what you're
trying to say until you've told them.
More hints? Breath. Don't forget to take a couple before you
start. Be comfortable with how you look before you go. Speak
loudly enough to be heard by all. Have fun with the presentation.
If you don't like what you have to say, no one else will.
Everything you feel shows. So feel good. An audience wants to
feel good too. Don't worry about being nervous. The more you get
into your presentation, the more you'll forget to be nervous. So
be part of it. Get into it. Sometimes I recommend being loud and
crazy, but that depends on what your subject is. Don't do that at
a funeral. BIG HINT: Do plan ahead. It saves a lot of frustration
later. Finally, practice, practice, practice and rewrite,
rewrite, rewrite are the keys to success.
You can always call and leave me a message if you need anything.
Pax
Papa Joe
603-642-5880
Papa
Joe ~ Stuff & Things |