1. Part 1: The P & Overcoming Nerves
How to Speak: PVLEGS
Part 1: The P & Overcoming
Nerves

2. Copy This Chart & Frame It
Poise: Appear calm and confident
Avoid distracting behaviors
Voice: Speak every word clearly
Use volume appropriate to the space
Life: Express passion and emotions with your
voice
Eye Contact: Look at each audience member
Gestures: Hand motions, move body,
expressive face
Speed: Talk with appropriate speed: not too fast or
slow, and use pauses for effect and emphasis

3. Poise Webster’s dictionary def:
“Easy, self-possessed assurance of manner; pleasantly tranquil.”
In plain terms, appearing calm and confident.
Why does that matter?

4. Step 1: Acknowledge & Understand the Fear
Please take notes on the following article regarding “stage fright” or fear of speaking. Put those notes here. There will be a brief open-note quiz when finished.

6. More on Overcoming Fear of Speaking

7. More Tips on Physical Fright
Positive Nervousness-think of the nerves as positive energy that’ll make your speech awesome, instead of boring. If you’re not nervous, you’ll probably give a dull speech.
Use physical movement to release tensions. My favorites:
-Tighten and then relax your leg muscles a few times.
-Push your arm or hands up against something hard
(like a desk or wall) for a few seconds, then release.
-Do the same, this time pressing your palms together.
(Tension, release…tension, release…tension, release).

8. Other ways to deal with fright: Planning Stage
Choose a topic that you know a lot about
Practice, practice, practice. When you think you’ve practiced enough, practice more.
Don’t MEMORIZE what you’re going to say. What happens if you blank?!
Positive Imagery: Athletes use this all the time. Picture yourself giving a great speech, how it sounds, how it feels, the audience clapping.
Visual aids: Help take all the stares off you
Make arrangements before your speech. Check out the room: Does it have a clicker if you need one? Projector? Mic?
Practice the beginning A LOT: Most people get nervous at the start, but then that fades as they get going.
Shift focus from SELF to AUDIENCE-It’s not all about you

9. Dealing with Fright: before the Speech
Arrive early and make sure what you need is there.
If possible, mingle.
Use the physical tension releases we talked about, take a walk, put arms up over head and breathe into your balls!
Pause before you start to get your thoughts together, make yourself look confident, add a little drama, and calm you down.
Think of COMMUNICATING, not performing.
No one can see your nervousness (unless you’re shaking)

10. Dealing with Fright: during the speech
Never mention or apologize for nervousness.
Don’t assume the audience is against you.
ACT like you’re already confident
Look directly at the audience
SLOW DOWN
Use your body to eliminate some energy by using your hands, walking around a bit, etc.
If you mess up and the audience laughs, laugh at yourself, too.

11. Poise Day 2
Review: Answer the following questions on the front of an index card of piece of paper.
What does the P in PVLEGS stand for?
What does that mean?
List three ways to overcome nerves (at any stage).
What’s positive imagery?
Name one thing you should NOT do, as discussed yesterday.

12. Poise part 2: Ticks
So #1 step to Poise is appearing to be calm and in control (dealing with fear, looking like you’re not scard, & appearing confident).
#2: Take notice of your annoying habits, or nervous “ticks”
Everyone has them, but they can become so annoying that people stop paying attn. to what you’re saying & instead focus on the tick

13. Examples of Ticks Head flick to get bangs out of eyes
Repeatedly saying “um,” “uh,” “like,” etc
Tugging at clothing
Hair twirling
Rocking side to side or back and forth
Happy feet
Tugging at fingers
Smoothing hair
Fidgeting with glasses
Scratching
Rolling and unrolling que cards
Pacing

14. More on ticks
Blushing, cracking voices, and quivering voices are also ticks, but cannot be fixed until you have physically calmed down.
Your job (when listening) is to not make fun of, laugh, or give someone a hard time over a tick that can’t be fixed.
How do you know you have ticks? YOU MUST FILM YOURSELF or have a friend watch you present.

15. Next Issue In poise: Body Language
If you’re standing in a way that makes you look nervous, or using too many hang gestures, the audience will know you’re nervous.
Poise involves knowing how to use hand gestures, movement, and body language.
This also involves reading the body language of the audience.
PS: YOU CAN’T USE A PODIUM IN THIS CLASS.

16. OMG I Can’t use a podium: hand gestures
Watch this video and take notes on the 4 major types of hand gestures. Make sure you write down at least one example with each.
We’ll find 3 more types of hand gestures in the next video, so leave room to write those in.

17. Stance, posture, and more
Check out this video and write down tips that you find important to know.

18. Do the Same with this 2 min clip

19. Read the audience

20. More on Movement
Yes, you CAN move around when you speak, but it needs to be smooth and necessary
Stepping to side: time the motion for when you are moving from one point to another, signaling transition
Stepping back: indicates you’re done with that part of the speech
Stepping forward: helps you emphasize an important point
*Constant movement becomes distracting*

21. Poise: Posture
You can’t look “self-possessed and assured” when slouching in your seat or slumped over a podium.
Before you speak at ANY TIME in this room:
1. Sit up (stand up) straight (shoulders back)
2. Head up
3. Get settled (think about what you’re
going to say)
4. Speak
5. Look at who you are speaking to

22. Poise: Handling Mistakes
Everyone screws up when speaking. What to do?
-Stay calm
-Acknowledge the error quickly
(“Excuse me, Poise not Points”)
-Keep going. Don’t stop, don’t dwell.
Fake it till you make it!

23. Exit Quiz!
What are the 4 types of hand gestures given in the first video?
List the additional 3 types of hand gestures given in the second video
Why do you need to read the audience’s body language?
Write one thing you learned from the tips given in the last video by Dananjaya Hettiarachchi.

24. Analyze & Put It All together
Dananjaya Hettiarachchi was the speaker who we ended with yesterday.
Watch his World Championship-winning speech, and as you do, write down the ways in which he shows poise.
Be sure to mention the techniques, gestures, and postures he’s using.
The more you can pick out and describe, the better your grade will be.
Take a second to look at your notes. You may refer back to them while you watch, but you will miss things if you do.

25. Ha! Not done yet! Answer the following after what you’ve written down.
Did you pay attention to the entire speech? If you zoned out, when and why?
What qualities did he show that made him likeable?
Why do you think that speech won a World Championship in Public Speaking?
List some of the things that he did that you’d like to be able to do when speaking.