Experiences with public speaking
After recently reading Pamela Mertz’s “You Only Grow by Growing,” I am intrigued by her comfort with public speaking, but difficulty publicly sharing things that are personal to her. What are your experiences with public speaking growing up and as an adult as a person who stutters? Do you find sharing personal things publicly to be more difficult? Why or why not? As a future speech-language pathologist, I’d love to be able to gain insight into the types of experiences and viewpoints people who stutter have with public speaking, as this would help me learn how to help prepare people who stutter for public speaking in a way that would ease potential anxiety and instill confidence. Thanks for your time and consideration!
Thanks for your interesting question. I went from wanting to be mute and completely vanish from this earth, to being a public speaker, speaking to children and teachers, to national and international politicians, to hosting speaking circles courses. Doing this helped me to come clean with my emotional luggage from my past. Children ask the most personal questions, and telling my story to others gave them the confidence to pay it forward. It also prepared me to speak in public at work, at parent meetings and at a large gathering to save the music education in our village. It even helped me to cure my dentist anxiety! 🙂
So yes, public speaking is a great tool, but with the right audience. Start with Speaking Circles and improve theatre. Make speaking fun. 🙂
Happy ISAD and keep talking
Anita
Sure I stutter. What are you good at? 🙂
When I was in my teens I used to avoid public speaking in any cost. It was one of the biggest fears of my life. Later in life it also became a motivator for me to succee as a public speaker in order to compensate those years of anxiety and shame. I started by practicing in safe situations, such as speaking publicly in front of people in self-help meetings, workshops and events for people who stutter. I gained a lot of confidence through Speaking Circles as Anita also mentioned above. In Speaking Circles you practice public speaking by receiving only a positive feedback about your speech from your audience. Now I have ended up to the point that I am able to have speeches in front of fluent audience in the public speaking courses in the university. I am also organizing public speaking workshops for people who stutter. In order to end up into this point I have been taking small steps forward and building up my confidence slowly during the years.
Happy ISAD and I hope this will be helpful for you!
– Satu