Reviewed by Dr. Dennis Becker

If you’re not exactly thrilled when your teacher announces that the next big assignment is a speech or presentation, you’re not alone! Few people really enjoy speaking in front of groups. It can be a little intimidating when you have to stand in front of the class and start speaking. Add to that the fact that most public speaking in school settings is graded, and you’re bound to have at least a few worries. But many teens don’t even know exactly what they’re nervous about. It’s a good idea to figure out why you might get nervous before a speech, so you can find ways to stay cool and collected.

Some common things that you might be worried about are: messing up the speech, getting a low grade, looking foolish, or seeming nervous. But if you go through each of these concerns, you’ll find that they’re not as bad as they seem. If you think about it, a speech or presentation is just another class assignment. You shouldn’t worry about your grade or messing up any more than in any other situation!! And we all make fools of ourselves sometimes (yeah, ALL of us!) So what is there to worry about? The other concern about looking nervous SEEMS pretty easy, but it can be really hard for some people to control. Sometimes you might not know why you’re nervous, or how to stop feeling nervous.

Luckily, help is on the way! It doesn’t matter if you’ve had trouble with public speaking in the past, you CAN manage a complete turn-around. If you think you’re already a “crowd-pleaser,” you can still take a look at how you can get even better. Look over different types of speeches and public speaking under “DEFINED,” and find out how you can wow your audience with your words under “HOW TO.”