to be truthful. IMO it would be much easier to put together a fantasy. I was born in 1412 in what is now Arizona. My dad was a rocket scientist.

nice outline though, maybe your idea is best.

Your idea sounds like it could be fun, though.

who had a similar writing assignment; come up with ten things about yourself. She wrote a very funny paper that received an A, as typical for everything she does. She said the true value of it was observing how difficult everyone else had made it.

You've done an excellent job of condensing your life into a few minutes.

I think you'll knock 'em dead!

Now I have to make up my note cards and practice. I can't use the outline during my speech, but I can the note cards. The note cards are just supposed to have main ideas on them and you are supposed to expand upon those ideas in your speech. I'm not supposed to memorize a written speech either. The speaking style is called "extemporaneous."

Not because of the toughness of your past. Because you've overcome so much just out of sheer determination. You're phenomenal.

I hope I can inspire the same feelings in my classmates and teacher.

I just practiced my speech for the first time with my wife. It made her cry, too.

When your speech is over there may be dead silence in the room. It won't be because they didn't like your speech. It'll be because you simply took their breath away. And you could see a tear or two. Bare naked honesty like that truly reaches deeply into people.

Did you take up 2-3 minutes worth of time when you did the practice speech with Jen?

content is great ... and I am sure your delivery will be fine ...

and this is only a minor point to be sure but, beware the stop watch, as there very well may be one, in the Prof's hand

also, Tell Jen hey and give her a hug for me ---->

and one for you ---->

Jen says hi back.

I'm going to practice several more times and I'll be sure to have the time where it needs to be. The teacher says that the key to giving a good speech is lots of practice. I've got until Thursday night and I'm going to be practicing with everyone I know until then.

I see an "A" in your near future, Tobin

I have been following your posts with such happiness, you really are an inspiration Tobin! I think you will do well with this speech and even enjoy the experience.

Forty years ago I took courses in Public Speaking and Human Relations through the Dale Carnegie Institute. For our group the final assigned speech topic was pollution. Back then everyone thought of pollution in terms of PCBs in the Hudson, acid rain, and air pollution. Scouring the guides for periodic literature and card indexes I found two articles about asbestos and tried to use that as an example of how we needed to think more broadly. You can imagine everyone's reaction. It was something they had never heard of and I was practically booed off stage. In so many experiences the value comes long after the moment. An old adage I like goes something like this: Life is a terrible teacher, you get the test first and the lesson after.

You'll do fine.

I need to become an effective public speaker, and it scares me shitless right now. I want to give a good speech and I want to impress my audience, but I also have my personal development in mind.

If you focus on just giving your message, and put aside any extraneous stuff, the rest will take care of itself.

In other words, you should want to give a good speech. When you give a speech in a setting other than a classroom type of setting, it is usually all about the audience and effectively communicating information to them. It's usually not about the speaker at all unless you are communicating a memoir type of speech like I am here. In speech class, we have the luxury of being able to focus on personal development.

Your outline is well-done and practice is the key. I've spoken before a lot of groups in my time and I have to admit, I don't always practice what I preach. Sometimes, I have a general idea in my head and just go for, something I could get by with in some circumstances, other circumstances it paid to have some good notes and lots of practice.

My advice, when you practice do so at your normal rate of speech, and when you give the speech, especially if you are nervous, don't rush. Try to keep your normal cadence. Very hard when the nerves get you.

Good luck. With your determination and drive, you will do very well.

I just gave the speech to a group of family and friends. They enjoyed it, although I'm still not at to the point of an extemporaneous type of speech. I read a lot of it, but I also started to ad-lib as well.

In a speech class, I gave a thoroughly-researched talk on the history of clocks.

It was poorly received.

On a serious note, have you seen The Kings Speech. What a fantastic movie!

I know you'll do well in the delivery. It's sincere and genuine, with a truly interesting story that those in your audience will relate to in the sense that we all enjoy hearing of the person who overcame difficult times, to keep striving. In fact that's in many ways the hero's journey. The hero is flawed, like any person, yet keeps trying in the face of the odds. We love those stories. Like Rocky, Han Solo, etc. The average person who was persistent in meeting the challenges and adversities thrown his or her way. Keep practicing. And keep breathing and keep calm knowing you want to communicate this message. Let us know how it goes.