Watching the video of my persuasive speech showed me how much I have grown as a public speaker throughout the semester. I have a lot to work on, but I feel as though I am more comfortable speaking in front of others, and I know what I’m doing when I get up there.

I started off as an extremely timid public speaker, but I realize that my confidence has grown more and more each time I have given a speech. I figured this speech would be especially difficult to deliver, because I knew many people would disagree with my point of view. However, I was happy with the way I kept a cool head and wasn’t shaken up by some of the looks I received. Despite this, I realized that I rely on the index cards more than I thought I initially had. I think I could do a better job speaking extemporaneously, and may need to organize or practice a little more (Especially with visual aids.) Along with this, I noticed that I didn’t give many powerful hand gestures, which I usually do in my speeches. I think I did this to make sure my hands did not shake, and even further my nervousness, but I could definitely work on that. Lastly, I think I need to know my topic from top to bottom. That Q and A killed me, and pretty much killed my speech, which is why research is extremely important. Knowing you topic and being able to address counterarguments is a critical part of a speech, more specifically a persuasive one. Overall, I have become more comfortable as a speaker, and this class has given me the knowledge to build on and strive to be better.