Reflection (1000 words)

When I signed up for public speaking, I did it for two reasons. One was because it was just another class to take but also I felt like it would help me become more confident and make me a better speaker. I enjoyed this class a lot and the environment was better than any other class I had. Having known a couple kids in the class before it started was helpful and helped our class gel together quicker. I already knew Tommy Savino and Sam Fekete because we both went to Cheshire Academy last year, I knew Joey Bramanti from summer baseball, and I’ve known Jay Devito since freshman year because we live pretty close to each other and we used to play basketball together. I got along with all the kids in the class very well and enjoyed being around them on a day to day basis despite having to listen to Joey’s loud, obnoxious voice. Waking up and going to class at 8:00am on the one day where we had public speaking first, was not the most exciting thing because the last thing I wanted was to hear Joey’s voice. Overall, the environment of this class was good for learning and also for having a good time. We would always be cracking jokes with each other and even Mrs. Guarino which made the class feel relaxed. I liked how this class was laid back because there wasn’t ever a lot of pressure on us but at the same time we knew we had to get a certain amount of work done. After taking this class, I do feel like my public speaking skills have improved a good amount in just one semester. My posture when speaking is better, I stand up straighter now and at the same time I don’t look too stiff. My biggest problem in the beginning of the year on the first day of public speaking was saying “um” and “like” too much. After simply practicing speaking in front of my classmates and Mrs. Guarino, I believe that this has gotten better. Most of the time when I speak now, that is the number one thing I think about. Aside from speaking to an audience and getting rid of our tendencies, we also learned how to debate. In public speaking, it was interesting learning about pathos and the other tactics in debate. This was helpful to us as a class because now when we were in an argument or debate, we had a great idea on how to have a better chance in winning. Watching debates on the projector during class and debating amongst each other was interesting and funny to see how they played out. From learning the different debate styles and tactics to implement during an argument, it was pretty wild how someone who is completely wrong can still win the argument just based on how they debate the topic. One’s body language, tone of voice, and many other factor could solely win them a debate because appearance is so key. Another thing we did in public speaking was obviously talk about how to be better public speakers and we did this several ways. My favorite part about learning to improve our public speaking was watching ted talks during class. The ted talks gave us some really good examples of what to do and also what not to do. It was interesting to find out that there are a good amount of ted talks in which the person presenting is a terrible public speaker. We analyzed each speaker, talking about everything from the voice and speed of talking to their body language and gestures. The analyzation of these speakers along with perfecting each one of our individual weaknesses, played into our practice in class. Writing speeches and “ted talks” of our own was something that was cool to do because we were able to then analyze each other in class. Paying close attention to each other while we presented or spoke, allowed us to give really good constructive criticism. Writing emails to whoever was speaking in class was a great way for the speaker to realize what they need to improve on but also what they did a good job of. Sometimes, the emails got annoying (especially for Tommy Savino) because they were tedious and no one wanted to do them but all in all I think they were really helpful. From the emails from our classmates and also Mrs. Guarino, we could put it all together, take the most helpful criticism, and apply it or work on it for the next time we spoke in front of the class. I do think that we as a class improved every single time we spoke in front of each other and we all improved immensely over the course of the semester. Mrs. Guarino’s teaching style was helpful and instructive. She always told us what assignments were do when and how she wanted them done. Coming into class everyday to the environment in Mrs. Guarino’s class was great because she was almost always in a good mood and was very laid back. Making a mistake in Mrs. Guarino’s class was something that we all felt okay with because we knew she would never really get on us for anything but instead provide constructive criticism on how to improve. This is quality that is extremely important for a teacher to have ESPECIALLY in a class like public speaking. The reason for this is because if you are afraid of sharing stories or anything, you won’t get practice. Instead, you’ll keep a lot to yourself which will disable you from learning, getting better, and being able to practice your skills. I will miss this class and definitely miss the people in it. It was a great experience. From making marshmallows to debating on Trump vs. Clinton, public speaking was a fun class to be a part of and Mrs. Guarino will never have as great of a class as we were nor will we have another teacher as fun as Mrs. Guarino.