Whenever I have to present a problem, I usually start by giving the details of the problem. Then I try to offer a solution to the problem, if I have one. If I don’t have a solid solution, I try to talk with other people to brainstorm a solution to present. I hate presenting a problem I don’t have a solution for. It’s not that I feel like I need to have all the answers, but I like to focus on the solution rather than dwell on the problem.

Our non-technical session this week was great to get my mind thinking. I loved the activity - a presentation about presentation skills. It was great getting feedback from everyone. I had thought that after a year and a half of full time teaching and presenting at various conferences, I’d have overcome the butterflies that come when preparing. I found that starting out, the adrenaline was definitely making my heart beat faster. As Eric and I continued our presentation, I grew more comfortable. I started to relax a little more and get comfortable with speaking.

One of the things that I wish we did before we presented was to clarify who was going to say what. We decided who was going to start, but not what each of us was going to say. This probably made it seem like we didn’t plan very well, but I thought we did well using non-verbal gestures to encourage the other to speak. We nodded to each other, etc. Based on my experience speaking in front of people, I am strong with knowing what to expect, and I try to manage my expectations. I know to think about my audience and tailor the presentation to them. I could definitely use some more organization and planning in my presentations. I usually have a vague idea of what I want to say. I don’t script it out, but maybe I should at least have an outline to follow to ensure I’m not skipping around.

My task was to watch a video and analyze the speaker’s speaking practices. I realized that it’s easier to say “Oh he/she should have done this or that.” I think I’ll have to record myself to ensure that I can be critical of my own performance. When I recorded a video of me teaching for an interview, I realized that I looked very stiff and formal. I wasn’t myself. Maybe it was the fact that the camera was on, or the high expectations of teachers to act a certain way. Either way, the more I think about that video the more I wonder if it says more about my real desire to teach. I know that I definitely prefer smaller groups, but maybe it was the audience. Don’t get me wrong, I loved my 5th and 4th graders, but they weren’t the group that I had initially set out to teach. I wonder if that factored in subconsciously.