Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Icebreaker/Informative Speech

Please reflect on your first speech by writing one well-written and thought out paragraph. Upper class students should be writing paragraphs with compound and complex sentences that are a minimum of six sentences long. Use complete sentences and correct grammar. 

Things to consider (you do not need to include all of them)

  • Eye Contact
  • Nervousness
  • Audience Feedback
  • Preparation (Enough? Not enough? What will you change for next time?)
  • Voice (Rate and Variation)
  • Gestures
  • Poise
  • Confidence level
  • Introduction 
  • Conclusion (Did we know you were done?)
  • Organization

What went well? What do you need to work on? Be as specific as possible. 

Please leave feedback for at least two of your classmates. Feedback should be constructive, original, and well-written. You may give extra feedback for extra credit.
Reflection: 20 points/ Feedback: 10 points each

94 comments:

  1. I believe that my speech went fairly well. The eye contact and gestures were OK, but the introduction could have used a little work. I think I drew it out for too long and used too many details instead of getting to the point right away. My rate felt pretty good, I do not know about the rest of the class, but I feel that I spoke clearly and slow enough so people could at least understand me. I think I flopped on some of the attempts to make it humorous. I do not know if it was because it seemed fake or if I was reliving the moment in my head and everyone could not see what actually happened. The most important part of my speech in my opinion was the part that I reflected on my life and showed my faith. That part I feel I did very well at. Thank you for being awesome listeners and I look forward to giving my next speech.

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    1. Zach I thought you did a very good job with your speech. I really enjoyed listening to your speech. I thought for your first speech you did a very good job. I can totally relate to your speech after working at a camp with 5 year olds to 5th graders. You did a very good job. I think there is one thing you could improve one is by slowing down and having eye contact with everyone. Zach overall I thought you did a very good job.

      Tyler

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    2. Zack, well I knew that you were an eloquent writter from novel so I expected that to come out in your speech. I was surprised because I didn't feel like you were using big words and saying things in a way that made me confused. I enjoyed your speech because I love going to camp myself, so I could relate to your story. My only critique is that I felt that it was a little dragged out and I feel like you could've gotten to the point a little sooner. Other than that, you were very entertaining and I enjoyed your speech!

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    3. Zack, I really enjoyed your speech. It was cool to see you go up there and be so confident. It was amazing to watch you go up there, and speak about your faith. Maybe next time you could slow down a little bit, when you are speaking. Also, maybe getting to your point a little bit faster. Other than that it was a really good speech.

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    4. Zack, bro, your speech was really good. I enjoyed hearing about you at camp and how you helped out with it. I think it was amazing you could go up for that long and talk. One thing is that it was a little long. Other then that, you had a great speech.

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    5. Zack! It was evident from the beginning of your speech that you were confident and prepared to present. You maintained a good speaking pace and spoke clear enough for the class to understand you. It is cool to see how God is working through you and I can't wait to hear your next speech!

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    6. Zack, I really loved your speech, and I think your speech was the best in our class. You were really confident and your voice was loud and clear. I really enjoyed listening to your speech and your story; it was very interesting. You really are a good speaker, and I believe you can do a good job in this class.

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    7. Zack, I really enjoyed listening to your speech and I would kill to listen to it again. You made me feel like I was actually one of the kids at the camp! It was very well detailed and very well performed in front of an audience. You kept me involved the WHOLE time and had me at the edge of my seat ready to hear what was next. You are talented at speaking and I can not wait to hear more from you!

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    8. I loved your story, Zack! I had humor throughout to keep our attention, as well as a great opening. I thought your eye contact was actually pretty consistent. Your speaking rate was right on point and I didn't have any trouble keeping up with what you were saying. I also feel that you conveyed you message very well! I will agree that you did go a little too much into detail and that you should have gotten to the point quicker but you didn't linger too long and overall it was an amazing first speech!

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    9. I love your speech so much, Zack! You did an excellent job with your speech. Your humor and the interesting story-line of your speech kept my attention throughout the whole speech. The whole speech was very well detailed. You maintained a good pace with your speech, and you were very calm throughout the whole speech. Therefore, I think you will continue your excellent work. Good luck on your next speech. I can not wait to hear your next speech. Well Done!

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    10. Zack I still remember your speech when you talked about your camp, you did take a long time being your first speech but your message was awesome. Your eye contact was very good because you were very confident in your speech. I hope you continue using your God given abilities elsewhere

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  2. Okay so, i think my speech went okay, to be fully honest i missed out a couple of things and i got too much into details which made my speech a little longer... Also i was really nervous and because of that i missed a lot of eye contact or hand gestures, i could have done that better, but well, i guess i'll work on that for my next speech. Another thing i felt it didn´t go as good was my conclusion, i mean people assumed i was done because i was already talking about my future and chronologically it would mean i was almost over, but if i were to take that future talk out most people would not actually know i was over, so that's another thing to work on.

    Without much to add im excited for my next speech and thank you.

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    1. Pablo, I did not really know what to expect when you went up for your speech. Truthfully, I initially thought of your speech as a way to rehearse my speech in my head. But, when you said "My fellow Americans," I almost lost it. It was a great attention catcher and kind of a "freedom cry." When you said that, you sounded very patriotic and full of pride, and that was very cool because it set up the realization that you spent most of your life outside the United States. Even though it may have been a little longer than you may have liked, it did not feel dragged out and repetitive. All in all you seemed very calm and poised and it was a great way to start the second semester of speeches, well done.

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    2. Pablo! I loved your speech! It was very interesting to hear a little about your life before coming to America. Your starting with "My fellow Americans" was an attention getter and helped me to rally listen to you talk. I could not tell that you were nervous -you did a good job of hiding that. Even though your speech was a longer one, I did not feel like you were boring or that it was repetitive. I think your speech was a great one to kick off 2nd semester speech class!

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    3. Pablo, I think your speech was very good. I really liked your intro. Your story is very interesting and I enjoyed listening to it. I did not even notice that you were nervous. Pablo, I think for your first speech it was very good. Maybe a little more eye contact would b good. Other then that it was really good.

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    4. Pablo! I really enjoyed your speech because I learned a lot about you. It was cool to hear your life experiences and how you ended up at Martin Luther. You had well written opening and closing statements. From the audience perspective you did not seem nervous at all. Next time go up front with more confidence (:

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    5. Pablo, I think you are a very gifted speaker and I really enjoyed listening to your speech! I learned so much about you that I never would have expected. Your start to your speech really got my attention when you said, "My fellow Americans". The speech really kept me involved and it was cool to hear stories about you. Great way to start it off, I can not wait to hear more!

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    6. Pablo, I think you are an excellent public speaker. You are gifted. I really had fun listening to your speech. Especially with the fact that you started your speech with " My fellow Americans", I believe that it caught everyone's attentions in the class. You were very calm throughout the whole speech. The only flaw is that you need to make more eye contact with the audiences. Overall, you did an amazing job,, and I am looking forward to hear your next speech. Congrats.

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    7. I am very proud to call you my friend Pablo. Before your speech I knew some of the basic things about you but I knew I would enjoy you speaking when I heard your intro. I really didn't notice your nervousness because your speech was awesome overall. I agree your transition wasn't the best but a lot of us had that including myself. I am looking forward to listening to you later on in the year.

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  3. YouTube Links:

    Steven: https://youtu.be/LS_BSr1EJV4

    Jacob: https://youtu.be/jItr89wxAmM

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    1. not my personal best, could be better

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    2. Vicky: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6oDMophgPk

      Joseph: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRN9OaBeB-s

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  4. Overall, I believe my speech went well. This topic was easy and fun to write about. I liked being able to use a notecard to guide myself through my speech. I did not feel nervous to go up in front of my classmates and present, but as soon as I started speaking my voice shook. I need to find a way to fix that habit. I felt prepared and confident for my speech because I practiced presenting in front of my family. I am excited to see my public speaking skills grow over the course of this semester!

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    1. Franny, I think your name has two "n's", I really enjoyed your speech. I think the fact that there was comedic relief before your speech when someone made a comment about you stealing Henry's note cards was a great way to start. I guarantee you that no one noticed that you had any nerves at all. The biggest factor that made you look calm and collected was your smile. Your facial expressions made the speech feel lighthearted, fun, and enjoyable to listen to.

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    2. Franny, I think you did a good job! I could tell that you were well prepared and your hard work paid off. Your smile definitely helped your speech! It made you look calm and poised and made you look comfortable in front of an audience. Overall, I think your speech was well done and enjoyable.

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    3. Franny, I thought your speech was really good.thought it was fun learning more about you. Your speech was very good. The way I tend to get rid of my butterfly's is by taking a deep breath before I would give my speech. It has all was helped me. There is one thing I thing you do better that is to be louder I had a hard time hearing you. You did a very good job

      Tyler

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    4. Frances, I thought your speech was really good. I really liked how you smiled because it made you look calm and collected. I could tell that you were very well prepared. Maybe next time you could go up there looking more confident because you are a very good speaker. I really enjoyed listening to your speech.

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    5. You did an amazing job Franny! I did notice a small quiver in your voice for the first sentence, but after that it disappeared completely. You went up there with such calm and cool I didn't think you were nervous at all. I'm glad that you spoke about a topic that was such fun! I feel like all speeches should be fun topics or else it's really just going through the motions. If you can make all of your speeches fun to write and about topics you are passionate about then you will have no problems what so ever!

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    6. You did an excellent job Franny! Your smile made you feel very comfortable and well prepared. You were very calm throughout the whole speech. It definitely made you a better public speaker. With no doubt, your hard work paid off. Therefore, I believe you will keep doing an excellent job on preparing every single speeches throughout this semester. Well Done.

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    7. Franny, your smile tells everyone a lot about you, you spoke very well, Its good that you had nerves because almost everyone has it and its natural to be that way. I know I am the same. You looked fairly confident and the hard work of practicing beforehand helped you tremendously. Good Job

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  5. Overall, I thought my speech was good. I really to talk about northern Wisconsin. I like to write about some of my life lessons I have learned while being up north. I thought I had good eye contact with everyone, I really enjoyed writing about myself. I had lots of fun giving everyone my speech. I really enjoyed writing my speech because it felt like a walk down memory lane for me. One of many things I feel like I need to improve is by slowing down for everyone to understand me better and I feel like I should also have a better flow with my speech. I also feel like my conclusion should have been a lot better. But I can not wait to improve all of my speech skills and get better.



















































































































































































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    1. Tyler, congrats on becoming a national guard, that is an impressive accomplishment and I know you will do great. I really enjoyed your speech because I definitely can relate to the love of the outdoors and I love camping as well. Your speech was the best of both worlds. The few critiques I have for you is maybe practice a few more times before your speech. When you went up you seemed a bit shaky and your thoughts did not seem very organized. Beside that you are on your way to being a great speaker, good work.

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    2. Tyler, I really enjoyed your speech. I really love to camp and fish as well. The few critiques I have for you is that maybe next time have a better organization your speech. Also, maybe practice a bit more so that everything flows better. Other than that I thought your speech was really good and very interesting.

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    3. Tyler, I enjoyed your speech. I love to hear the story about camping. I am a big fan of fishing too. Therefore the story caught my attention right away. There are few flaws in your presentation, I think you need to practice more for the next speech in order to have everything goes smoothly. Also I think you should write your speech out first and organize it. On you first speech, I get little confused as the story goes on due to the fact that the speech was not well organized. Besides that, you did an excellent job. Good Job!

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    4. Tyler I enjoyed your speech because I could connect with the stories of fishing that you shared. One thing I think you could practice would be sticking to the main points and not getting sidetracked, that being said little tangents can be very interesting. Overall I enjoyed your speech and I'm looking forward to hearing more.

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    5. Tyler, I thought your speech was ok. Only because you didn't speak slow enough and you went on little tangents that got me a little bored. I do love the outdoors though so I was still semi interested. If you were a bit more organized I think this speech would've been very good. Overall, It could've been better.

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  6. Overall, I believe that my speech went pretty good. I feel like I did a good job making eye contact with the audience and using hand gesters, something that I deliberately worked on. To be perfectly honest, I was very nervous to speak in front of my classmates. I was prepared, but I definitely feel like I could've prepared better. That will be something I will work on for the next speech. I was greatful for the ability to use notecards because they helped keep me on the right track. I have always struggled with introductions and conclusions, though I do feel that I did pretty good with them in this speech. I have a bad habit of speaking fast when I get nervous and so I will definitely work on that. I am looking forward to improving my public speaking skills and that you guys for listening to me talk!

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    1. I agree, your speech was very good! Your bubbly personality definitely helped. I really enjoyed the use of humor in your speech. One word of caution is to not rely on your cards so much. Sometimes, the best speeches come from a little impromptu. Staring at note cards make the speech feel "scripted." Also, make sure you scan the audience, even though you were looking at your audience, it was mainly right at the middle and not at the sides. In general, I really did enjoy it.

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    2. Cassie, I really enjoyed your speech. It was really funny, and made the speech very fun to listen to. Maybe next time, you could slow down when you are speaking. Sometimes you spoke a little to fast. I am really excited to listen to your next speech. Overall, I think your speech was really well done.

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    3. Cassie, really enjoyed listening to your speech. I loved to hear about you wanting to work at Mcdonald's and sending your kids to daycare. I think your eye contact was good. I feel like you prepared for your speech really good. The one thing is you might have looked at your note cards a little too much. Overall I think your speech was great.

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    4. Cassie, I actually enjoyed your speech a lot! I think that you did a really good job! I could tell you were nervous in the beginning because you had a certain tone to your voice and your body language showed it as well. Once you started sharing more embarrassing or funny things, however, you seemed to become much more comfortable and started to loosen up as your speech went on. At the end of your speech you seemed very relaxed and happy, as you usually are. I also really enjoyed learning that you wanted to be Amish. Not bad overall.

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    5. Cassie, I absolutely loved your speech! It was so fun and interesting, your enthusiasm and the way you were talking about everything kept my attention the whole time! When you said you wanted to be Amish it made my day! I'm looking foward your next speeches!

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    6. Cassie, I enjoyed your speech a lot. It was really funny, with your humor, it caught my attention right away. I think this is one of the technique you could work on to keep all the audiences attracted to your speech. There is one major flaw which you should work on during this semester. You should slow down your pace a little bit. At the end of the speech, you seemed to be very happy with the result of your speech. So keep up the good work and I am looking forward to hear your next speech. Well Done!

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  7. I believe that my speech went pretty well. Looking back I see I stuttered once or twice but overall I think I did well. I was very nervous almost to the point of stressing out about it but once I started my speech I felt fairly confident. Looking at the video I see that I used a lot of hand gestures. I practiced about 6 or 7 times with my family beforehand and I think because of that I was fairly well organized. In the end, this speech was fun to prepare and share to everyone

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    1. Jacob, thanks for recording yourself for me to watch, it was really helpful. You were very brave to do so. Some comments, you got a powerful voice my friend, use it! A few times during your speech your sentences tapered off and you did not finish strong. Make sure you start and end your sentences with the same enthusiasm. Also, avoid the use of filler words. I have that habit as well when I say "like" all the time. The abuse of the word "um" can give a speech the feel that it was not well prepared and not thought out. These are just simple and minor things, but the mastery of them will make you into a better speaker than you already are. I am looking forward to hearing your next speech.

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  8. I feel that my speech was OK. I know that I rambled on for quite awhile and I could see that I was starting to bore people. I feel that my speech was a little too detailed for the parameters given and that was the main reason it went on so long. I also needed to look at more people more often. I know that for the majority of the time I stared straight ahead and focused on those few people. I also had a few pauses in some places where I just lost my train of thought and I know that I didn't practice as much as I should have.

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    1. You hit the nail right on the head my friend. Sometimes when you do not practice as much as you maybe should, the reaction is either to not talk at all or over talk. Do not worry, it will get better in time. I know you are a very outgoing speaker, and being a friend of yours for a while I know you have a great many stories to tell. Do not be afraid to leave some details out for some suspense and some unknown. Your audience does not need to know everything, sometimes its fun to play a story out in your head. Do not worry, we still have ten more to go!

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    2. Nathan, your speech was very interesting in a good way. I really enjoyed hearing the stories you had to share. I too like to travel and see new parts of the world. There were times where you would look over the heads of people but that's something that everyone is in need of improving. Overall it was well prepared and nice to listen to.

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    3. Nathan, I liked your speech and it was fun to hear those little experiences you had! But, I agree with you, it was a little too long, which could, as you said, bore people out, even myself I have to admit I lost myself in thought for a moment in your speech, but besides that it was nice, just try to not get that much into details. Looking foward your next speech!

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    4. Kampy, I really enjoyed all the interesting stories you told, even though I agree with you in saying that it was long. You could've tried to use a couple less stories. Overall I liked your speech still, and I look forward to listening to you in the future.

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  9. I believe my speech was average. I think that I did a decent job giving eye contact to everyone in the room. I was very nervous for this speech, and I think my voice shook when I spoke. I believe I could have used more hand gestures in my speech. I felt that I was well prepared for this speech. I practiced in front of my friends and family. This helped me to feel more comfortable when I got to the podium. I thought that my conclusion was boring, and needed a better finishing. In my next speech, I think I should add more jokes to make the speech more interesting. Overall this was a good starting spot, so I know what I can improve on.

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    1. Grace your speech was wonderful! You definitely win the award for the best introduction. I did not know very much about you before your speech, but I really did appreciate you encouraging me before my speech, it really did take my nerves away. Most of your above comments were not noticed by the audience because of your great introduction. The nerves will go away in time, that is why your taking this class. If you were already great at speaking, you would not have to be in Speech. So, do not think that your speech was just average, you will probably see it as your most important speech of the year. Like you said, it was a very good starting spot. I can not wait to listen to the rest of your speeches and top your introduction.

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    2. Grace, you had a great job on the speech;) The introduction was definitely the best part, it shows your outgoing personality and your strong topic. That is really special than others. Your body languages is really good that effected all the students. The conclusion was not boring, I believe you will do better in your next speech.

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    3. Grace, you did very well on your speech. It had a great attention getter that was very unique from all the rest of us in the class. Your attack to each of the subjects was very good and well prepared. I liked the stories you shared as well as getting a few laughs from people which brings out more of your personality. Overall it was a good introduction speech and I got to know more of you from what I already knew about you.

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  11. I believe overall my speech was okay. I think i started off pretty good but, as the speech went on I become a little more nervous. This caused me to lose eye contact and my confidence to fall. All this led to a 15 second pause. I think what happened was that I practiced too much and second guessed my self. All these things that I did wrong I hope to improves as more and more speeches I do. Overall i think it was an okay starting point. I will work hard to improve my speeches.

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    1. All the things I noticed came from one problem, you were not confidant man! You acted like you were going to fail even before you got up there. Have some confidence. Remember, everyone that is in front of you is in the same situation as you. Half of them sympathize with you because they already gave their speeches and they know what its like. On the other hand there are people that did not go and they were grateful for you being up there. They were expecting great things, so be confidant that you can do it. I know you can do it. There were definite good parts of your speech and some areas that need some improvement, but I am confidant that you will get better.

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    2. Josh, I enjoyed your speech despite the pause. You kept my attention and it was interesting to hear what you had to say. I agree with Zack when he said you should have more confidence and faith in yourself, and in addition to that, try not to overthink things. If you present an attitude that is in charge and push through your mistakes I think you will be a very strong speaker. I'm also proud of how you kept going after the pause, many people would have quit or started over. Good job friend!

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  13. Over all, I think my speech is pretty good. The eye contact was good, I was actually looking around, observing the audience’s reaction. The audience did give me feedback and I used it in my speech to recreate a scenario, which helped me to explain what happened. I think my voice was pretty loud and clear, people could hear me from the back based on the feedback I got. But I think I still got a strong Chinese accent, and I should really work on eliminating that. When I watch my video I notice that my poise is not as good as I thought, my movement is a little bit casual. I think I’m pretty confident because I’m not afraid to give a speech like I was five years ago. I was a little bit nervous since this is the first speech I presented. But I think I will get better at the end of the year and my speech skill will improve a lot.

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    1. Steven,you had a great job on the speech and I really enjoyed your speech. The eye contact was good. The powerful was good of your speech which was loud and clear. You had a little bit nervous, but you were appeared very natural and this wasn't the slightest influence on you.

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    2. Steven, I was really impressed by your willingness to speak. I found it amazing that you were teaching native English speakers how to be better English speakers, and yes I did learn something from you. Most of the critiques I have are based on your Chinese accent and that English is your second language. Being in a higher level Spanish class, I can speak from experience that giving a speech in a different language is no easy task. I have to say, your speech was the most impressive speech to me. Keep up the good work!

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    3. Steven! I really liked your speech! You were really confident, which is really cool because english isn't your first language. It was really interesting to learn what it was like for you to learn english, and all the steps it took for you to get here. You had good eye contact. Also, in my opinion, you kept the attention of the audience really well. It seems like speech really easy for you!

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    4. Steven, I really enjoyed your speech. Your speech kept my attention the whole time and I think that you did a tremendous job for not having English as your first language. I am super excited to hear what your next speeches will be as you definitely set the bar super high! I also enjoy how comfortable you were during your speech it defiantly made it easier to listen to! Excellent job!

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    5. Steven, I loved your speech, it was just amazing, not only hearing your backstory of how you ended up at Martin Luther but then that "Inspiring" speech about how you can do anything you wanted to do got me thinking about it the whole day, it was moving, I am looking foward your other speeches, you are a really talented public speaker.

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    6. Steven! I think you did a really good job on your first speech. Your speech was very interesting. It kept my attention throughout the whole speech. As a speaker who has English as a second language. You did a fabulous job. I am looking forward to your next speech. Excellent Job, by the way you are a gifted public speaker.

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  14. I thought that my speech went pretty well for a first speech. I was pretty nervous at first, but as the speech went on I started to feel a bit more confident. I didn't do a great job at making eye contact, I kind of shifted between looking at people and looking at the ground. I was a little bit afraid that I was going to forget parts, but thankfully I remembered everything that I wanted to say. I think that I practiced just the right amount, about six times through. Now that the first one is out of the way I think that the other speeches won't be that bad.

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    1. Henry! I was so proud of you man, you did great! Any nerves you had did not show, mostly because people were excited to hear you talk! Your calm persona made the speech feel meaningful and having Eriq go before you set you up really well. I have a terrible time keeping eye contact with people, so I know your struggle. Do not be afraid, just because you look someone in the eye will not make them judge you harder. It actually does the opposite. It keeps the whole group engaged and it makes them feel important. The thought that the great Henry Jensen would look at them would keep anyone engaged in the speech just to have the chance to experience that. All joking aside, I am seriously hyped for your next speech, great job!

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    2. Henry! I loved your speech. It was a surprise to me that you decide to take this class.And I am proud of what you have achieved throughout the first month. You were able to finish speech in a calm pace. I noticed that you struggled a little bit at the beginning which caused you to panic a little. However you were able to change your pace and did a better job as the speech goes on. I think you did an excellent job on this one. Keep it up, do not be afraid and hope you will do even better on the next one. Congrats.

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  16. Personally, I believe that my speech was quite good through the memoirs of my friends and family. However, I became really nervous during the speech. Though the speech went on, I gradually felt more confident based on my topic. The disadvantage is that I did not always make eye contact with the audience while I was looking at the notes. I thought that I couldn't have used more hand gestures in my speech, but I was tried to moved my body. Before the speech, I was extraordinary prepared. My rates was okay, but also need some improvement. Though different period and common, I should make attention and flow my words, making my speech perfect. And also, the audience's feedback was fine as well. Some of the classmate nodded their heads during the process. I think that means I explain the topic well and they understand me. Hence, the presentation was okay to me.

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    1. Vicky, I am impressed and happy that you took this class! Most native English speakers shy away from this class because they are scared of speaking in front of their peers. I can not imagine what it is like to not be a native speaker and trying to give a speech in a foreign language. Unfortunately, there are some things that will take a great deal of time to fix. The fact that you have a heavy accent is unavoidable. I know it's hard, but do not be afraid to speak up. I caught what you were saying, but there may have been some people in the back row that could not hear you. I know when your not comfortable with a language, it is scary to talk loud. But, I know you can! I believe that you can be a great speaker. I really enjoyed listening to your story and I feel that you could bring a great dynamic to our class with your stories from your home country. Great Job!

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    2. Vicky! I thought you did a really nice job for your first speech. I know you must have been really nervous, because I would be too if I had to give a speech in a different language. It was nice to learn about your family and friends. I understand why you would want to keep your eyes on your notes. I think it helps to be confident in your topic. I am excited to see your next speeches!

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    3. Vicky, you did a really good job there. I can tell you were really nervous but you didn’t panic; you were very calm. I believe you spent a lot of time on this project. Your story was very interesting and your speech had a very good structure. You should keep working on your speaking skills, and I believe you can do it!

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    4. Vicky, I thought you did a really nice job for your first speech. I was amazed by the fact that you decide to choose this class instead of some other not-so-challenge class. I am proud of you. I believe you spent a lot of time on this speech. I think you did a really good job telling us about your family and friends. One more thing, I noticed you were very nervous at the beginning of the speech, your voice was a little bit shaky. This could be something that you could work on for your next speech. Other than that, your speech was perfect. Keep it up, and do good work. I believe you can do it!

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  18. Personally, I believe that my speech went pretty well as my first speech of the year and for this class. At first, I was kinda nervous about the speech. Fortunately, I was able to calm down myself in order to start the speech. As my presentation went on, I start to feel comfortable about what I am talking about. As I gained more confidence in myself, I was able to finish my speech as I expected. I think I did a good job at making eye contact with my classmates. However, I think that I need to work on my pace of the speech so that I would not speak too fast, which would cause some confusions and misunderstandings to the audiences. Now that I finished my first speech, I think I will be able to handle the rest of speeches as the year goes on.

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    1. Kevin, you were great! Don't be nervous man, all your classmates want you to do great, all they need is for you to know you can. You were a little shaky at the start, but you got your bearings and definitely got to where I know you can. I have one comment on the eye contact, you may not have noticed, but you were looking at Mrs. Dennert the majority of the time. I wanted to be included too! A good way to practice this is to have one person in front of you and one on your right and on your left. Then, make a mental note how long you look at each and try to see how close you can make the time of looking at each of them. Do not be afraid of your class, and do not be afraid of failure. There were definitely good parts of your speech, but there were also some parts that you need work in. Failing is one of the best ways to learn, and I know how much you hate failing. But do not be afraid, sometimes you have to take risks in order to get a great result. You will be great, I am confident.

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  19. I thought my speech went alright, seeing that it was my first speech. I was very nervous for my speech, and I think that showed In the volume and clarity of my voice. I know I practiced it many times, so it was easy to relay the words I had chosen, but not to put meaning behind them. I have been told that when I talk regularly I have a softer voice, but when I talk about something I really care about, or to someone that I really enjoy, I am louder and obviously more passionate. I also know that I have an issue with eye contact. I like to look at my feet, or up instead of who I am talking to. So I guess right now I need to focus on coming across as more confident.

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    1. Jamie, I was really impressed by your speech. I know you said that you were only in the class because you needed it, but I think you will be able to thrive in this class. I really enjoyed the comparison between you and your sister. It gave the audience some background without having to go into much detail because most of us know you and your sister. Most of the things that you say you struggle with will develop with practice. I am very excited to see how your skills grow throughout the class. I have high hopes for you! Good job!

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  20. I think that overall my speech went a lot better than I expected it to go. I was sick while presenting it so I felt that I rushed it just to get it over with so that I could sit back down. I think that I did better than expected with the eye contact and gestures. I also feel that I prepared myself very well. I need to work on slowing down my pace and not being so nervous when I present. I also think my conclusion could have been better, so I need to improve that for my next speech.

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    1. Amy, you did really well on your first speech! You didn't seem to be rushing to me. I was able to process the information as you went along. Even through sickness you were still prepared. Also, nervousness is something that all of us have. There will be a time when that it at its lowest and it will feel natural giving a speech in front of others. I really liked the stories about the rescue dogs. Honestly, I started tearing up from the story about puppies that are abused and left to die. In my opinion, it was a good attention getter even though it was in the middle of the speech. Overall you did very well and it was well prepared and a good introduction.

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    2. Amy, it really stinks that you had to be sick on your speech day. Public speaking is 90% mental and its hard to use your brain when its hurting. I really admire you for working with animals as you do. Compassion like that is a rare trait in this day and age, so it was encouraging to see it. You are correct when you say you need to work on eye contact and surveying the room. I am confident that most of these will be resolved when you are feeling 100%. You have a very strong voice and your rate and tone were very good. Keep up the good work!

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  21. I think my speech went pretty well. It was more of a research project than a story about that part of my life. But I feel like I got the point across and I got to tell my story with it. I did find myself saying "um" and "like" a lot throughout the speech but that is something I can improve on. I also found myself stutter a few times which is another thing I can improve on. Overall I think I did pretty well with speaking in front of a group of people that I don't normally talk to outside of the class.

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    1. Kristen, I know that personal issues are hard to talk about. I can not imagine what it must be like to carry that burden with you every day. I have social anxiety disorder to the point of depression, so I can sort of sympathize with what you are going through. Everyone's first speech is a little rough so do not be discouraged if you are not content with the outcome. I definitely have the problem with saying "like" too often as well. It seemed that practically every sentence I spoke had that word in it. I know talking to new people can be intimidating. I am not a fan of it either, but I know with practice and a little bit of self confidence, you can accomplish greater things than you already have. Good job!

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  22. I thought that my speech when fairly well, but there is always room for improvement. I felt like I stuttered a lot, saying things like "um" and probably other words but I can't remember. Sometimes I thought that I talked to fast and not clear enough. Since I know most of the people in the class and are friends with a lot of them I don't really feel nervous about speaking it's just the fact that I mess up and make myself look dumb. I thought that my eye contact was decent I did think that I was looking at the floor sometimes. I could probably practice a little more on the pace of how I talk and talking clearly so that the audience can understand what I am trying to say. Overall I think I did well, but like I said there is always room for improvement.

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    1. Sonu, I really enjoyed your speech because I love kids and I love MJ. I talked with you before your speech and you left me a cliff hanger on what he said to you. For that reason, I was really intrigued to hear what you had to say. Do not be afraid to look at us. We will not hurl tomatoes at you if you stutter a little bit. But, do not beat yourself up if you do stutter. Everyone stutters, even Obama stutters. Be confident in yourself, and do not be afraid to speak up. You did not finish your sentences off strong at times, and that really took away from your speech. If I met MJ, I would be hyped! Always remember it is not just the words that make a good speech but the tone in which you say those words. You are on your way to becoming a great speaker, I can not wait to see what you do next

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    2. I really enjoyed listening to your speech, Sonu. I thought that I knew a lot about you, but you still managed to tell me a bunch of things that I never knew about you. I thought that the content of your speech was put together really well. I agree that you have room to improve, but overall it was really good. I look forward to listening to more of your speeches.

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    3. Sonu, I really enjoyed listening to your speech. I have learned a lot about you through this speech that I do not know before. It was very exciting to hear about the story that you met MJ when you were young. If it was me, I would be freaked out. Anyway, there is one flaw that you need to work on is that you need to reorganize your speech. Other than that, you did a fantastic job. Well Done!

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  23. I believe, for the most part, that my speech went okay. I could have put more effort into making better eye contact with people as well as using more gestures. I believe that the tone of my voice kind of stayed the same throughout my speech so I probably should have done a better job at changing it up a bit. Other than that, I think I was not that nervous and I had some confidence going up there. I believe I was slow and clear enough for people to understand what I was saying and to get a clear picture of everything that was going on. I had fun telling more about me to all you and I can not wait to talk in front of all of you again. Thank you all for being outstanding listeners!

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    1. My man EZ Breezy (I thought you would appreciate that), you did a great job! I knew you liked basketball, but I did not know how much it affected you as a person. I could definitely relate because there have been coaches and leaders in my life that have had a great impact as well. Your eye contact was OK, I saw some swivel but that was only occasionally. You mainly focused on the center of the room which is understandable, I am a very intimidating person. Some hand gestures could be helpful and maybe a little voice fluctuation as well. I know how great you are at speaking to your peers and how likable you are. I am confident that you are going to make a huge impact on what this class will be like based on your speeches. You are on your way man, good work!

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    2. Eriq, I thought that you're speech went very well. You present with an enthusiasm that makes it easy for your audience to stay engaged. Keep up the good work and your future speeches will be just as good, if not better than this one.

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    3. Eric, I thought that you did a really good job on your speech. You chose the topic about basketball which does not surprise me at all. You were really confident throughout your speech as you connect your basketball experiences into your daily life. Your eye contact was okay. Keep up the good work, I am confident that you will achieve your higher goal in this speech class. Excellent Work!

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  24. I was not happy with my performance during my speech. I attempted to memorize my entire speech so I wouldn't have to use my notecards but once I got up in front of everyone I forgot some key parts of my speech. Overall I think it sounded too scripted and awkward but I am happy with the progress I have made since this first speech.

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