Public Speaking Buffaloed

Students at Buffalo High School were recently put through a public speaking exercise which freaked many of them out. Others found the experience energizing.

Some of the techniques successful students employed may be useful for you. They included:

= sit down and take some deep breaths and tell yourself to calm down.
= hit with the giggles, go get a long drink of cold water.
= don't think of people in their underwear - just look at their foreheads.
= practicing your speech in front of family and friends before your presentation.
= take a few deep breaths before speaking in order to clear your head.
= avoid looking at anyone in the audience directly. Instead, pick a spot on the wall behind your audience and focus there, occasionally sweeping your eyes across the crowd. If that doesn’t work, ask a friend to look at you, so you can focus on him or her.