Whether your child is preparing for a debate, giving a presentation at a homeschool co-op, reading a poem aloud at a family gathering, or simply learning how to communicate their ideas clearly and confidently, public speaking is a valuable skill to cultivate.
And yet, for many of our children (and if we’re honest, for many of us moms, too!), the thought of standing in front of a group can bring on a serious case of stomach butterflies. The good news is that confidence in public speaking isn’t something our children either have or don’t have. It can be developed over time through encouragement, practice, and lots of low-pressure opportunities to get comfortable speaking in front of others.
That’s why I’m excited to share this guest post from my friend, fellow homeschool graduate, and NCFCA coach Hannah Juras. She offers five practical tips for helping students overcome their fear of public speaking, whether they’re just getting started or preparing for their next big speaking opportunity. If you have a budding debater in your homeschool, a child who would rather hide behind the podium than stand at it, or simply a young person you want to equip to communicate with courage and clarity, keep reading. Hannah’s tips may be just the encouragement they need to take that next step!
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5 Tips for Overcoming the Fear of Public Speaking
by Hannah Juras
Public speaking is a common fear. In fact, the fear of public speaking is not only a common fear, but is often reported as the worst fear that many people have. I’ve heard a joke told that if someone attended a funeral, they would rather be the person in the casket than the person giving the eulogy!
Speaking in front of a group of people can be intimidating, but we all have to face that fear at some point in our lives. Whether we give a presentation to a class, recite a poem for family members, or just share updates about a project during a work meeting, public speaking moments will come to us.
Fortunately, we can prepare for those moments and steadily work to overcome the fear of public speaking — and if you’re anything like me, you may actually come to love public speaking! Here are 5 tips for practice that I would recommend to someone working on overcoming his or her fear of public speaking.
1. Choose a friendly audience
We don’t always have the opportunity to choose our audience, but when practicing, it’s a good idea to seek out a friendly audience. Notice I said friendly, not necessarily an audience of friends. You will want to talk to people who have some familiarity with your subject and mostly agree with your perspective. In other words, you want an audience that will cheer for you in their minds. They want to see you succeed.
Choosing people that don’t know you well can actually be of benefit. In fact, family members and close friends can be some of the most difficult audience members because you know they know you well enough to see your mistakes and nervousness. And you also know them well enough to know when they disagree or catch a mistake.
An example of a friendly-not-friends audience in my personal experience was a competition for my local American Legion post. It was a small competition (I was the only competitor), but I still had to do my best in front of a group of veterans. Basically, I got to talk about how great the Constitution of the United States is to a group of men who sacrificed a portion of their lives defending it. I seriously doubt I agreed with all of those veterans on worldview or even politics, but knowing that they wanted to see me excel made speaking to them much easier.
2. Choose a subject you care about
As with audiences, we don’t always have the liberty of choosing a subject we care about. But when you do get to choose, make sure you choose something that you care about, not something you wish you cared about. Pick something of interest and importance to you. When you love a subject, no matter what it is, your mind will shift from wondering, “Did I mess up?” to “How can I tell more people all about this?” Your passion for the subject will flow out to the audience, even if you’re nervous.
A great example is a speech I heard from a young man in high school who spoke about why parents should let their children play Minecraft. He did his research and shared not only his own experience of loving the game but also cognitive benefits that could come from playing it. I don’t personally play computer games, but I was drawn in by the speaker’s own enthusiasm. I didn’t start playing Minecraft, but I still felt encouraged by the speech to know that there are beneficial games out there. And guess what? I don’t remember whether the speaker was nervous. I do remember how much he smiled as he shared about something he enjoyed.
3. Use notes — and a podium!
One of the biggest drivers of fear in public speaking is the concern about forgetting or not knowing what to say. While memorization is an important tool for polished public speaking, there’s no reason to put pressure on yourself as you focus on overcoming fear first. Bring a script or notes with you, and if possible, use a podium. You can keep your notes handy, set a bottle of water nearby, and have something to hold onto to help you feel stable. Great debaters and pastors use notes, and even the President of the United States uses a teleprompter, so there’s no shame in using notes!
Do you have a script that needs some fine-tuning? I can help with that! Check out my script review offering here.
4. Dress for success
Admittedly, this tip sounds cliche, but I think there is value in paying attention to our attire when we get ready to stand in front of an audience. Being well-dressed and well-groomed improves our confidence, and it demonstrates to others that we care so much about our subject that we put effort into the details of our appearance.
Most importantly, you should dress well in a way that helps you feel comfortable. A fancy tie knot or a pair of stilettos doesn’t help you overcome your fear if it makes you stressed about something going wrong with your apparel. Start simple, and as you get more comfortable with public speaking, you can add further details to your appearance.
5. Practice, practice, practice!
The more you stand up in front of an audience, the more you teach your brain that you’re not going to get bitten. Practice is key to overcoming a fear of public speaking. Just as Michaelangelo created a statue by chipping away one piece at a time, you’ll chip away your fear of public speaking one session at a time until you become a comfortable and confident speaker. Keep going!
Want some help refining your performance before your next speaking opportunity? I can help with that, too! Check out my performance review offering here.
I hope you find these tips helpful for overcoming your fear of public speaking. When you discover how much others want to listen to you, how powerful your passion for a subject can be, and how good you can look behind a podium, you probably won’t want to stop giving speeches!
Hannah Juras is a wife and mother of two. As a homeschool graduate, she intends to homeschool her own children and loves encouraging others about the benefits of homeschooling. One of the defining experiences of her homeschool education was five years of competitive speech and debate, where she placed nationally in several categories. She continued to enjoy and explore public speaking opportunities during her time at Liberty University, where she earned her bachelors in Industrial & Systems Engineering. Working for the corporate technology department at Lowe’s Home Improvement for two years helped refine her ability to tailor messages for varied audiences and establish empathy with those around her. She decided to join the team at Kairos Coaching to encourage others in the art of public speaking. She seeks to glorify God through helping others share stories of goodness, beauty, and truth.
