Chapter 17: special Ocassion Speech ReflectionChapter 17: special Ocassion Speech Reflection

Chapter 17: special Occasion Speech Reflection

        Delivering my part of my speech on special occasion speeches was something I looked forward to as it allowed me to get a grasp on my public speaking abilities and growth as a communicator. I find a sense of security knowing that I have the room and all eyes are pointed to me as I speak with the intention to educate. Doing so with a team, I find speeches like these valuable as it not only strengthens my ability to get my thoughts across, yet my ability to effectively collaborate with other peers. Unlike individual speeches, this presentation required a certain level of coordination, shared responsibility, and a distinction of roles. My team's ability to adapt was also put to the test since I was someone who joined later during the speeching developing process. My team and I swiftly made responsibilities and roles clear and I was properly situated with my part of the speech. My specific duty was to explain the different kinds of group speaking formats such as the symposium or the team report. This of course forced me to present this informative content in a way that still for the engaging nature of what my team were trying to put out. 

        While I am on the topic of matching engaging nature, ensuring a consistent style and flow throughout the presentation presented it's own unique set of challenges not only in the overall them of our PowerPoint presentation, yet also in presenting styles. That is one aspect of working as a team for a speech I wish we could touch up on more and is where I would like to see further improvement on as maintaining a consistent theme and speaking style throughout the entire presentation was essential to its overall effectiveness, especially because it was delivered by multiple speakers . To me, it creates a break in the flow of a speech when different members of a group switch to one another and their own differences in speaking style are so vastly different from one another. Being granted that this is our first speech as a team however, I believe we did a good job given the circumstances. In my portion, I was careful to match the pacing, formality, and level of language used by my teammates so that transitions felt natural and cohesive. This consistency helped the audience remain focused and prevented confusion, as abrupt shifts in tone or style can distract listeners and weaken the impact of a special occasion speech. By aligning our speaking styles and reinforcing the same overarching theme, we created a smoother, more professional presentation that emphasized collaboration and reinforced the purpose of the occasion. We had also assigned one member of the group as an overseer of sorts, someone who looked over the general design of the presentation to ensure a consistent theme from start to finish.

        When it came to putting forth my content, I wnted to maximize clarity as if my audience was going to put this information into steadfast use. It is for this reason that I tried to emphasize a Pro-and-Con sort of format to clearly illustrate in what situations a certain form of speech may be most appropirate. When mentioning the Panel Discussion method of speech for example, I  provided information on how this type of discussion encouraged a structured dialogue led by a moderator who may already have some background knowledge on the topic at hand.

        From a delivery standpoint, I believe my verbal communication was one of my stronger areas, trying to speak clearly and maintain a steady pace while making hand gestures whenever appropriate helped to keep the audience attentive. By the time it was my turn to speak, we were already short on time so ensuring a steady pace while meeting the time crunch was critical. I also made an effort to avoid filler words which I know as an audience member can get quite cumbersome to listen to. This approach I took on this speech aligned well with my purposes and muting out filler words and hums helped us finish strong within the required time. 

        Time management is another aspect of a speech that I would like to dive into. Because multiple topics were covered, our group had to be intentional about how much time was allocated to each section to ensure that no single part felt rushed or overly extended. The time frame my team was working with was a whopping 20 minutes. Given the relatively bare bones and straight forwardness of many of these topics, it was definitely a challenge trying to take up most of that time. For this reason, my team, along with others understandibly relied heavily on the use of videos. Incorporating exterior media can be an absolutely critical component of many speeches and presentations, in some cases however, it can feel like some videos end up giving the entire presentation itself. Being granted a more reasonable time frame, This is something my team along with others may improve on in future. As an audience member, longer forms of media distracted me from the original point the presentation was trying to give in the first place. In my role, I focused on presenting clear and concise explanations of the different types of group speaking formats so that I stayed within my allotted time while still communicating essential information.In my role, I focused on presenting clear and concise explanations of the different types of group speaking formats so that I stayed within my allotted time while still communicating essential information.

        Regardless of any blunders or shortcomings, participating in a team based presentation like this one was still of great value as it provided even more experience for myself in the art of speech giving. The experience taught me that an effective special ocassion speech is not just about what is said, yet how well speakers work together to deliver a cohesive and engaging message. I feel as though the topic that I covered plays into that very well making me feel as though the content I pushed forth was both informative and worthwhile. Structuring my part of the presentation with clear advantages and drawbacks for each speech format made way for more attentive audience members and it is this speaking tactic of simplifying the data that i plan on incorporating into more of my presentations in future.