Speech

I will give have a meeting with parents tomorrow afternoon.
I can't with my nerves.
My partner says that the best is to begin with a joke, but I rarely tell jokes irl

I know what to say and all but not how to say it without rush into words over and over again. I want to be natural and don't seem very formal.

My idea is taking 5 tranxiliums or a couple of cups of rum before. ( joking, of course)

I'm curious. Someone of you have experience giving speeches. I can talk to people one by one but in a group with adults is a nightmare.

Hello AzulOscuro: I'm sorry you did not receive a timely reply to this Thread. I hope your meeting went well & that you were able to find a way to conduct your meeting in a manner that left you feeling good. I sympathize with your concern here. I was always terrified at the prospect of having to speak to groups...

Thank you, Skeezyks!
Yeah...everyone looking at you...waiting for what you have to say. I didn't tell a joke. It's not in my nature unless I am in a comfortable situation. I tried to be simply me. So, I overcame the situation pretty well and even setting boundaries. I think I was pretty assertive what it's something I'm learning to be now. So, you can guess how I feel now. Much more confident to be in my skin.
It was last course when I went to be able to present an idea in the teacher meeting. Avoiding and hiding yourself only take you to a safe failure.

Baaack in time when I got into college for the first time I ended up getting a remunerated scolarship. It wasn't much money, but it allowed me to pay for my stuff (college books, clothes...) without having to ask my parents.

I was so naive, I didn't know I would have to speak in public, just write arcticles and such. When I had to make my first presentation I was already panicking a week before, but I knew disappointing my mentor would be worse, I feared losing my scholarship and disappointing my parents... In the end there was no better option than making the freaking presentation.

You know what worked for me? Foreseeing a catastrophe and starting coping with it instead of trying to relax. My coping thoughts were not the most healthy and I won't share them here out of fear of triggering someone, but it made me believe I had an option to avoid shame no matter what. When the presentation was over it was over, I survived, ran back home and that's all. I'm far from being an orator, but damn... I guess I can do it if I'm supposed to.

I see. Imaging the worst and think about strategies to overcome the situation. So, you won't find any dissapointing situation that can block you out. It's a good advise. It could be a previous work to do. Then, during the speech, the best is to be natural.
I was always scared of speeches. I find easy to talk to kids but I think it's because I plan my lessons very good and have practice.
The more you do a thing, the better. Then, it's important to be compassionate with yourself when things weren't as well as you expected. Something very hard to do in our case.