Welcome to the Speaking Fellows program! Your professor has arranged for you to participate in a Speaking Fellows session in order to help you prepare for the presentation required in your course.
Reserving a Session
Each student may sign up individually for a Session One; please make
sure to sign up for the correct Session One for your course.
All Spring 2010 Sessions must be scheduled between
January 26, 2010 and February 23, 2010.
All students are required to take a two-hour “Session One,” in which you will learn about the dynamics of the presentation environment and get hands-on practice in presenting fundamentals. You will have the opportunity to try out your newfound skills and learn how to command and engage and audience of your peers. The session will be videotaped so you can view your progress. Only you will view your videotape.
If you have some anxiety about presenting, rest assured that you will never be put on the spot—although we encourage you to try new skills that take you out of your comfort zone.
If you are already an advanced presenter, the Speaking Fellow will work with you to polish your skills and challenge you to expand your speaking repertoire.
Your professor may also want you to take advanced training (a “Session Two”). These sessions offer specialized training in specific areas, such as negotiating and team presentation-giving, and require the successful completion of a Session One.
What We Expect of You
Timeliness: All sessions start promptly, so be on time. The learning is experiential, cumulative, and based on the group dynamic, so it’s important that everyone is there from the start. If you arrive more than 10 minutes late, you will not be permitted to join the session.
Participation: The Speaking Fellow has gone through rigorous training in order to help you develop your presentation and leadership skills. She will ask for volunteers throughout the session, and we encourage you to be one of them! This is a safe space in which to try new skills.
Feedback
You will be asked to fill out a survey at the end of the session. Please let us know how the session was helpful to you, or how it could have been more helpful to you. You can contact us with additional ideas or feedback at jv2118@barnard.edu.
