60 Seconds of Johanna's Writing WIP for May 17, 2024

The transcript:
I’m Johanna Rothman, and this is 60 Seconds of Johanna’s Writing WIP for May 17, 2024, where I read an excerpt of just a minute of some writing in progress.
This excerpt is from the speaking book.
And then came the dreaded "presentations" or "class participation." You weren't supposed to just talk to your classmates or to the teacher. No. Somehow, these presentations became part of your grade. As a result, Speaking Became Important. (If you fear public speaking now, that might be part of the root cause of your fear.)
Did your teachers tell you how to speak effectively? Probably not.
They probably told you to stand in one place at the front of the class and to project your voice. Maybe they offered you the "tell them, tell them what you told them, tell them" template. Worse, they probably told you to memorize your speech.
Most people are not comfortable standing still and projecting their voice--it's an artificial way to speak. The "tell them" template is not sufficient direction for new speakers. And if you started a memorized speech and then experienced an interruption? Very few of us can recover from an interruption in a memorized speech.
Your experience of speaking in elementary and high school is not representative of the speaking you can do as a professional.