Anxiety about appearing idiotic is what stops lots of students of color from sharing their thoughts in the lecture hall. I know for a time it prevented me from asking the professor questions, sharing my viewpoint, or doing whatever might possibly force me to speak out.
In order to build up the confidence to talk in the lecture hall, I started taking very little steps. My starting point was to make myself accustomed to hearing my voice in a noiseless lecture hall. When the instructor garbled his sentences or was not clear in his remarks, I would raise my hand and ask, "Could you say that over?" This query doesn't call for any forethought nor will it make it possible for another person to dispute or question your stance. It's merely the widely used, "I didn't hear exactly what the teacher stated, and I need explanation."
My next move was to respond to the queries the lecturer asked inside my head. While a different student was answering, I would reply to the query on my own, and sometimes note down my opinions. When different college students held an opinion identical to mine or made a point I possibly could add to, I would raise my hand and share my thoughts. Adding to the students who had just laid the structure to introduce my comments helped me become confident enough to chime in and share my opinion in the classroom.
With this method, I started having no problem talking in class. I started voicing my insights regularly and was unafraid to provide a unique point of view from the rest of the class, as I often did.
This lengthy process was definitely worth it. After being able to talk openly in classes with so many people from various backgrounds, speaking in public grew to be rather easy. If you are scared of speaking up in college classes, begin by getting comfortable with solely talking in the lecture hall. Next, continue on to offering your ideas. You'll witness your own sense of self-esteem boosts every time you do.
In order to build up the confidence to talk in the lecture hall, I started taking very little steps. My starting point was to make myself accustomed to hearing my voice in a noiseless lecture hall. When the instructor garbled his sentences or was not clear in his remarks, I would raise my hand and ask, "Could you say that over?" This query doesn't call for any forethought nor will it make it possible for another person to dispute or question your stance. It's merely the widely used, "I didn't hear exactly what the teacher stated, and I need explanation."
My next move was to respond to the queries the lecturer asked inside my head. While a different student was answering, I would reply to the query on my own, and sometimes note down my opinions. When different college students held an opinion identical to mine or made a point I possibly could add to, I would raise my hand and share my thoughts. Adding to the students who had just laid the structure to introduce my comments helped me become confident enough to chime in and share my opinion in the classroom.
With this method, I started having no problem talking in class. I started voicing my insights regularly and was unafraid to provide a unique point of view from the rest of the class, as I often did.
This lengthy process was definitely worth it. After being able to talk openly in classes with so many people from various backgrounds, speaking in public grew to be rather easy. If you are scared of speaking up in college classes, begin by getting comfortable with solely talking in the lecture hall. Next, continue on to offering your ideas. You'll witness your own sense of self-esteem boosts every time you do.
About the Author:
Learn how you as a black student can deal with other obstacles you may encounter in college by checking out the book The Only Black Student here.
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