STEP # 1: What is your idea? How did someone or something make you happy, sad, ecstatic, frustrated, or excited? Is it an event or an experience you might have? Is it from a movie you watched or a book you enjoyed reading? Or are you writing your own fictional story? Why or how is […]
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How Do You Craft and Deliver an Effective Story?
When you are working on your story, write down your thoughts. It can be your first cut at the story as it flowed for you intuitively, or your notes compiled as a series of bullet points, or any other way that ideas emerge. Write it down without worrying about the final structure and flow. Keep […]
MORE >>Tool to improve quality of evaluations
Evaluations play a key role in developing communication skills. In addition to the evaluation page from the manual, evaluator should prepare handwritten notes on a separate paper capturing details from the speech. Evaluation is about active listening, critical thinking, and then compiling notes captured to develop an insightful, coherent, one-on-one conversation with the speaker. It […]
MORE >>Finding Speech Topics
While speaking for the topic that resonates with you makes it fun, sometimes it can be a challenge finding speech topic. “What do I talk about in my speech?” Some questions for yourself while looking for a speech topic: What did you enjoy doing over past six months or a year? Maybe an activity at […]
MORE >>About Use of Visual Slides
How do you plan to use visuals in your speech presentation? First of all, when you see use of visuals in a Toastmasters project, keep in mind that a visual can also be a handout that you give to members in audience, or something to show (for example your science project where you might have […]
MORE >>Gestures and Body Language
When you speak, your gestures and body language can empower you to emphasize and clarify your words. Body language can help you reinforce sincerity and enthusiasm. Where do you start? Keep our three techniques in mind: 1) develop a message in your own words rather than memorizing the entire speech or reading it, 2) focus on […]
MORE >>When can I start toastmasters? How does it work?
Q1: How many new member teenagers (students) are added to the program annually? A: It depends on the available coaching bandwidth. While there is no fixed number, we have typically been able to add new teenagers to the program every year. The Toastmasters classes run in a workshop format where everyone has a role every […]
MORE >>Cultivate Empathy, Emotional Intelligence using Toastmasters
At toastmasters, we have tools to organize the message, to learn how to listen effectively, to cultivate empathy, emotional intelligence. Speeches and evaluations can help us cultivate this all. Deven’s thoughts on this are in this video. (He gave a speech at his club in Orange, Paul Revere Toastmasters, to record this video) [Deven’s note: […]
MORE >>Mentorship
Toastmasters have a mentorship role integrated into the growth curve for members. We use it, adapt it with our youth club. Participation as a mentor helps a member grow personally. Mentorship is all about doing something and not being something. It’s more like peer to peer support, teamwork. A member can be both a mentor […]
MORE >>Table Topics – Impromptu Speaking
At the Toastmasters meeting, the table topics master brings table topics for members. They might develop a theme around a series of questions. For example, it can be about colors, friendships, sports, movies, fiction, high school locker room, or Halloween … the sky is the limit where you can take table topics. You have 20-30 […]
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