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Speaking With Confidence
India White • August 13, 2021
Everyone is afraid of something. Some people are stricken with fear upon sight of a spider. Others can’t stand the sight of party clowns. And others still, quite ironically, are scared of being scared. But, with the vast array of fear and anxiety-inducing factors out there in the world, there are few as prevalent and as pervasive as glossophobia, the fear of public speaking. At just the mere thought of speaking in public, glossophobes can experience intense dizziness, nausea, increases in heartbeat, hyperventilation, muscle tension, sweating, and trembling. Granted, glossophobia is not the most common phobia in the world nor is it the most pressing or surprising out there. However, speaking in public, even if you’re not a glossophobe, is nerve-inducing work.
This makes sense because humans are naturally social creatures. As such, we crave the acceptance of our peers. Being seen as credible or intelligent is almost a guaranteed track to status within a community. This is typically why people are so scared of public speaking; they falsely believe that if they fail in front of an audience, they will lose status and eventually, become ostracized. But, in no way is this true. Fears and anxieties cause people to overestimate the stakes of their speaking, making them believe it will heavily impact their status/credibility, feeding back into the fear. It’s a vicious cycle, but one you can break out of.
First things first, public speaking is not a special skill! And your audience is not judging how good your speaking capabilities are. I repeat, your audience is not trying to pick out the most miniscule things to call you out on. That’s ridiculous! When you listen to other people speaking, are you trying to pinpoint “Oh, they made a grammatical mistake there” or “hmm, I think that was a stutter too many, I’m gonna have to dock points from their score?” Are you even keeping a score? No! You’re just trying to hear their ideas. Granted, the more engaging the speaker and the fewer blatant mistakes they make, the easier it is to accept those ideas. But that’s the key: blatant mistakes. No one is going to sweat you for the small stuff like a stutter here and there. And even still, the mistakes you find blatant while talking are probably barely noticeable to the audience. In psychology, there’s something called the Spotlight Effect: a phenomenon in which people tend to believe they are being noticed more than they really are. Especially when you’re speaking publicly, you will unconsciously over exaggerate how much your audience is noticing your small mistakes. Just remember that all public speaking really is, is conveying your ideas to another person. It doesn’T necessarily matter if there are 5 or 500 people in front of you, treat your audience as though you were talking to them individually. Mitigate the stress you place on yourself to perform drastically differently than if you were simply just talking to your friend.
Of course, this is easier said than done, but there are some strategies to help you speak with confidence. First, and most importantly, review your material until you truly know it. That doesn’t mean memorizing it, as that typically leads to errors if you get distracted or lose your place. A note: be sure to master your introduction. This is usually where most people mess up. If you’ve ever noticed, once you start off flawlessly, your nerves naturally calm down as you get further and further into your speech. Remember, you know your stuff, just get it out there to the audience. Practice and practice, practice makes perfect but it also makes you more confident.
Second, try videotaping yourself speaking, that way you will better understand what your audience sees and hears. Make adjustments to your posture, phrases, facial expressions, hand gestures, etc as needed from the recording. Then record it again and again until you’re satisfied.
Finally, be prepared for questions, after and during your presentation . You don’t want to perform a fantastic speech and then fumble with your words when answering the first question asked. Just jot down some questions you predict will be asked and think of answers beforehand. Remember, don’t memorize. If you know your stuff, you won’t have to. And even if you don’t know the answer, give’em a confident, “Great question! As of right now, I can’t give you an answer that I am satisfied with. May I reach out to you with an answer after this presentation, speech, birthday party, whatever?” That way, you can dodge making a fool out of yourself, whilst also not admitting full ignorance.
Remember, the key to giving a good presentation is just confidence. Even if your content is slightly lacking, if you convey it in a confident manner, people will believe you know what you’re talking about. Just remember: practice, practice, practice. And don’t be so hard on yourself. You know your stuff and, most importantly, you know you. You got this!
Join us on the Let's Get Gritty Podcast with Dr. India White. On this show, we will repeat a show from the Grit and Equity talks Podcast with Dr. India White, where we walk through the recently released NAEP data from the National Report Card and speak about moving the needle forward. Listen on Spotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/india-white3 #grit #equity #naep #drindiawhite #nctm #ncsm #bwxme #math #teachers #students
🌟 Just wrapped up an incredible G.R.I.T. Training session with the amazing leaders from Imagine Schools! 💪✨ We took a deep dive into the G.R.I.T. framework, and I can't wait to see the results unfold! 🚀🙌 #drindiawhite #grit #imagineschools #tedx #nctm #ncsm #bwxme 🎉 (I don’t own music copyright
Check out my Feb. 2025 Newsletter!
Thankful for Partnership and Recognition: A Shoutout to Dr. Matthew Joseph and X-Factor EDU Network I am incredibly thankful to partner with Dr. Matthew Joseph and the amazing leadership of the X-Factor EDU Network! It is truly an honor to collaborate with such a visionary leader who is dedicated to amplifying voices in education and creating spaces for impactful conversations. This month, I was deeply grateful to be mentioned in Dr. Joseph’s newsletter during Black History Month. His recognition means so much, not just for me, but for the work we are all doing to inspire and empower educators and students alike. You can check out the newsletter here: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/drmxj_stongertogether-activity-7291502796753809408-0zX3?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAmqD2wBkz8Qc7EA0bvwxWyMJH2HykCUA-Y But beyond the shoutout, I’m even more excited about the opportunities ahead—including the chance to have a podcast on Dr. Joseph’s platform! Partnering with X-Factor EDU Network opens doors to share insights, engage in meaningful discussions, and continue championing grit, resilience, and equity in education. Thank you, Dr. Matthew Joseph, for your support, encouragement, and belief in this mission. Looking forward to what’s to come! 🚀 #StrongerTogether #GRIT #XFactorEDU #BlackHistoryMonth #EducationalLeadership #Thankful
Fired Up for FDLA/FAMTE Keynote: Let’s Build Grit Together! I’m beyond excited to take the stage as the keynote speaker at the FDLA/FAMTE Conference tomorrow! 🎤🔥 We’ll be diving deep into the power of G.R.I.T.—Great Resilience in Time—and how it transforms both educators and students. This opportunity means so much, and I’m grateful to everyone who has supported this journey. Grit isn’t just a concept; it’s a movement. It’s about growth mindset, resilience, self-efficacy, and time management, and it’s what drives success in the classroom and beyond. Let’s empower educators and students across the nation to push past obstacles and embrace productive struggle. Who’s ready to get gritty? 💪🏾 #Grit #DrIndiaWhite #TEDx #FDLA #FAMTE #Education #GrowthMindset
Had an Amazing Time at the Imagine Summit! I had a fantastic time speaking at the Imagine Summit on G.R.I.T.! 🙌🏽 We engaged in powerful breakout sessions, had meaningful discussions about NAEP data, and explored strategies to build **growth mindset, resilience, self-efficacy, and time management** in education. Thank you to everyone who participated and brought such great energy to the conversations! Let’s continue working together to bridge gaps and empower students through grit and perseverance. 💪🏽 #GRIT #ImagineSummit #Resilience #Education #GrowthMindset #EquityInEducation #drindiawhite
Building Grit in Teachers at the Imagine Leadership Summit I am beyond excited to be speaking at the Imagine Leadership Summit today, sharing insights on how we can build grit in teachers and empower them to foster resilience, self-efficacy, and growth in their students. 🌟 This summit is an incredible opportunity to collaborate with principals and education leaders who are committed to supporting and strengthening teachers. When we invest in teacher grit, we build stronger, more effective classrooms where students develop the perseverance to tackle challenges and achieve success. A huge thank you to the Imagine Summit leaders for this amazing opportunity! It’s an honor to be among such an outstanding lineup of speakers, including the incredible Kyle Pearce and Jon Orr. Join our sessions today and take GRIT with you—because when teachers grow in resilience, our students thrive! #GRIT #Teachers #Principals #DrIndiaWhite #NCTM #NCSM #ImagineSummit 😊
🌟 What an incredible time at the ICTM conference in Indiana! The lineup was amazing, and the energy was contagious! 🎉 Since I missed the snow back in Florida, I embraced it fully here and made my very first snow angel! ❄️ So grateful for the fun and gritty spirit of the ICTM rockstars! Huge thanks to Angela and every rockstar for this fantastic opportunity! 💙 #drindiawhite #grit #ictm25 #math #teachers #students #indiana #nctm #ncsm
✨ Today’s Grit training at Stockton Unified was absolutely amazing! We had a fantastic time connecting with friends and meeting some incredible rockstars in California. 🌟 I can’t wait to see how gritty Stockton becomes! Huge thanks to Andrew and the tribe for the opportunity to train your amazing leaders. Let’s all take grit with us as we move forward! 💪 #Grit #Leadership #StocktonUnified #drindiawhite #tedx #nctm #ncsm #nabse
🎊Super excited about this opportunity! Looking forward to connecting with these amazing leaders! 🥰🥳🎉 Please register below and let’s connect so we can bridge the achievement gap together! hashtag#drindiawhite hashtag#ncsm hashtag#grit hashtag#math hashtag#teachers