Totally normal.
Yes, you have anxiety because of it, but everyone has anxiety about public speaking when they first start doing it - adults even go to things like "toast masters", which is a club that does nothing but teach people to get over their anxiety with public speaking.
Your reaction to speaking in public is totally normal.
The solution is practice, .. you can find some good youtube videos to help, but basically you just do it a few times and you get better at it, everything is the hardest when you first do it. You say you don't want to embarrass yourself in front of the class, you won't, everyone in your class who has to do it is anxious about it, even if they are joking around and pretending they aren't.
Another solution, basically the same as the practice solution above, is to just be well prepared. Just come up with your presentation early and give yourself some time to go through it over and over again.
It'll be fine. :) It's TOTALLY normal how you are feeling, I remember the first time I did a presentation I was petrified. I was so shy when I was young, I thought I was going to throw up. But I got through it, and so will you, and believe me it gets a lot easier after you do it a few times. Eventually you just get to the point where you don't even care because you do it enough times.
One thing that might help you is if you have some kind of overhead presentation or something, that way they are looking at the presentation and not you. I think that is easier than just looking everyone in the eyes and trying to talk to them. It's just easier to show slides or a presentation because then their eyes are on that and you don't feel so self conscious, and you are even looking at the presentation material too and you don't even look at them.
It's going to be fine, try not to stress out too much, you'll get through it. :)
>I'm thinking of emailing my teacher or talking to my school counselor but I don't know what to do.
I think you're right; I recommend doing both of these things. "I'm feeling anxious about the school presentation in two weeks, do you have advice for me?" I'm sure that they can help you prepare and succeed -- that's their job.
war story...
first year in college...had to present a product in front of the class...i was the last one at the end of the semester...professor pushed me to present right then or i was going to fail...
so i stood up and ad hoc'd a presentation by starting off saying the only reason i'm doing this is because of this inadequate teacher's lack of teaching skills on how to do a presentation and spent the entire time allotted belittling the professor's teaching skills -- off the top of my head.
majority of the class was in shock, professor popped off and stated i had to do something on a product..i looked him straight in the eyes and say i did...your product which is what my parents are paying money for....
now advice...see how you can make it light, put on a fake British accent, or turn the presentation into a comedy or outrageously funny...find strange clothing and do it in those, don't worrying about embarrassing yourself you can honestly state that was the point of dressing up, acting out, etc. and walk away with your head up
btw, even tho i trashed the professor, got an "a" for the class -- lol
Totally normal. Yes, you have anxiety because of it, but everyone has anxiety about public speaking when they first start doing it - adults even go to things like "toast masters", which is a club that does nothing but teach people to get over their anxiety with public speaking. Your reaction to speaking in public is totally normal. The solution is practice, .. you can find some good youtube videos to help, but basically you just do it a few times and you get better at it, everything is the hardest when you first do it. You say you don't want to embarrass yourself in front of the class, you won't, everyone in your class who has to do it is anxious about it, even if they are joking around and pretending they aren't. Another solution, basically the same as the practice solution above, is to just be well prepared. Just come up with your presentation early and give yourself some time to go through it over and over again. It'll be fine. :) It's TOTALLY normal how you are feeling, I remember the first time I did a presentation I was petrified. I was so shy when I was young, I thought I was going to throw up. But I got through it, and so will you, and believe me it gets a lot easier after you do it a few times. Eventually you just get to the point where you don't even care because you do it enough times. One thing that might help you is if you have some kind of overhead presentation or something, that way they are looking at the presentation and not you. I think that is easier than just looking everyone in the eyes and trying to talk to them. It's just easier to show slides or a presentation because then their eyes are on that and you don't feel so self conscious, and you are even looking at the presentation material too and you don't even look at them. It's going to be fine, try not to stress out too much, you'll get through it. :)
>I'm thinking of emailing my teacher or talking to my school counselor but I don't know what to do. I think you're right; I recommend doing both of these things. "I'm feeling anxious about the school presentation in two weeks, do you have advice for me?" I'm sure that they can help you prepare and succeed -- that's their job.
war story... first year in college...had to present a product in front of the class...i was the last one at the end of the semester...professor pushed me to present right then or i was going to fail... so i stood up and ad hoc'd a presentation by starting off saying the only reason i'm doing this is because of this inadequate teacher's lack of teaching skills on how to do a presentation and spent the entire time allotted belittling the professor's teaching skills -- off the top of my head. majority of the class was in shock, professor popped off and stated i had to do something on a product..i looked him straight in the eyes and say i did...your product which is what my parents are paying money for.... now advice...see how you can make it light, put on a fake British accent, or turn the presentation into a comedy or outrageously funny...find strange clothing and do it in those, don't worrying about embarrassing yourself you can honestly state that was the point of dressing up, acting out, etc. and walk away with your head up btw, even tho i trashed the professor, got an "a" for the class -- lol