Monthly Challenge for April 2024: Find Your Voice! Public Speaking
Whether you're preparing for a keynote, a tech talk, or just want to get more comfortable speaking in public, we've got your back.
During this month, we'll be breaking down the art of public speaking into manageable steps, focusing on different aspects each week. Throughout the month, we'll provide resources, tips, and opportunities to practice and get feedback from the community.
Theme
Find Your Voice! Public Speaking
Goals
By the end the month, you'll be able to:- Deliver a clear and engaging presentation on a topic of your choice.
- Overcome nervousness and speak confidently in front of an audience.
- Structure your content effectively to grab and hold attention.
Who can Participate?
Virtual Coffee's goal is to support all developers, no matter where they are in their coding journey. We encourage all members to participate.
How it Works
- We're dedicating this month to becoming confident public speakers. Whether you're gearing up for a conference, a local meetup, or just want to improve, now is the perfect time with the support of our community.
- We encourage you to post your ideas, questions, and even your fears in the
#monthly-challengechannel in Slack. We're all learning and growing together! - We'll do a Slack check-in each week to brainstorm, support, and learn from each other.
- Keep in mind that different experiences will have different approaches, but we can all provide constructive feedback.
We're breaking this challenge into weeks, but feel free to focus on what's most important to you.
Week One: Building Confidence and Your Topic
Building Confidence
- Challenge: Identify and challenge negative thoughts about public speaking.
- Activity: Record yourself delivering a short introduction and watch it back to identify areas for improvement (optional).
Topic Selection and Outline
- Step one: Create a list of 5-10 topics you're passionate about or that you want to learn more about.
- Step two: Create a rough outline of 2-3 from the list.
Week Two: Crafting Your Content
- Challenge: Finalize your topic and develop a clear, concise message.
- Activity: Draft an outline for your talk, including an introduction, main points, and conclusion.
Week Three: Delivery and Practice
- Challenge: Work on your vocal delivery, body language, and use of visuals.
- Activity: Practice delivering your presentation in front of a mirror or someone else.Refine your presentation based on the feedback received and practice delivering it confidently.
Week Four: Final Preparation and Presentation
- Challenge: Make your final preparations and any adjustments to your presentation.
- Activity: Give a lightning talk!
Resources
What if I Need Help?
You can ask a question in the #help-and-pairing channel on Slack, get 1:1 help during Office Hours (you can find the doc for office hours at the top of the #help-and-pairing channel), join the VC #co-working-room, or ask at a Coffee! Asking for help is part of the process.
And remember, we're always here to help ❤️