LESSON EXAMPLES
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  Directions for
     Evaluating
     a Speech

STAYING UP

SpeechForms

Speech Topic
 Outline

Introducing
  speaker

Speech    Evaluation

Peer
 (4 pages)
Evaluation

Oral   evaluation
 

Evaluation Forms
     Story
     Inform
     Persuade
     Entertain
     Demonstration
     Impromptu

     FINAL

Page created 90206

Rev 01/01/08

EVALUATE BY BUILDING RAINBOWS

 By Dr. Larry C. Bobbert

Reprinted from an article in TOASTMASTERS Magazine submitted 1/2/89 printed on NAILM/ALLC page 37  originally written 1988

Speech Evaluations are like building rainbows—you only need a little water.  You don’t need to rain all over someone’s parade.  When you take your turn as an evaluator, you have certain obligations to yourself, your audience, and the speaker you evaluate.  You owe yourself and your audience a good short speech.  You owe the speaker some good comments and just a few suggestions for improvement.

Treat an evaluation like any other speech.  Divide it into five (5) parts:

1.        Your opening ---Open it with some imagination

2.        Tell’em what yu will tell ‘em.  – Introduce your topic.  Define the type of speech.

3.        Tell’em.   Explain how you saw the speech and the speaker

4.        Tell’em what you told ‘em – Summarize you important points

5.        Close – Say something that will dramatically point out the value of the speed

Begin with one or two significant (good) points that were brought out in the speech.  Pick a humorous part if you can.  Evaluations are always easier for everyone when humor is used.  When you pick out the positive points in the speech, it makes the speaker and your audience know that you were truly listening;. the speaker can tell if you understood the intended message, and it gives you an introduction to your “mini speech.”

Find something to praise:

1.        Is this an improvement over the speaker’s last presentation?

2.        Was the volume ok?  Could you hear?

3.        Where the gestures or eye contact effective or improved?

4.        Was the subject interesting, new or especially informative?

5.        Did the person smile or make you feel good?

6.        Did they use humor effectively?

You can always find something to praise even if it is the fact that the speaker had the courage to stand in front of you.  Many people are too scared to get up and talk.

After you have praised the speaker and or the courageous audience, then explain one or two ways to improve.

One or two “improvements” are enough.  Anything more—put it in writing, but not in public.  We all need to improve.  That is shy we take classes, but we can only concentrate on one or two things at a time.  In Toastmasters a Chiropractor called me a “motor mouth” because I did not pause long enough after a funny story or humorous line.  For over three years I have been seriously working on that one evaluation.  I really do not know what else he said, but hi s advice has helped me win three area humorous speaking contests.  A litany of mistakes, errors and annoyances does not entertain the audience or really help the speaker.

Whenever you make suggestions, be specific.  For example:  “Bert, your stories were funny.  If you could have made them relate to the rest of your speech, your speech would have been more effective.”  Be brief, short and sweat.  We all love criticism as much as we love our dentists.  We know we must attend to the situation, but we really don’t like to hear the wining noise.

Evaluate by example.  Make your evaluation a good speech.  Tell us what you will cover. Explain why you chose those parts of the speech to point out, then summarize.  Most of all make it an entertaining positive speech.

And so I’ve told you what I would tell you; told you how I believe it should be done, and the previous paragraph told you what I told you.  Now, go out and start Building Rainbows.