The fear of sounding dumb is what stops a lot of black students from sharing their thoughts in the lecture hall. I can say for a long time it held me back from asking questions, sharing my viewpoint, or doing whatever normally would cause me to speak out.
In an effort to acquire the confidence to speak out in the lecture hall, I started off taking very small actions. My starting point was to become accustomed to hearing my own voice in a silent classroom. When the instructor garbled his words or was unclear in his thoughts, I would raise my hand and ask, "Can you say that over?" This didn't call for any forethought nor will it enable another person to contest or negate your issue. It's simply the standard, "I didn't understand exactly what the teacher said, and I'd like some clarification."
My next move was to respond to the queries the teacher asked within my head. As a different student was responding, I would reply to the question on my own, and also typically note down my views. If different students had a viewpoint similar to mine or introduced an opinion I could add to, I would put up my hand and deliver my opinion. Adding to the students who had just laid the platform to introduce my comments made me comfortable enough to chime in and share my opinion in the lecture hall.
With this approach, I began build the confidence for speaking in the classroom. I started voicing my thoughts and opinions frequently and was not afraid to provide a different opinion from the consensus, as was usually the case.
This rather long process was well worth it. After learning to talk openly in classes with hundreds of people from various backgrounds, public speaking got to be quite simple. If you happen to be scared of voicing your opinion in university classrooms, begin by getting accustomed to solely talking in the classroom. Then, continue on to expressing your viewpoints. You'll witness your own self-confidence improves each time you do.
In an effort to acquire the confidence to speak out in the lecture hall, I started off taking very small actions. My starting point was to become accustomed to hearing my own voice in a silent classroom. When the instructor garbled his words or was unclear in his thoughts, I would raise my hand and ask, "Can you say that over?" This didn't call for any forethought nor will it enable another person to contest or negate your issue. It's simply the standard, "I didn't understand exactly what the teacher said, and I'd like some clarification."
My next move was to respond to the queries the teacher asked within my head. As a different student was responding, I would reply to the question on my own, and also typically note down my views. If different students had a viewpoint similar to mine or introduced an opinion I could add to, I would put up my hand and deliver my opinion. Adding to the students who had just laid the platform to introduce my comments made me comfortable enough to chime in and share my opinion in the lecture hall.
With this approach, I began build the confidence for speaking in the classroom. I started voicing my thoughts and opinions frequently and was not afraid to provide a different opinion from the consensus, as was usually the case.
This rather long process was well worth it. After learning to talk openly in classes with hundreds of people from various backgrounds, public speaking got to be quite simple. If you happen to be scared of voicing your opinion in university classrooms, begin by getting accustomed to solely talking in the classroom. Then, continue on to expressing your viewpoints. You'll witness your own self-confidence improves each time you do.
About the Author:
Learn how you as a black student can deal with other obstacles you may encounter in college by checking out the book The Only Black Student at the above link.
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