Toastmasters. Project 1. The Icebreaker
В нашем разговорном клубе задача первой речи - представить себя остальным и "растопить лед". Содержание и формат на усмотрение спикера. У меня такая вот речь получилась.
С текстом будет понятнее, что я там бормочу, прячась от камеры.
Hello, everyone. I’m Natalia and I’m a drug addict. Just joking). I’m a teacher, a mother. I adore my little daughter, love my husband, enjoy my job, have lots of friends, read books and exercise regularly. Well, I’m a nice person. But talking “nice” could bore to death, couldn’t it? It’s always way more exciting to hear about little faults and miseries. I have them as well, I do. At least, I think I do).
One of my problems is Doubt. I always doubt, if I did the right thing and said the right words, if people will really do what they have promised and if they say what they actually think. This kind of things. I even doubt if Doubt is a problem. I’ll tell you why. One day while I was looking through the shelves of Bukvoed with nothing particular in mind, I met a stranger, a young man, and we got talking. And he said one interesting thing I still remember: It’s really good to doubt, because not doing so is extremely boring. So I haven’t decided yet if it is a problem or an bonus.
Another thing that often bothers me is that I question myself on things. It has a lot to do with doubt - a lot indeed because the second meaning of the verb is to doubt. So lots of my mental energy is spent for asking questions about general matters, impractical at times in the modern jungle.
I’ll tell you about one of the questions, that bugs me. The question of motivation. You have no doubt that motivation is the ground for success (I have some, btw). But what should trigger it? Criticism or praise.
I have some examples, which accordingly demonstrate the first and the second.
Not so long ago I watched a film “Whiplash” If you don’t quite know the meaning the word the Christ got 39 of them. It’s metaphoric in the film and means severe criticism. One of the characters a talented music teacher thinks that only humiliating criticism and even abuse could push a person to great achievements. Once he throws a chair at his student, in the end the student is a big success.
This idea is important to me personally because that’s what my parents would agree with. We dodn't speak of great achievements here, anyway they thought, that criticizing me could make me change for the better. My father for example used to say that the only job I would be capable of is a job of a greengrocer at a local market. Tough. I was an A student, by the way. And still I always try to do the best and to be the best. As for my mother, she never found anything wrong in pointing out that I was a fat child. I have been on a diet since then.
It seems to have worked for me: I’m a very good teacher (it took me long to admit it))) and I’m fit. Splendid method, isn’t it?
But something again makes me doubt and question it. Is it really that splendid? What about all this children's psychologists’ matra of praise, support and encouragement? The rule of the prince. The idea that a child will become just what you tell him he is? Tell him he is a prince and have a prince. Tell him he is a bully or a retard, and have a bully or a retard. I grew in close relation with mu cousins, and both of them have had a very supportive family, and both of them have achieved a lot in their jobs. I have quite a few examples like that, and all of these people have, what I don’t - self-confidence.
Wow, self- confidence, like a faraway star that you cannot reach. How can I if I doubt every single thing, my own qualities included.
On the other part, is self-confidence and high self-esteem always an advantage? Yesterday I talked to an American girl about stereotypes. She said that one of them is that Americans think, that they are a great nation, are the best. They have no doubts. And so they can’t see the problems they have, so the problems are not fixed. This greatly affects schooling, for instance. The USA is rated in the thirties in terms of children’s education. Most of high schoolers can’t pick Germany on the map, some of them cant even pick The USA. On the other hand, no child is left behind, everyone is supported. It used to be a governmental policy. Only recently, thanks to Obama, did this attitude start to change.
I could go on like that juggling pros and cons for hours, but I only have seven minutes, so I’ll finish with the conclusion that I have got to so far There should be a happy medium somewhere. And I try hard to find it at least when dealing with my own child. Here I don’t feel I should follow my parents example. Neither should I take on the US Government policy. And now I keep questioning myself on how I find it? How do you find the happy medium between criticism and praise? This issue is worth a thought, isn’t it.
Click to viewС текстом будет понятнее, что я там бормочу, прячась от камеры.
Hello, everyone. I’m Natalia and I’m a drug addict. Just joking). I’m a teacher, a mother. I adore my little daughter, love my husband, enjoy my job, have lots of friends, read books and exercise regularly. Well, I’m a nice person. But talking “nice” could bore to death, couldn’t it? It’s always way more exciting to hear about little faults and miseries. I have them as well, I do. At least, I think I do).
One of my problems is Doubt. I always doubt, if I did the right thing and said the right words, if people will really do what they have promised and if they say what they actually think. This kind of things. I even doubt if Doubt is a problem. I’ll tell you why. One day while I was looking through the shelves of Bukvoed with nothing particular in mind, I met a stranger, a young man, and we got talking. And he said one interesting thing I still remember: It’s really good to doubt, because not doing so is extremely boring. So I haven’t decided yet if it is a problem or an bonus.
Another thing that often bothers me is that I question myself on things. It has a lot to do with doubt - a lot indeed because the second meaning of the verb is to doubt. So lots of my mental energy is spent for asking questions about general matters, impractical at times in the modern jungle.
I’ll tell you about one of the questions, that bugs me. The question of motivation. You have no doubt that motivation is the ground for success (I have some, btw). But what should trigger it? Criticism or praise.
I have some examples, which accordingly demonstrate the first and the second.
Not so long ago I watched a film “Whiplash” If you don’t quite know the meaning the word the Christ got 39 of them. It’s metaphoric in the film and means severe criticism. One of the characters a talented music teacher thinks that only humiliating criticism and even abuse could push a person to great achievements. Once he throws a chair at his student, in the end the student is a big success.
This idea is important to me personally because that’s what my parents would agree with. We dodn't speak of great achievements here, anyway they thought, that criticizing me could make me change for the better. My father for example used to say that the only job I would be capable of is a job of a greengrocer at a local market. Tough. I was an A student, by the way. And still I always try to do the best and to be the best. As for my mother, she never found anything wrong in pointing out that I was a fat child. I have been on a diet since then.
It seems to have worked for me: I’m a very good teacher (it took me long to admit it))) and I’m fit. Splendid method, isn’t it?
But something again makes me doubt and question it. Is it really that splendid? What about all this children's psychologists’ matra of praise, support and encouragement? The rule of the prince. The idea that a child will become just what you tell him he is? Tell him he is a prince and have a prince. Tell him he is a bully or a retard, and have a bully or a retard. I grew in close relation with mu cousins, and both of them have had a very supportive family, and both of them have achieved a lot in their jobs. I have quite a few examples like that, and all of these people have, what I don’t - self-confidence.
Wow, self- confidence, like a faraway star that you cannot reach. How can I if I doubt every single thing, my own qualities included.
On the other part, is self-confidence and high self-esteem always an advantage? Yesterday I talked to an American girl about stereotypes. She said that one of them is that Americans think, that they are a great nation, are the best. They have no doubts. And so they can’t see the problems they have, so the problems are not fixed. This greatly affects schooling, for instance. The USA is rated in the thirties in terms of children’s education. Most of high schoolers can’t pick Germany on the map, some of them cant even pick The USA. On the other hand, no child is left behind, everyone is supported. It used to be a governmental policy. Only recently, thanks to Obama, did this attitude start to change.
I could go on like that juggling pros and cons for hours, but I only have seven minutes, so I’ll finish with the conclusion that I have got to so far There should be a happy medium somewhere. And I try hard to find it at least when dealing with my own child. Here I don’t feel I should follow my parents example. Neither should I take on the US Government policy. And now I keep questioning myself on how I find it? How do you find the happy medium between criticism and praise? This issue is worth a thought, isn’t it.