Have you ever spoken at a podium before?

Well, I'm a debater so I have to speak quite frequently in public, just the audience is not always very big, usually 6-8 people. But there were some moments in my debater career when I had to speak in front of many people. I remember the last time it was at the finals of one tournament. A night before it I could hardly sleep :) Although I'm quite used to speaking in public but I feel really nervious every time I have to deliver a speech in front of many people. And I think that's quite normal. In fact, when debating I feel nervious only before the speech - when speaking I enjoy the process :) I know that for some people the fear of speaking in public is one of the biggest fears, but in my opinion if you didn't feel at least a little bit nervious before speaking for an audience, you wouldn't feel the pleasure of speaking at all :)

the first i had to speak in front of... the whole batch of communication arts class(no podium)... was when i was in 3rd year college. When one of my professors, i don't know why it has to be her, punished me after i was caught in a rally (of students opposing oil price hike) and my "photo in action" was in front page of a leading tabloid newspaper. She asked me to explain to the whole of communication arts department students why i was there and why do i need to do what i did. So from first hour of school that day to the last period, all classes never really had their lessons. It was me in front of everybody, every class, every hour... the whole day, explaining why i was involved in that demonstration and promised that it will never happen again.

I could not do that. I remember in high school I had to take home economics--something that was phased out long ago. We learned to cook, sew, make a budget, manage money, basic home hygiene, etc. We were supposed to put on a fashion show for the school and I would not put on the dress I made and parade in front of the whole school. Teacher threatened me with failure and I said fine so I got a D in the class. This was the same teacher who declared that my design of a round house was impossible, nobody would ever design or live in one so she failed me on that assignment. Even the thought of speaking in front of a crowd gives me the creeps.

Yes, I have done it a few times. I competed in a speech competition when I was in Junior High and another one when I was in high school and we had to get up to a podium to do that. I also have read things at the podium at church during mass, and during a couple of weddings. I was also a Tupperware lady so even though I didn't speak at a podium to do that it was still all about talking in front of people, but just speaking in front of people comes very easily for me because I have been a singer most of my life so I have sung in front of many audiences so talking is about a million times easier. I also did some plays in Junior High and High school and I also danced in a dance company as an adult so I am not really someone who has a lot of stage fright. I find public speaking extremely easy.

Yes I did experience that not just one time but many times specially when I am invited to be a speaker in school like career orientation or at a church activity. Indeed it was very nerve wracking at first but when you get use to it then you will have a bit of nervousness but not as much as what you had during your first time. :) Good luck with your next one. But just a word of advice... better come prepared and know what to tell than open your mouth not prepared.

I have never really been very comfortable as a speech maker. Fortunately, i have never had to stand behind a podium to give a speech. i would probably be a bundle of nerves if i had to.

This is going to sound strange but I can speak in front of hundreds of people just fine until you pull out a microphone then I blank out..... No idea why

I've made speeches in front of a podium at my old schools and at my church... but I don't know if you could ever call that audience big. Usually it was only around a hundred people or so. But for me... just talking in front of a dozen people is nerve-wracking so I didn't enjoy doing those speeches at all!

I have never done a prepared speech in front of a large crowd of people, but I have had to get up in front of a large group of people and talk. I got to be the MC for a magazine release party and it involved me getting up, and introducing speakers, thanking everyone for showing, and such. There was an actual podium and everything, and I totally forgot the word pedestal when describing what some of the artwork was on that was being shown off because it was also in the magazine. I had no trouble doing the speaking in front of the crowd, well except spacing on pedestal. Was lots of fun and I didn't find it nerve-wracking in the slightest.