Critical Reflection [End of Module]

Impromptu speechmaking, and understanding myself through understanding others in communication. I had thought impromptu speechmaking to be something I’d attempt for the oral presentation, but in the end, I found myself drafting script after script in the pursuit of structure. A sense of certainty and control. With my presentation, the elements of improvisation were limited to audience interaction by design, and looking back, caution to the wind might’ve been the better option. Though, for now, I’d like to be far from the distress of spontaneity and draw confidence from the scripts I write. When the time comes that I’ve internalized the structure of my scripts into everything I do, I’ll start a journey of improvisation.

Throughout the lectures in this module, I found the inherence of verbal communication in this class exciting, and through everyone stepping out of their comfort zones to various extents, I learned more about the people in the class, even if I’d never gone beyond pleasantries with some of them. Through working with my team, I also understood more about myself. How I work, how I assess situations, how and what items I prioritize under the constraints of time, how I resolve conflicts. Through understanding these things, I bring myself closer to merging who I am with who I want to be. I’ve found that I grow most as a person when I engage in reflective discussions of my experiences, and how I’ve responded to and internalized those experiences. For me, having a community that encourages open communication about the human condition continues to be something I cherish greatly, and I’ll continue to grow alongside these communities.

 

The oral presentation remains a storied learning experience for me in this module. I can’t speak for my teammates, but to me, we stumbled our way through the mock presentation, weeks of stress with little to show for it. We had our eureka moment days before the actual presentation, and with little time left, a scramble to formulate the presentation structure began. The end result wasn’t our best work, but given the time constraints, I was OK with what we had. We’d done up the content, poured time into the research, counterpointing ourselves with a simulated Q&A. All that’s left was to present.

I took to the stage behind the desk. The outcomes of that decision are understood now, but in that moment, through the nerves and through the doubts, I had fun. The section I’d designed for myself was to be the hook that engaged the audience, to get a spotlight on me so I can transfer it to my team. As far as I’m concerned, it worked to an acceptable extent. I had smiles in the crowd, and the punchlines worked as intended.

I had fun. That was my biggest takeaway from that presentation. Despite everything else in SIT that bogged us down, I was able to have fun in that presentation. Creating something that I (and hopefully my audience) enjoyed, within the constraints of a classroom setting, that sums up the perfect learning environment for me.