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“Dealing With Your Fear Of Public Presentations

Y ci look out at the crowd and
your heart is pounding. You
have to speak but your mouth is
dry. Your mind goes blank...

The fear of public speaking
strikes most people sometime in
their lives. According to a recent
list of phobias, this fear ranks at
the top, even ahead of the fear of
death.

But Larry Green, a Langley
psychotherapist and college in-
structor, says the dread of public
speaking is just one example of
a more common phobia: perfor-
mance anxiety.

This fear, says Green, can
severely limit personal potential.

-- One such case is the college
student who sits through class
with a burning question but is
afraid to speak up.

-- At a meeting an accountant
must make a presentation. She
tries to appear calm but her
papers flutter in her trembling
hands.

To help people cope with these
problems Green teaches a
workshop at Douglas College
called DEALING WITH YOUR
FEAR OF PUBLIC PRESENTA-
TIONS.

He says, “Normally a person's
self value comes from within but
when it's time to perform, other
people are doing the judging.
The performer says, ‘I know I'll
Q.ow it.”

But Green has some techni-
ques for overcoming perfor-
mance anxiety -- some of which
he uses himself.

"| was sweating it out the night
before my first teaching assign-
ment," he says. "I recalled atime
when | was with colleagues chai-
ting after work. [had spoken ina
passionate, articulate way on a

—_ ——

es |

subject | knew very well. Then |
visualized how | would like to
present myself and the material |
was teaching to my new stu-
dents."

By visualizing and combining
the good experience from the
past with the new scene of teach-
ing college students Green says
he was able to instruct his class
with maximum effectiveness.

In his three-hour workshop,
along with other coping techni-
ques, Green teaches theory so
that participants can design their
own personal methods of over-
coming performance anxiety.

The workshop, a presentation
of the Douglas College Centre for
Personal Development, will be
held at the College, one block
north of the Skytrain terminal in

New Westminster, Tuesday Oc-
tober 20th, 7 - 10 p.m.

 

INCREASE IN ABE FINANCIAL AID

People living on a low income may find it easier to afford an education
this year. An eight-fold increase in provincial government funds for the
Adult Basic Education (ABE) financial aidprogram at Douglas College
should improve access for the needy says Financial Aid Officer, Patricia
Lewis.

"Our funding last year was $3,400.00. It was totally inadequate,”
Lewis said. "This year we have $27,840.00, which should allow us to
help out 100 students."

Unlike a regular student loan, money for students in Adult Basic
Education comes in the form of non-repayable grants applied directly
to the cost of tuition.

Douglas College instructor Ted James describes the ABE program as
"a stepping stone.” Courses range from basic literacy classes to ad-
vanced writing and mathematics instruction that prepare students for
academic college courses.

"There is no typical ABE student,” James says. "We have people who
can’t read or write, and other students who want to begin work towards
a university degree."

“More and more Canadians see that they are not alone,” adds instruc-
tor Mae Burrows. "They realize that being unable to read and write is
not something to be ashamed of, but rather a problem to be solved.
People are saying, ‘I didn't get a basic education in school so now I'm
going to take the bull by the horns and learn.”

According to a brochure from the Douglas College Student Finance
Office, full-time students in the advanced ABE courses who plan to go
on to another post-secondary program may be eligible for additional
funds. A maximum of $2,900.00 (max. $3,600.00 for students with de-
pendent children), per semester is available to cover educational costs
and living expenses. This figure includes a loan of $625.00.

in both lower-level and advanced ABE courses, the amount of assis-
tance received depends on each student's financial need.

Adult Basic Education programs begin September 8th. Classes can
be attended during the day or evening at Douglas College in New
Westminster and during the day at the Maple Ridge Centre.

 

 

 

 

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