|
Glove Method for Speech Evaluation |
|
|
|
Speech Evaluations are the cornerstone of Toastmasters organizations and help each member continually improve.
It is through these evaluations that speakers learn areas in their speaking styles that need attention. Other club members also learn from the observations of evaluators. A top evaluator will give his opinion of the speaker in such a manner that the speaker is left feeling good about him, or her, self. Speech evaluations are the personal opinion of the evaluator. For every person in the room observing a speech, there will be a different observation, and a different opinion of how the speech went and how it can be improved. A good evaluator will show compassion to a speaker without sugar-coating the presentation of the work. A favourable evaluation of a shoddy speech will not help the speaker improve. If there are problems, they need to be pointed out...GENTLY. Praise goes a long way. Gentle direction given tothe speaker goes even further. The method I prefer to use is the ‘GLOVE’ method. The Sandwich technique, which begins with a positive observation, offers suggestions, then closes on a positive note is most often used by evaluators. The evaluator looks at the speech as a whole and generally chooses several things to praise and several areas he, or she, feels needs some work. With this method there are often several areas that do not get mentioned. With the ‘GLOVE’ method, the whole presentation is dealt with. Using the anachronism ‘GLOVE’, all areas are dealt with. Each letter helps to kick-start the evaluators thought process regardingdifferent parts of the evaluation. They stand for:
G - Gestures:
Did the speaker use his hands, facial expression and body language to put his topic across? If so, explain how? Was the language appropriate to the audience? At times a speaker will use language that is difficult for the audience to understand. The use of acronyms that are not explained, or professional terms that may be unfamiliar to the audience will bewilder the audience. Is it off color? A slightly ‘blue’ speech may be fine in some areas, but in general it is not. Was the speech well organized? Did it have an opening, body and concluion? Did the speech display the vocal range of the speaker? Did the speaker hold the audience’s attention through his, or her, eyes? Making contact with the audience through the eyes will force the audience to listen, even if the speech is a tad on the dull side. Looking at a particular person almost long enough to almost make them uncomfortable, then focusing on another person in the audience will rivet the attention to the speaker. It is almost as if they don’t dare look away for fear of getting caught. Hopefully the speech will be interesting enough that this is not the case. Enthusiasm captivates an audience. Was the speech exciting to watch? Was it delivered with an amount of energy that wasn't appropriate (more or less) for the subject matter? Enthusiasm can make even a dull speech entertaining but too much enthusiasm can make it difficult to concentrate on the content of the speech. As with most things finding the balance between positive reinforcement and pointing out room for improvement in your evaluation will help your evaluation be well received and help the speaker improve the next time they speak.
|
