Over the course of this semester I have learned many concepts that will benefit my communication skills in the present and the future. My experience with this class has been absolutely incredible. I knew that communication skills are important to have but I would have never guessed that there are so many skills that go into day-to-day communicating as well as at work, in the community, between family, and general public.
I will be the first to admit that communicating has never been one of my strengths. However, I know that eventually I would have to overcome my fears and face people and settings that revolve around communicating in order to survive in the workplace as well as in many other social settings. I know that I have the determination and will to learn as much as I possibly can about interacting with the outside world both through non-verbal and verbal communication. I have learned how to be confident in these settings and how to get the best possible outcome, in regards to communicating, in many different settings and I look forward to applying the information that I have learned to my daily life as well as career and continuing to learn and grow to better my communications skills for many years to come.
Here is an example of the work I did in this class, this is a speech outline that is one of many steps that are used in creating and presenting a speech.
Kendra Pierce
Submitted to Teisha Vest
COMM 1010-406
Informative Speech Draft Outline
November 7, 2014
Background Information
Specific Goal:My audience will learn what becoming a teenage mother really entails.
Intended Audience: Teenage girls
Pattern of Organization: I will use a cause and effect pattern.
My experience with this topic (ethos): Became teenage mother at age 16; Mother of 3 at age 21
Number of references I’ll cite out loud in my speech: 3
Title: Do you have what it takes to become a teenage mother?
Introduction:
Hook: Have you ever thought about how your life will turn out? Where you will be in the next year, five years or even ten years? Now….what if your plan comes to an abrupt halt tomorrow and you had to revise your whole future to refocus your attention on a child of your own? Today I will tell you exactly what to expect when becoming a teenage mother.
Ethos: I became a teenage mother at age 16 and by the time I was 21 I was a mother of 3. At the time I thought I knew everything about what it took to parent a child while I was still a child myself. Although it is not impossible to do I am determined to help others understand what it really takes so they can decide before time if they have what it takes.
Thesis: Becoming a parent during teenage years will bring many difficult life changes over the course of your life.
Preview:
1. Know the Facts
2. Sacrifices
3. Do I have baggage?
Transition: So what exactly does raising a child mean for me?
Body:
- Research has found many patterns in the effects of teen parenting. Will I become another statistic?
- Know the facts (stayteen.org)
i. Teenage pregnancy rate
ii. Juggling School and Baby
iii. A baby won’t make him stay
iv. Hard on parents but harder on the kids
- What about the money?
i. How will you get the money to pay for expenses?
ii. If I work who will take care of the child? Child care expenses
iii. Will one job pay the bills? (high school education/ experience)
iv. Welfare benefit recipient. Food, housing, clothing, cash, reduced lunch, insurance etc.
v. Becoming financially stable…. Is it possible?
Transition: Although emotional and financial stability are extremely important in raising a child, lets look at what sacrifices we are faced with by having a child to care for.
- Sacrifices
- Personal Sacrifices
i. The incredible body
ii. Future Education (Kirsh, Robert)
iii. The long nights and early mornings
iv. When do I get to experience the Teenage lifestyle and find out exactly who I am?
v. Insecurities – Where will I fit in? The young crowd? The older crowd? Or not at all?
vi. I’m tired… When is my day off? (work, home responsibilities, errands, kids school activities, etc.)
- Social Sacrifices
i. What happened to MY free time?
ii. Where did all my friends go?
iii. When do I make time to hang out?
iv. Who will watch my child so I can date, hang out, run errands, or have a break?
Transition: This may seem like a lot for one person to handle but lets not forget about the others that it will effect.
A: Effects on others (Smartstepfamilies.com)
v. Will my family support my decision and help me when it is needed?
vi. How will the relationship with the father be affected?
vii. Will someone else want to help raise my child?
viii. How will I deal with the drama of the father and both of us dating/ marrying others?
ix. Who decides what is best for the child? Can we be civil? Is this a never-ending tug a war?
Conclusion:
Raising a child is more then it seems on the surface. There are many factors that come into play that most won’t think about until they are facing them for themselves. It is important to understand that becoming a teenage mom is replacing the I for the we and replacing the me for my child. It is not impossible to successfully work through this process but understanding what it will take is crucial in making it happen.
References
Kirsh, Robert. "FACTS ABOUT TEENAGE PARENTING: WHY WE MUST BECOME MORE PROACTIVE." Web. 7 Nov. 2014.
"Know the Facts." Stay Teen. Web. 7 Nov. 2014.
"Marriage, Family, & Stepfamily Statistics." Smart Stepfamilies. Web. 7 Nov. 2014.
