Public Speaking Tips

One of the enduring expectations of a history interpreter is the ability to talk with the public. While not all job responsibilities involve dealing with the public on a constant basis, such as a museum technician or a curator, even these kinds of "back of the office" kinds of jobs will eventually involve speaking to the public in instances such as proposals, meetings, or formal speaking events or lectures. Its is simply to be taken for granted, although sometimes, early in one's career in an internship or something similar, someone may not yet understand that talking to the public is expected. This may come as a shock to the kinds of positions that do a lot of research or "back of the office" kinds of jobs. From personal experience, I once knew an SCA intern who was shocked and alarmed that part of her job was to speak to people! She thought that she would be doing visitor center and cash register stuff, not talking to the public for tours or programs. If the reader is in such a situation, what cane be done about it?

Fortunately, the Internet is full of suggestions and information on any topic; a search on public speaking suggestions and tips might be a good idea. Since this blog post is on public speaking tips, it can be supposed that if you are reading this, you have already thought of that.

What this blog post will aim to do is direct recommendations toward an interpretation setting, rather than formal speaking.

The biggest suggestion may seem the most obvious: practice.

All the suggestions that you may have come across previously are probably right; practice in front of a mirror, practice with close friends or family, practice to you dog. Reading it at first helps review it in your mind, especially if the speaking bit was written by you. This helps catch errors and weird sentence phrasing that sounded good in your head and all right in print, but are in truth weird and awkward when spoken aloud.

Speaking from a prepared script helps cement information. In preparing a text, try to use spacing and indentation to "chunk" information into memorable bits with the important parts up front so that if you do forget, your information will be there and everything else is an explanation of your point.

Speaking to children was helpful for me in learning to address larger groups of adults later on. If you are already involved in youth groups, camps, or organizations, this is a chance to practice addressing large groups of people.

I am not sure where this nugget came from, but it is worth repeating: Do not get the attention to a crowd and begin with the words "All right..." and "Okay...". It is an amateurish opening that betrays inexperience. Aim for something welcoming such as, "Good morning everyone! May I have your attention please. As we begin..."

Front-load your structure and introduction. Introduce yourself, your topic, and other concerns, such as a quick safety briefing. In terms of structuring the presentation, address when questions should be asked, midstream or at the end. If it is an educational group, remind them to raise their hands if they have a question. Go back to your learning foundation: tell them what you are going to tell them, tell them what you want to tell them, and then tell them again what you told them. Intro, body, conclusion.

Sweep and smile. Look at everyone in the group at least once, but do not do it for long because it looks like you are staring and it makes people uncomfortable. Smile, too. It makes people think you are friendly. While you are at it, let you hands do the talking. If you do not know what to do with your hands, practice leaving them hang by your sides. It feels weird, but it looks natural.

It is acceptable to have "um" and "uh" in there from time to time. Public speaking, while prepared, has an element of improvisation and sometimes distractions do arise. Being prepared and practiced reduces this.

Be aware of your body language. Keep information relevant and interesting. Many people do not care about the details in a presentation; save those nitty-gritty details for the questions. Review verbal techniques for some ideas on keeping things interesting.

Hopefully, these suggestions help guide the uncertain and inexperienced interpreter into something that they can use to help ease them into becoming more confident in their ability to communicate to the public and increase their ability to reach their visitors.

Next month: The 5 year anniversary of Ryan's Interpretations blog!

People in the History Field: Park Ranger/Acting Chief of Interpretation

What is your name, position, and organization you work for?
Jake Koch, Park Ranger (Acting Chief of Interpretation) Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site, National Park Service (NPS).

What does your job entail? What do you do on a daily basis?
Currently, I wear a lot of hats. My regular position entails overseeing day to day operations at the fort. We are unique because we are a Living History Site. I have worn the regular NPS uniform a total of three times in the last seven months that I have been here; instead I am usually dressed as a fort clerk or drover. I am also the Volunteer Coordinator, the Trails and Rails Coordinator, the Historic Weapons Supervisor, and serve on the Livestock and Historic Integrity Committees. I also prepare division's budget and give performance appraisals to staff. 

What other responsibilities do you have? Things that happen weekly, monthly, yearly, or specially?
Weekly I assist with tours and school programs, certify time-sheets, communicate with volunteers with both Trails and Rails and our Living History program, work on Special Event planning, and inspect our Powder Magazine. I compile the monthly visitor use report, and the annual Volunteer and Historic Weapons reports. 

Do you think you need a degree to get this job?
It is not a requirement, as I know some people in this position without one; however it definitely helps your odds to have at least one degree. I have a Bachelor's in History with a Public History minor, as well as a Masters degree in 19th Century US History. There are also a growing number of schools that offer a degree in Public History that have excellent reputations.

How did you get started in this line of work?
I started as an intern at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park the summer after my junior year of undergrad. That really gave me some valuable experience in the field. Having that on my resume was what earned me a job with a site run by the Tennessee Historical Commission while in grad school, and then my first seasonal position at Vicksburg National Military Park.

How did others get their start? Are there other ways in?
One of the more interesting conversations I have with other NPS folks is hearing their particular path to getting permanent. I was probably one of the last people converted to permanent under the old SCEP program. There are now more ways for those with a certain amount of seasonal time, prior military service, or for students. To be honest, a lot of it seems to be that someone is in the right place at the right time, however, I do feel you create your own luck as well by building your resume and working hard. 

How do you progress in this line of work?
Be prepared to tackle things above your paygrade if given the opportunity. Become involved with professional organizations such as NAI [National Association of Interpreters] or ALHFAM [the Association of Living History, Farm and Agricultural Museums] I am very involved in NAI. There are several different certifications you can work towards to build your resume. There are also leadership positions that you can volunteer for or be elected to that have transferable skills to your everyday jobs, they also help show your dedication to the field. I am an officer for the Cultural and Historical Section of NAI and have served as Secretary/Treasurer, Assistant Director, and currently serving as Director. 

Why do you like this position? What are the benefits? Are these typical?
I literally have my dream job. Living History is my passion, and when done right, it can open up a new world to visitors. I love coming to work every day and am in a place I plan to spend the rest of my career at.

What do you not like about this position? What are some of the drawbacks? Are these typical?
The only downside is the amount of time I have to spend behind a computer screen.. However, that is the nature of the world we live in. It makes me appreciate every moment I can get outside to work with our staff, volunteers, visitors, and livestock. 

Do you agree with the phrase: "Knowing what I know now, I would do something differently"? What would you do?
I don't think so. Hindsight is 20/20, however everything I did led to where I am now. There were jobs I applied for before and finished second for that were devastating at the time; however, sometimes the greatest gifts are things that don't happen. 

What would be the best thing you could suggest to someone if they wanted to be a Park Ranger?
Get involved in as many things as you can at work. Diversify your skill set. Get involved with a professional organization. All that said, make sure and give yourself time away. This career field is full of very passionate people who care about what they do and places they work. That is a good thing, just don't take it to extremes; give yourself time with friends and family. Otherwise, the stress will eat away at you. 

Is this a position that you would recommend to others as a line or work to get into?
Absolutely!

A lot of people are concerned about what the pay would be for their jobs, what kind of answer would you give to answer that question?
I am a GS-9 currently detailed as a GS-11.

Thanks Jake for your insight, visit Bent's Old Fort NHS in Colorado if you get the chance!