Helena Katz

Tourism champion, writer & alpaca farmer from Fort Smith, NWT sharing stories about Canada's North.

[Helena Katz @WriteNorth]

@robtswthrayguns
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[Helena Katz @WriteNorth]

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[RNhomecare @ZNursinga]

@coles_nicholas_ My kids used to tease me whenever I used my lecture voice at home. They were a good reminder to focus on the audience.

[Scam Likely @leftylucieb]

@coles_nicholas_ This is hard for a lot of anxious public speakers because they plan a script word for word in their head and they sound robotic reading it back. I think it's better to have loose notes and just speak from a mindful place

[Nicholas Coles, PhD @coles_nicholas_]

6. Prepare two conclusion statements.

Academic talks often end with a Q&A. But this can mean that the last thing you audience hears is a subpar question or an awkward “No more questions?”

You can ensure that things end on a high note if you prep a post-Q&A conclusion.

[Nicholas Coles, PhD @coles_nicholas_]

5. End early.

People complain when talks go long—not short.

If you plan to end early, you’ll be less likely to go long. Ending early also makes it feel like time flew by. It also gives more time for Q&A and discussion (which should be lively if your talk went well).

[Nicholas Coles, PhD @coles_nicholas_]

4. Research the setting.

Ask what the room looks like. Visualize the room when you practice. When you show up, it will feel familiar; you’ll know how loud to talk and how to work the space.

Ask about your audience too, and consider tailoring your materials to increase relevance

[Nicholas Coles, PhD @coles_nicholas_]

3. Don’t cram in material.

If you cram in too much, you’ll exhaust your audience.

We have to remind ourselves that most people don’t care as much about the details as we do. Even if they do, hopefully they’ll just ask. Awesome! Now you have a great Q&A session.

[Nicholas Coles, PhD @coles_nicholas_]

A year ago, a non-academic friend listened to a talk I gave. I thought it went great. My friend disagreed.

She said that academics are experts at making interesting stuff boring—and that we should all take a speech class.

So I did. And here are 6 most useful things I learned.

[Nicholas Coles, PhD @coles_nicholas_]

1. Practice speaking in your natural voice.

The moment academics step in front of an audience, they often put on a “speaker voice”.

I spent 8 weeks practicing my natural voice. Pauses, rhythms, speed, emphasis, and loudness. It was fun and taught me to speak more dynamically.

[Helena Katz @WriteNorth]

@BigBirdFamily My brother died by suicide. Please know that you are not alone with your grief.

[Helena Katz @WriteNorth]

@gbtphd I decided it was OK if my mom didn't recognize me sometimes and thought I was a nice lady visiting her. I focused on tasks she could do, and on making new memories with her so I'd have them to lean on later on.

[No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen @NoLieWithBTC]

NEW: Hillary Clinton just responded to Putin banning her from entering Russia as a response to US sanctions: “I want to thank the Russian Academy for this Lifetime Achievement Award.”

[Jill Robertson @_jillrobertson]

James’ unofficial report card by the best teacher, ever.

[Helena Katz @WriteNorth]

@hutcho66 @mizzynutz @HumptyDrumpf @NBronxite @PeterSmedley1 @Ash_Stewart_ Since you seem to object to how others are choosing to support people in Ukraine, please tell us what you're doing to contribute.

[Helena Katz @WriteNorth]

@laurabestinvan Apparently, Romanians drove to the border and lined up to welcome refugees and offer them places to stay.

[Helena Katz @WriteNorth]

@Hanne29340085 @IAPonomarenko Is that a new airport code?

[Brian Whitmore @PowerVertical]

We all owe a great debt to the Ukrainians. They are reminding us why democracy matters. They are reminding us that it is worth fighting for. And they are reminding us that in this era of fake news and alternative facts, the truth still matters.

[Andrew Coyne 🇺🇦🇮🇱🇬🇪🇲🇩 @acoyne]

Before, I thought he was in over his head. But my admiration for this man, for his courage and leadership, has grown and grown.