Toastmasters Evaluator
After every
prepared speech, the speaker receives an evaluation. After you
have presented a few speeches, you will be asked to serve as an
evaluator and will evaluate one of the prepared speakers for
the meeting. In addition to your oral evaluation, you also will
give the speaker a written evaluation using the guide in the
manual.
The
evaluation you present can make the difference between a
worthwhile or a wasted speech for your speaker. The purpose of
the evaluation is to help the speaker become less
self-conscious and a better speaker.
This
requires that you be fully aware of the speaker’s skill level,
habits, and mannerisms, as well as his or her progress to date.
If the speaker uses a technique or some gesture that receives a
good response from the audience, tell the speaker so he or she
will be encouraged to use it again.
PRIOR TO
THE MEETING
Review
carefully the Effective Speech Evaluation manual which you
received in your New Member Kit.
Talk with the speaker to find out
the manual project he or she will be presenting. Review the
goals of the speech and what the speaker hopes to achieve. Find
out exactly which skills or techniques the speaker hopes to
strengthen through the speech.
Evaluation requires careful
preparation if the speaker is to benefit. Study the project
objectives as well as the evaluation guide in the manual.
Remember, the purpose of evaluation is to help people develop
their speaking skills in various situations, including platform
presentations, discussions, and meetings. Achievement equals
the sum of ability and motivation. By actively listening and
gently offering useful advice, you motivate members to work
hard and improve.
When you show the way to
improvement, you’ve opened the door to strengthening their
ability.
WHEN YOU
ENTER THE MEETING ROOM
Look for
the speaker and get his or her manual.
Meet briefly with the general
evaluator to confirm the evaluation session format. Then confer
with the speaker one last time to see if he or she has any
specific things for you to watch for during the
talk.
DURING THE
MEETING
Record your
impressions of the speech in the manual along with your answers
to the evaluation questions.
Be as objective as
possible.
Remember that good evaluations
may give new life to discouraged members and poor evaluations
may dishearten members who tried their best.
Remember, always leave the
speaker with specific methods for improving.
When introduced, go up to the
lectern and give your oral evaluation.
Begin and end your evaluation
with a note of encouragement or praise.
Though you may have written
lengthy responses to manual evaluation questions, don’t read
the questions or your responses.
Your oral evaluation time is
limited. Do not waste time repeating the manual project’s
objectives, unless it is essential (for example, a advanced
manual project objectives that the audience may not be
familiar, and was not given earlier; OR to link the objectives
to your evaluation).
Don’t try to cover too much in
your talk–possibly one point on organization, one
on delivery, and one on
attainment of purpose with a statement about the greatest asset
and a suggestion for future improvement.
Praise a successful speech and
specifically tell why it was successful.
Don’t allow the speaker to remain
unaware of a valuable asset such as a smile, a sense of humor,
or a good voice.
Don’t allow the speaker to remain
ignorant of a serious fault or mannerism; if it is personal,
write it but don’t mention it aloud.
Give the speaker the deserved
praise and tactful suggestions in the manner you would like to
receive them when you are the speaker.
AFTER THE
MEETING
Return the
manual to the speaker. Add a verbal word of encouragement to
the
speaker, something that wasn’t
mentioned in the oral evaluation
---------------------------------------------------
When you
are the Language Evaluator (LE)
B eing Language Evaluator is
truly an exercise in expanding your listening skills. You have
two basic responsibilities:
First, to
introduce new words to members, and
Second, to comment on the use of
English during the course of the meeting.
PRIOR TO
THE MEETING
Select a
“Word of the Day” if this is being scheduled in the meeting
program.It should be a word that will help members increase
their vocabulary–a word that can be incorporated easily into
everyday conversation but is different from the way people
usually express themselves. An adjective or adverb is suggested
since they are more adaptable than a noun or verb, but feel
free to select your own special word.
In letters large enough to be
seen from the back of the room, print your word, its part of
speech (adjective, adverb, noun, etc.), and a brief
definition.
Prepare a sentence showing how
the word is used.
UPON
ARRIVAL AT THE MEETING
Place your
visual aid at the front of the room where it can be seen by
all.
Ask for a copy of the Club’s
dictionary & thesaurus from the Sergeant at
Arms.
Get a blank piece of paper and
pen ready on which to make notes.
DURING THE
MEETING
When
introduced by the Toastmaster of the Evening, stand up &
announce the “Word of the Day,” state its part of speech,
define it, use it in a sentence, and ask that anyone speaking
during any part of the meeting use it.
Throughout the meeting, listen to
everyone’s word usage. Write down any awkward use or misuse of
the language (incomplete sentences, sentences that change
direction in midstream, incorrect grammar, malapropisms, etc.)
with a note of who erred. Write down who used the “Word of the
Day” (or a derivative of it) and note those who used it
correctly or incorrectly.
When called on by the Toastmaster
of the Evening to make the Language Evaluation, note the
following:
• During the evaluation segment,
try to offer the correct usage in every instancewhere there was
misuse instead of only explaining what was wrong.
• Report on creative language
usage
• Offer correct pronunciations
for words wrongly pronounced during the meeting
• Announce who used the “Word of
the Day” (or a derivative of it) correctly or
incorrectly.
• Note the timing sequence for
your evaluation is between 6 to 8 minutes (Green
on 6, Amber on 7, Red on 8 and
bell rings at 8’30”)
AFTER THE
MEETING
Help to
clean the white board of the “Word of the Day” and keep the
dictionary in thelecturn.
Toastmasters | Public Speaking -
Homepage
| 