It might be terrible to practice, but public speaking is a very essential and useful skill.

I once saw someone have an epileptic seizure from the slides they were showing... Consider yourself lucky because public speaking can be deadly!

I'd rather do a little public speaking than having a full on coughing fit caused by my own spit in front of a crowd.

Public speaking is very important......and yea sure OP didn't have to speak but if it was for marks he probably lost marks for that. Hopefully you got to tell your teacher what happen and that you deserve another chance to risk losing marks.

What do so many people have against public speaking? It's really not that bad, and is an essential life skill.

35 - I can't speak for everyone else, but I've hated public speaking pretty much my whole life. I get really nervous if I'm being observed by big groups of people. Just a typical stage fright thing, I guess.

I'm pretty sure going up there and having the coughing fit is way worse than public speaking.

35, what's 'not that bad' to you is a nightmare for others. I myself don't mind it too much anymore, but I have anxiety and it used to make going into any social situation hell, much less a situation where all eyes and ears HAD to be on me. Be grateful you've never struggled with it! Most people would love the luxury. Sorry to hear that though, OP. Maybe you can talk to your teacher about it privately - ask for a second chance to present. What happened was beyond your control and you shouldn't be penalized for it.

Taking water with you while presenting helps tremendously.

some teachers are like that, typically it's because teaching for forever has made them hate it. he probably figured u were faking to stall, either way he didn't care to find out i imagine.

I've had them to not the best experience my parents worry until its over

61- look up what punctuation is, and how to use it properly.

Puns of damage

Actually I believe he meant well-delayed.

Talk about selective reading...?

Take a fucking joke.

Well that escalated quickly.

sir your "joke" was not funny in the slightest. It was degrading to all southerners such as myself. Not to mention the fact that you are incorrect in your assumption when the north has phrases just as ill spelt. "Yous guys" for example.

#42, why are you so offended? I am an Irish born guy, living in California, and believe me, people talk shit to me about my accent and how I talk all the time. I am never offended. I laugh with those people. If your vagina got so gosh darn hurted by my statement, that's your problem.

Sir you are from Ireland. Everyone delights in an Irish accent. If anyone "gives you shit" it must translate as multiple girls talking to you simply for said accent. Besides the issue was not dealing with accent but the insult towards southern intellect and the assumption that we can not spell. Also thank you for the concern but my vagina is just fine.

chill out people :) i am from the south and thought it was funny. and most people tell me my accent is adorable :)

pardon me "talks shit to [you]"

Don't you know southerner that people find your accent and idiosynchronies ( not sure if spelt right) adorable too. The problem here is that you get offended because someone makes a quip about how people in the south talk. If you are really offended, then you are admitting that your speech is worth laughing at. I personally would much rather have the belief that people only make fun of my voice and speech because they are jealous. Not because I talk like an idiot.

And thank you 51. I'm just sorry your neighbour has a stick up his ass. By the way. I turn thirty three and a third in 3 days. Or tirty tree and a tird as we say in Ireland.