text: You don't have a problem with your speech professor. You have a problem with yourself and you're blaming your speech professor for trying to help you do what you signed for the class to do: speak in public.\n\nThe real question you should ask yourself is how to overcome your nervousness while in front of your class.\n\nHere's what I did:\n\n1. write your main points on 3" x 5" index cards (not the whole speech, just the main points)\n2. practice in front of a mirror\n3. pick a spot someplace in the room to talk to. As you feel more comfortable, pick out four or five people to make eye contact with.\n4. I always went first... to get it out of the way.\n\nRemember, everyone gets nervous about things they're unaccustomed to. It will get easier over time. Stop blaming your instructor, they're helping you. Quit fighting yourself.