After each prepared speech, the speaker will receive an evaluation. After you have presented a few speeches (normally after 6 speeches), you may be asked to serve as an evaluator and will evaluate one of the prepared speakers during the meeting. In addition to your oral evaluation, you also will give the speaker a written evaluation using the guide in the speech evaluation form.
The evaluation you present can make the difference between a worthwhile or wasted speech for your speaker. The purpose of the evaluation is to help the speaker to become a better speaker by pointing out the areas the speaker does well and areas the speaker can improve further.
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 speech technique or some gestures and received a good response from the audience, inform the speaker so that he or she will be encouraged to use it again.
To be a good evaluator, observe and learn from the more experienced senior toastmasters. Even when you are not the assigned evaluator, you can do your own silent evalaution by writing down your thoughts and then comparing it with what the assigned evaluator says.
To help you to prepare yourself as a Project Evaluator (PE), you can read up on this article: The Art of Delivery Evaluations.
PRIOR TO THE MEETING
Talk with the speaker to find out the project he or she will be presenting. Review the objectives 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 speech evaluation form. Remember, the purpose of the 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 REACHED THE MEETING VENUE
Look for the speaker and get his or her speech evaluation form. Check with the speaker one last time to see if he or she has any specific things for you to watch out for during the delivery of the speech. With your name on the speech evaluation form.
DURING THE MEETING
Record your impressions of the speech in the speech evaluation form along with your answers to the evaluation questions. Be as objective as possible. Don’t evaluate the person. Evaluate his or her presentation of the message. Remember those 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 stage 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 the manual evaluation questions, do not read the questions or your responses.
Your oral evaluation time is limited. You can only speak for a maximum time of 3 minutes 30 seconds before you are buzzed out by the Timer. Do not waste time repeating the project’s objectives, unless it is essential (for example, a project objective 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 oral evaluation–possibly two to three points the speaker did very well and two points on where the speaker can improve in future.
Praise a successful speech and specifically tell why it is successful. Do not allow the speaker to remain unaware of a valuable asset such as a smile, a sense of humor, or a good voice.
Do not allow the speaker to remain ignorant of a serious fault or mannerism; if it is personal or could be embarrassing to the speaker, write it in the manual but do not mention it during your oral evaluation.
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 speech evaluation form to the speaker. Add some words of encouragement to the speaker, something that was not mentioned during the oral evaluation. Discuss other areas for improvement which you did not cover during your oral evaluation.