My Teacher Hates Me
Sometimes we get off on the wrong foot with a new teacher…or at least, it can seem that way. Here’s how to sort out the ups and downs of your teacher-student connection.

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Dear IML,
I have this really big problem about oral presentations in front of the class. I usually get so nervous that I cry, and it is very embarrassing! I NEED YOUR HELP!!! PLEASE!!
--Michelle, 13

Hi Michelle,
I used to hate speaking in front of people until about a week ago. I always spoke too fast and my hands shook...it was awful! I've always heard the advice to picture your audience in their underwear. Don't do that! It will make you laugh and doesn't work at all. The best advice I can offer is to practice. Practice in front of friends, parents, pets, stuffed animals...you get the picture. The more you say it, the more comfortable you'll get with your presentation. To help with the speaking speed, read it very loudly and very slowly. You might feel dumb, but when you're in front of a real audience, it will be just the right volume and pace. Another thing that helped me is to think about the audience: they're not there to make fun of you. Your classmates will know what you're going through and are probably just as nervous as you are. I hated public speaking more than anything for 18 years, but I ended up giving my graduation commencement speech in front of 3000 people. Good luck!
--Lauren, IML Mentor

Dear Michelle,
I used to and still do have a tough time doing presentations in front of people. Usually my whole body shakes and I get goosebumps because I get so nervous. To try to get over this fear I feel the best thing to do is make sure you are fully prepared for your presentation and then the night before you present, go in front of the mirror and read it out loud to yourself. Or, gather some of your family members and sit them down and pretend they are your class and present your oral presentation to them. Just like the saying says, practice makes perfect. Another thing you can try is just focusing at one point out in the audience and pretend you’re just talking about that one thing or person and then you might forget you are talking to the whole class. Or you can pretend that you're just reading something to a friend. Don't worry that you're the only one who feels this way, because I know so many people who get nervous talking in front of an audience, including myself. As your life goes on, you'll probably do other presentations and with each one you do, you'll become more comfortable. Good luck with the presentations in the future!
--Joel, IML Mentor

For more advice on Trouble With Friends and other questions sent in by kids just like you, visit the IML Advice section at:

/pbskids2008/itsmylife/advice

Can you guess how most IML'ers voted on this poll?

Do you feel you manage your time well?

1) Yes, I’m good at scheduling my days and weeks.
2) Sometimes I’m short on time, sometimes not.
3) No, I’m almost always short on time

To cast your ballot and see the results, go to:

/pbskids2008/itsmylife/school/time/index.html

If you could have a celeb as your bro or sis, who would it be and why?
--From Melissa, 10

"I'd have Emma Watson as my sister so I could talk about ‘girl stuff,’ and Tom Felton as my big brother so we can do stuff like go to baseball games together.”
--Mackensie, 10

"When I’m older I want to be an accomplished model and ‘cuz of that I would probably want to have Kate Moss as an older sister ‘cuz she is so accomplished, pretty, and tall. And if we were siblings then she could give me tips on how to become a great model like her.”
--Lilly, 12

"I would have Jesse McCartney as my brother cuz he's hot lol (I’m a girl, so....) and he seems really nice and fun. Jessica and Ashlee Simpson would be my sisters because I think that they seem really fun to hang out with.”
--Devin, 11

"Hilary Duff!!!!!!!!!!!! She is so sweet and so cool and she’d be great for fashion advice!”
--Amanda, 11

"It might actually be awful to have a celeb as an older or younger sibling! As I see it, they'd seem to be better at everything, and you might feel pressured to do the right thing!”
--Jen, 10

"I would like to have Gary Payton as my brother. He might be able to help me with basketball.”
--Kiera, 9

"Jessica Simpson because she loves her real little sister and she is always helping her in the bad times. As I see, she is a great big sister!”
--Shelby, 10

To send in your own answer, go to:

/pbskids2008/itsmylife/family/kids/you_said_it_celeb_sib.html

If you want to sound off on upcoming IML topics and what you’d like to see on the site, visit our Tell IML page at:

/pbskids2008/itsmylife/tell_iml.html