A schoolteacher told me that one of her associates
criticized a speech she had given, saying to her that she spoke
too fast, she swallowed some of her words, she couldn’t be
heard, her diction was poor, and her speech ineffective. This
teacher was furious and full of resentment toward her critic.
She admitted to me that the criticisms were just. Her
first reaction was really childish, and she agreed that the
letter was really a blessing and a marvelous corrective. She
proceeded immediately to supplement her deficiencies in
her speech by enrolling in a course in public speaking at
City College. She wrote and thanked the writer of the note
for her interest, expressing appreciation for her conclusions
and findings which enabled the teacher to correct the matter
at once.