[farleykr]

Here's my two cents:

1. Make sure you know very well ahead of time how you feel about your given subjects and what you want to say about them.

2. Do #1 by spending a lot of time writing. It's amazing how often I realize that my ideas are more like vague feelings when I'm forced to articulate them by putting them into words via the act of writing.

These are obviously not comprehensive or the only ways to go about gaining confidence in public speaking, but hopefully they help and contribute to whatever solution you decide on.