answer:Is participation required for your course grade? If it is, then there’s no getting around it. I used to be incredibly protective of my writing, but had to shake off any reservations I had in order to adjust to my major. Is there anyone you can read your writing to outside of class as practice? Against his better wishes, I often read my essays to my younger brother. He’ll tell me whether it sounds okay or not, but mostly I’m adjusting to saying the words out loud (because you never know when a professor will call on you.)