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This Instructable is composed of bullet points with a lot of words attached to them. I know words can be intimidating, but reading these particular words will help you avoid common pitfalls when giving a classroom presentation. It doesn't matter what topic you have, and if you have 5 minutes or 20; this 'ible provides tips to help your presentation shine.
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Signing UpStep 1Speaking/Presenting
How you carry yourself when you are giving your presentation is just as important as all that work you put into researching for it. A presentation is 2 parts: information and show. You get the information together, and here's how you do the show:
• Speak loudly but do not yell.
• Speak slowly and clearly.
• Smile, maintain good posture, and make eye contact with audience.
• Be succinct: keep your presentation simple but make your words count.
• Be engaging. How can your audience be interested in your presentation if you aren’t?
• Vary your tone, don’t “read” your script; even if you are actually reading it, it doesn’t have to sound that way.
• If you mention a foreign word, put it on a slide – some people will not really understand a new word without seeing it too.
• Likewise, if you come across a word you are unfamiliar with, look up the pronunciation or ask a professor/teacher/sage before you make a fool of yourself. Another solution would be to replace the difficult word with a synonym. (Example: change “prevalent” to “common,” etc.)
• Do not turn your back on your audience; it is extremely rude. ESPECIALLY do not go to the computer where your slides are loaded, stay there, and read from the computer without ever looking at your audience.
• Dress professionally when giving your presentation – like you would for a job interview. (Examples of what not to wear include shorts, flip-flops, a black bra under a white shirt, etc.)
• Don't step back and forth, pace, or dance a jig out of nervousness when you're presenting. At best it makes you look silly, at worst it makes your audience seasick.
• Speak loudly but do not yell.
• Speak slowly and clearly.
• Smile, maintain good posture, and make eye contact with audience.
• Be succinct: keep your presentation simple but make your words count.
• Be engaging. How can your audience be interested in your presentation if you aren’t?
• Vary your tone, don’t “read” your script; even if you are actually reading it, it doesn’t have to sound that way.
• If you mention a foreign word, put it on a slide – some people will not really understand a new word without seeing it too.
• Likewise, if you come across a word you are unfamiliar with, look up the pronunciation or ask a professor/teacher/sage before you make a fool of yourself. Another solution would be to replace the difficult word with a synonym. (Example: change “prevalent” to “common,” etc.)
• Do not turn your back on your audience; it is extremely rude. ESPECIALLY do not go to the computer where your slides are loaded, stay there, and read from the computer without ever looking at your audience.
• Dress professionally when giving your presentation – like you would for a job interview. (Examples of what not to wear include shorts, flip-flops, a black bra under a white shirt, etc.)
• Don't step back and forth, pace, or dance a jig out of nervousness when you're presenting. At best it makes you look silly, at worst it makes your audience seasick.
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An error often sticks in the mind and detracts from the speech. I'm about to learn (teach) you a thing or two. Otherwise quite well done.
Good instruction. You should also be consistent with the slide style (i.e. not flip backgrounds & fonts) - you've shown us different styles as examples but you wouldn't want a .ppt to look like that.
L