Class presentations can be a dreadful experience to most people but if you take the time to really prepare yourself ahead of time, it will be a piece of cake and something to enjoy! Below are some tips to follow in order to ace your class presentations.
Project Your Voice
The main mistake that people make when presenting is speaking with a low volume. How is a room full of people going to hear you if you are whispering? When you project your voice, you are in command, you are instantly seen as someone who is confident in what they’re talking about, and you avoid having to repeat yourself.
Memorize Your PowerPoint
No need to panic, you do not need to memorize your entire PowerPoint, but memorizing some of your slides will greatly benefit you. Teachers hate it when we just read off every slide because there’s no point in doing that. Treat your presentation like a regular conversation between you and your friends: free-flowing and without a second thought. Reading your slides word for word causes you to drag your presentation slowly and forces you to bask in the awkwardness. When you memorize the gist of your content, you can make eye contact with your audience and impress your teachers at the same time because they find it impressive when you don’t read off your slides like everyone else.
Dress Up
Usually the rubric mentions a dress code right away, so this may be apparent already. However, sometimes they leave it up to you and it’s always best to look professional.
Professional does not always mean heels or a suit and tie, you can dress business casual which is usually the one that’s strongly encouraged. Nice modest blouse, black leggings or slacks and a simple dress are all fool-proof options for an appropriate look.
Don’t Stay in One Spot
When we are presenting in front of a classroom, we tend to stand still in one place without thinking about it, because we’re too busy trying to get it over with. It may not sound like much, but move around! Not only is it boring for people to watch you in the same place, but it’ll help take the edge off you if you move your body a little bit. Speaking from experience, taking a few steps around your area can capture everyone’s interest, and show your teacher that you can engage with your audience as well.