10 IMPORTANT PRESENTATION TIPS to keep in mind when presenting to others:
- Eye contact
If you do not make eye contact with your students, the will stop watching – and thus stop paying attention to you. Making eye contact makes students feel that they are part of your presentation. - Develop vocal variety
Have you ever had to listen to a presentation made by someone who spoke in a monotone? Pure agony! Make a conscious effort vary your voice. - Avoid distractions
Keep outrageous clothing, gaudy jewelry, and anything else that could be a distraction to a minimum. Otherwise, your students will be paying attention to/thinking about the distraction rather than listening to you. - Develop your trainer voice
Students should not have to strain to hear you – they are already working enough. Your voice should be loud enough to reach the back of the room. - Pay attention to pacing
Keep a discreet eye to make sure your are adhering to your schedule. Be conscious of break times and lunch times. - Use Analogies
Analogies are a wonderful way to help people remember your material. Make sure that analogies relate to people’s experiences and are something that most people can relate to. And please, please, please – do NOT use sports analogies. - Using the bizarre
Make your analogies and examples a little bizarre and unusual. The more visual and ridiculous, the better. People tend to remember strange and visual images – they have more impact. - Props
Whenever appropriate, you should use props to further get your message across. Maybe people are visual learners and learn best when props are present. Use the real thing whenever possible (once while lecturing on Versailles, I dressed up like Louis the 14th 0 big fun!). - Ask Questions
Students themselves bring a wealth of experience to the classroom. Asking questions allows students themselves to generate the answers, relying on their own bank of knowledge. I like to challenge my students intellectually and one way to do this is to have them make up their own review questions. This is an awesome was to solidify learning. - Be Friendly
If you appear aloof, unapproachable, cold or unfriendly, students will shut themselves off from your. They are much eager to please (and thus learn from) someone who smiles and appears friendly.