In the second part of this two-part blog, we are going to cover how to prepare for an in-person presentation. You can find the first part about online presentations here.
In-person presentations come with their own sets of challenges and their own advantages. In-person presentations can be seen as more complicated than their online counterparts, but once they are mastered, they become some of the easiest things to do. It is perfectly normal to be nervous or anxious when you know that you have a presentation coming up. With a little bit of work (and some tips), you will see that in-person presentations are nothing to be afraid of.
Below, we’ve put together a list of how to prepare for an in-person presentation:
1.Figure out when you would like to present (first, last, in the middle, etc.). Knowing when you are presenting can make it easier for you to prepare before the presentation.
2. Make sure to have proper body language (eye contact with the audience, talking to the whole room, not just your teacher, etc.). Body language is a large part of the presenting process. If you do not have proper posture, people might assume that you do not know what you are talking about, and your mark will suffer because of it.
3. Do not read. No matter how nervous you are, it is very important that you do not read. It is okay to have notes, but you should only glance at them.
4. Speak loudly enough. You should not just talk loud enough for the first row of your audience to hear, but you should be heard even in the back.
Did You Know?
Your teacher can be a great help with presentations. Even if they are not the one who is marking them (though the teacher who is marking should be the one you go to first), your teachers can help take your presentations to the next level. Do not be afraid to ask for help.
Did You Know?
Your teacher can be a great help with presentations. Even if they are not the one who is marking them (though the teacher who is marking should be the one you go to first), your teachers can help take your presentations to the next level. Do not be afraid to ask for help.
5. Speak clearly. Do not mumble or talk into your paper. It can be difficult to
6. Ask your friends and family to listen to your presentation and give feedback. Alternatively, you can record yourself giving the talk and review the video to see what you can improve for next time.
7. Read your teacher’s comments and use those to improve for next time. Often, students just look at their marks and neglect to read their teacher’s comments. The comments can be seen as the most important part, since they help you to not make the same mistakes over and over again.
8. Ask your teacher for tips (though most teachers will go over how to give a good presentation in class). Even if you have done presentations before, it can be a good idea to ask your teacher what they are looking for (not every talk will be the same).
9. Build your confidence to other presenting styles. What we mean by this is that a drama performance will be different from a topic presentation and different from a seminar. Once you feel confident in one style, branch out into other styles. This will make all of your talks more interesting and easier to do.
10. Do the research. Know your topic inside and out to be able to answer any questions your audience might have.
11. Ask your drama teacher for help (or consider taking a drama class). Drama teachers are an excellent resource in preparing for a presentation since the entire class is a presentation.
As mentioned before, our list is nowhere near exhaustive; it is meant as a guide in helping you achieve a better presentation (and hopefully lessen the butterflies in your stomach). Consider which parts of presenting you have trouble with and put more work into those aspects (being careful not to forget to do the parts you are good at).
Need more help with presentations?