1. Practice Practice Practice!
I believe that no matter how well anyone researches their presentation material or prepares a slideshow with considerable "wow" factor, they'll fall short of delivering the message to its full potential if they don't practice their delivery. A well practiced delivery will increase a presenter's confidence which leads to a more energetic display for the audience. When a presentation isn't rehearsed, the presenter is more likely to make verbal mistakes which can affect the credibility of the material they're trying to present, not to mention the professional impression the presenter would also like to make. There is some risk that the slideshow may fall out of sync with the presenter's dialog if they're not careful to synchronize the images to their dialog.
I must continue to try and establish a habit of practicing my presentations multiple times before actually standing before the target audience.
2. Interact with the Audience
I think I've generally improved in this area but it is still a weakness. It is instinctive for me to try and move quickly through the presentation. I think I do this out of an innate fear of the audience. For me, the most effective way I've overcome this problem is to stop thinking I'm alone in the presentation and to develop a collaboration between the students and myself. By increasing my interaction with the students, I become more relaxed and the students are more focused on the lesson.
3. Know the Material Well
I'm going to list this because it is an ongoing process even though I feel I've become better prepared at presenting my lessons. I'm particularly referring to presenting grammar- it's form, meaning and use.
My students have consistently surprised me with requests for clarification on grammar rules and their 'exceptions'. Early on, I found myself getting call out by students who were very good at pointing out inconsistencies in my delivery by saying "Yes, but what about...?". I'd end up backpedaling on a previous declaration of a general rule and it's use which, in my opinion (and students' opinions) made me look like I didn't know what I was talking about or wasn't fully prepared.
By having a more thorough knowledge of the rules, structures and meaning of the material I deliver in class has allowed me to answer questions confidently and correctly. The benefit is my students listen more carefully to what I have to say and demonstrate a higher level of respect in the classroom.
What a bunch of crap!
ReplyDeleteJust kidding, buddy. I really enjoyed reading this post because you make three clear and concise points and I think that most people can relate to having these same problems when giving presentations. First, I believe that you're right about practicing the oral part of the presentation because arrogance tends to lead us astray when we feel confident that we know the material well, so there's no need to fine tune the speech.
Second, you might be surprised to hear that all of us agree about knowing the material well, and we've all been in the difficult position of making declarations and then having to backtrack for possible exceptions to our mandates. This is probably due to our inability to conceive of every contention the students have, every way they perceive a rule or disagree with it. I've experienced this many times even when I've been prepared.
Overall, I think you nailed it on the head and your points are relatable and poignant.
Hey Kevin! Lovely post, got me thinking about how to interact with a sleepy and uninterested freshman class. Asking a question to the audience mid presentation often gets a slow response. Picking teeth. Any thoughts on how to get the interaction flowing? You're spot on about being prepped to explain grammar; being caught out is pretty damn embarrassing. It's happened and I've had to learn from my mistakes.
ReplyDeleteExcellent post Kevin! Putting your ideas into three straightforward categories is quite helpful and convenient for your audience. I can relate to your example of rushing through presentations for one reason or another completely! Too many times I’ve rushed through my presentations because I saw the “light at the end of the tunnel”, which lead to presentations I wasn’t completely pleased with. Like you, it is a weakness and something I need to improve on.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, practice and knowledge of our material are also crucial aspects of an effective presentation. The more time we spend practicing our presentations, the more confident we will be in delivering them. Like, you stated, “practice, practice, practice” will limit the chances of running into problems while delivering our message. Well written & well thought out blog post buddy!
Well done on this post Kevin. I couldn’t agree more! The three points you concentrated on hit the nail on the head. Practicing your delivery of the material will definitely make you a more effective presenter. This will give you more confidence especially at the beginning of your presentation. I can relate to your point about knowing the grammar rules as I’ve also been caught out by a student or two, who are particularly good with grammar.
ReplyDeleteI would like to comment in particular on point number 2.
It is well known fact that most people have a fear of public speaking. Standing up in front of a class and giving a presentation can be a daunting task, especially if you have to make a presentation in front of your peers. Most people rush through their material like it’s a car race! Personally for me when I interact with my students and get a laugh or two, then this makes me feel more relaxed and confident to deliver my material.
Overall this was a great blog post and made me think about myself as a presenter.
This is good stuff, Kevin. I will start with number 3, "know the material well." I think this is the most critical aspect of becoming a better presenter because in any pinch, it will be your knowledge, not your delivery skill or even time spent practicing, that will ultimately get you through. What is it they say? Can't bs a bs'er? In my experience, clever students are usually great at telling fables and love to catch a teacher in a mistake. Knowing the material is essential. Also, interaction with the audience is key -- your advice in this section of the blog is dead on in my opinion. It is easy to feel isolated up there, but don't! Use the audience to your advantage; time will fly by and you will be finished before you know it. Lastly, the part about practice, practice, practice. Honestly, I have never really felt the need to practice as long as I know what I am talking about. I have always liked that raw on-the-fly feeling that I get from presenting something for the first time. However, your advice in this area is good advice, and I think I could improve as a presenter by giving it a few run-through's prior to standing in front of a gathering of people. I will be sure to include your advice in my blog on the same topic. Thanks for providing useful content!
ReplyDeleteKevin,
ReplyDeleteI laughed a bit when you mentioned about students trying to clear up your inconsistencies. I had the same problems when I first started teaching some pretty smart teens at one of my first Hagwons. I figured that since I was a native speaker that would mean I knew how to teach....lol...oh....how I was wrong! It is so important to know the material inside and out before teaching it. Luckily for me, I have been teaching elementary school students for the past 6 years....I hardly getting any static from them!! One thing that I try to do, even with my younger students, is to circulate around the classroom. This allows me to draw the students' attention a little better.
I really like how you broke up this post. This is the type of post that I choose to read (outside of the class). I like the list, with explanations. This gives the reader the option to scan for areas of interest and then dig deeper on a particular point (I did read the entire post). I found 2 interesting for myself. Mainly because I get so comfortable with the material after presenting it a few times, that it becomes "The Steve Katz Show," and I just present, without taking the audience into account as much as I should.
ReplyDeleteHey Kevin. Sorry, I started this Saturday, didn't finish, saved it, and then forgot to post. I couldn't agree more with your point, "Practice, practice, practice." I think you're dead on with the fact that a presentation with flare is fine but without a well practiced delivery, it will more than likely fall short of its potential effectiveness. I also know from personal experience(more than once or twice) dropping the ball, whether not being prepared to answer a question or being disorganized can put a dent in your rapport with students, and make you feel less professional. Having said that, I think a situation where there were no 'mistakes' being made or recognized could prove to be a worse deterrent to becoming a better, more empathetic teacher, rendering one somewhat complacent.
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