Mastering these presentation phrases will help to ensure that your message is conveyed clearly and professionally. They’ll also boost your confidence as you prepare to present in English.
Practice using these phrases in your next presentation, and you’ll see how they help you succeed.
If you like learning English through movies and online media, you should also check out FluentU. FluentU lets you learn English from popular talk shows, catchy music videos and funny commercials , as you can see here:
If you want to watch it, the FluentU app has probably got it.
The FluentU app and website makes it really easy to watch English videos. There are captions that are interactive. That means you can tap on any word to see an image, definition, and useful examples.
FluentU lets you learn engaging content with world famous celebrities.
For example, when you tap on the word "searching," you see this:
FluentU lets you tap to look up any word.
Learn all the vocabulary in any video with quizzes. Swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you’re learning.
FluentU helps you learn fast with useful questions and multiple examples. Learn more.
The best part? FluentU remembers the vocabulary that you’re learning. It gives you extra practice with difficult words—and reminds you when it’s time to review what you’ve learned. You have a truly personalized experience.
Start using the FluentU website on your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or Google Play store. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)
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Anete Ezera August 21, 2024
Teacher presentations should effectively convey information, engage students, and enrich the learning process. While business presentations often focus on sales or data analysis, educational presentations aim to foster comprehension and spark curiosity. This article delves into the differences between teacher presentations and other presentation types, provides practical tips for educators, and shares design strategies for creating engaging teacher presentations. Additionally, we’ll highlight Prezi , a tool known for its format that offers a refreshing take on educational presentations.
Purpose and audience.
The main objective of a teacher presentation is to educate. Whether the presentations are used to introduce new ideas, revisit old topics, or help students understand complex concepts, the main aim is to make the content easy to understand and interesting. In contrast, business presentations usually seek to convince or update stakeholders. A teacher presentation is tailored for the student audience. Ultimately, it should accommodate learning preferences, keep students engaged, and promote participation.
When preparing a teacher presentation, it’s crucial to maintain simplicity. Steer clear of overcrowding slides with information or incorporating flashy visuals that could divert attention from the main message. Opt for a balanced layout that leverages visuals to complement the delivery rather than overshadowing it. Using Prezi , with its non-linear format, empowers teachers to create compelling presentations that flow seamlessly and engage students effectively.
1. know your audience.
Knowing the age, background knowledge, and learning preferences of your students is essential when creating a teacher presentation. Customize your material to suit their requirements, making sure it strikes a balance between being overly complicated and overly simplistic. When presenting to students, make sure to include plenty of visuals and interactive features, and focus on providing in-depth explanations and fostering discussions.
Avoid cluttering your presentation with too much text or too many graphics. Use bullet points to break down information and keep the slides clean. Remember, presentation is a tool to support your teaching, not to replace your voice. The content on your slides should be clear, concise, and directly related to your lesson objectives.
Using aids like pictures, videos, and diagrams can help improve comprehension and memory of information. Prezi enables you to design captivating presentations with zoom features that assist students in engagingly exploring the material. In contrast to slide decks, Prezi’s canvas offers a natural progression of content, simplifying the task of emphasizing relationships between ideas.
Incorporate interactive elements into your presentation to keep students engaged. Ask questions, use polls, or include discussion points that require student participation. Prezi’s format supports this by allowing teachers to zoom in on specific points for discussion, making the presentation feel more like a conversation than a lecture.
Practicing your presentation ensures that you can deliver it smoothly and confidently. Time your presentation to fit within the class period, leaving room for questions and discussions. A well-timed teacher presentation keeps students engaged and allows for a natural flow of information.
When preparing a teacher presentation, it’s important to concentrate on developing a useful resource that improves student’s understanding. Here are some dos and don’ts to consider, especially when incorporating images and text, and designing the layout:
Use high-quality visuals: Include clear, high-resolution images and graphics that support your lesson content. Visual aids can significantly improve understanding, especially for visual learners. Infographics, charts, and diagrams can be powerful tools to illustrate complex concepts.
Keep text minimal: When creating slides, opt for bullet points and concise phrases. Ensure that your slide content supports your spoken presentation rather than duplicating it. Also, highlight the points that students should keep in mind.
Incorporate multimedia: Use videos, audio clips, and animations where appropriate. These elements can help bring your lesson to life and maintain student interest. However, ensure that any multimedia used directly relates to and enhances the lesson.
Ensure consistent design: Maintain a consistent design throughout your presentation. Use the same font, color scheme, and layout style across all slides. Consistency helps create a professional look and makes the presentation easier to follow.
Use contrasting colors: Choose colors that contrast well, especially between text and background. This ensures that your content is easily readable, even from the back of the classroom. For example, dark text on a light background works well, as does light text on a dark background.
Avoid overloading slides with information: Avoid overcrowding a slide with information. Too much content on one slide can be daunting for students, and it may distract from the key messages you intend to communicate. Strive for a clear design instead.
Don’t use distracting fonts or colors: Avoid using fonts or colors that clash. Opt for fonts and colors that improve visibility without taking attention from the content. Limit yourself to two or three fonts, and avoid using more than four colors in your presentation.
Don’t overuse animations or transitions: Avoid using too many animations or transitions when switching between slides. Although these elements can make the presentation engaging, excessive movement might become a distraction and take away from the educational material. It’s best to use them with intent.
Avoid irrelevant visuals: Avoid adding any pictures or illustrations that aren’t closely tied to the lesson. Even though visuals can improve a presentation, unrelated ones might perplex students and lessen the significance of your points.
Don’t neglect accessibility: Remember to take into account the learning requirements of students. Make sure your presentation is easy for all students to access by using clear fonts, including text for images, and providing transcripts for any video or audio materials.
By following these guidelines, you can create a teacher presentation that not only looks good but also effectively conveys your lesson material. Keep in mind that the aim is to leverage visuals and design features to enrich learning rather than detract from the information.
When it comes to creating captivating teacher presentations, selecting the right tool is key. Although PowerPoint and Google Slides are commonly used, Prezi presents an option that can revolutionize the way educators deliver information.
Prezi’s unique presentation style allows educators to deliver information in a more captivating manner. Rather than following a slide progression, Prezi empowers teachers to explore various aspects of their presentations by zooming in and out, creating a storytelling experience rather than a traditional lecture. This method can engage students effectively and simplify subjects by visually emphasizing the relationships among concepts.
According to research from Prezi, this format is more engaging and memorable compared to traditional slide-based presentations. The study found that Prezi presentations are 25% more effective in keeping audience attention and 20% more effective in making content memorable.
To illustrate how Prezi can be used effectively in the classroom, here are a few teacher presentation ideas that stand out:
Literacy Genres Prezi Video : This presentation gives a look at types of literary genres using Prezi’s zoom function to delve into each genre extensively. It serves as a method to familiarize students with ideas in an interactive and visually captivating way.
Board Game Lesson Plan Template : This template uses the concept of a board game to structure the lesson, making learning feel like an adventure. It’s perfect for gamifying lessons and keeping students excited about the material.
The Civil Rights Movement VOR : This presentation explores the background of the Civil Rights Movement, showcasing Prezi features to zoom in on events and individuals. It illustrates how Prezi can animate narratives effectively.
Back to School Template VOR : Ideal for the first day of school, this presentation helps teachers introduce themselves and outline class expectations in a fun and engaging way. It’s a great alternative to a traditional teacher introduction PowerPoint.
Light Book Report Template VOR : This is a creative template that inspires students to showcase their book reports, encouraging them to analyze and share their opinions thoughtfully.
For more inspiration, teachers can explore the Prezi Gallery’s Teacher Picks , which offers a variety of templates and examples designed specifically for educational purposes.
Teacher introduction presentation.
At the start of the year, teachers have a chance to introduce themselves to their students. Using platforms like Prezi, educators can create a narrative that showcases their personality, teaching style, and what learners can expect in the course. Incorporating anecdotes and engaging elements helps in building a rapport with students from the beginning.
To enrich learning, think about using Prezi for making summaries of lessons. When wrapping up a unit or lesson, a recap presentation can go over aspects, pose queries, and even incorporate a quiz to improve comprehension. This method strengthens the content and maintains student interest and active participation in their educational journey.
The increasing use of tools in education has made virtual field trips more popular as a means to explore the world without leaving the classroom. Teachers can now create tours using platforms such as Prezi, giving students a look at different locations and providing them with an engaging learning experience that improves their knowledge of geography, history, and science subjects.
In summary, preparing a teacher presentation entails capturing the needs of your audience, emphasizing clarity, promoting interaction, and sharpening your delivery skills. Through platforms such as Prezi, educators can enhance their presentations to captivate students with engaging content. Whether you’re introducing yourself at the beginning of the year, revisiting topics, or guiding students through a virtual excursion, a thoughtfully prepared presentation can enrich the learning experience and leave a lasting impact on your teaching.
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Last Updated: December 23, 2023 Fact Checked
This article was co-authored by Patrick Muñoz . Patrick is an internationally recognized Voice & Speech Coach, focusing on public speaking, vocal power, accent and dialects, accent reduction, voiceover, acting and speech therapy. He has worked with clients such as Penelope Cruz, Eva Longoria, and Roselyn Sanchez. He was voted LA's Favorite Voice and Dialect Coach by BACKSTAGE, is the voice and speech coach for Disney and Turner Classic Movies, and is a member of Voice and Speech Trainers Association. There are 9 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 419,028 times.
Giving a seminar is an exciting opportunity to share your professional or academic knowledge. No matter who your audience is, begin your presentation with a personal introduction to give the attendees some context about why you’re there. We know how much work goes into preparing for public speaking, so we’ve put together this list of tips to help make introducing yourself a breeze!
Thanks for reading our article! If you'd like to learn more about introducing yourself, check out our in-depth interview with Patrick Muñoz .
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Aug 7, 2017
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Nov 15, 2017
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It doesn't matter how compelling your presentation is if you haven't grabbed your audience's attention in the first few seconds..
Every presentation is an opportunity to make an impression. You can either use your pitch to build credibility , engagement and buy-in, or blow the chance to share your story in a way that sells.
No matter how compelling your message is, if you don't capture your audience's attention in the first minute, you'll miss the momentum you need to get them on board -- and stay there. That first minute is when you are supposed to establish your command of the room and the topic, build rapport, and signal that you're calm, so the audience can just relax -- you've got this.
But this rarely happens. Here are the presentation openers I hear over and over again:
"Hello! Thanks for being here."
"Good morning, everyone."
"Hey...how's everyone doing?"
"Hi there. Thanks for bearing with me today."
"Let me start by apologizing for..."
No. No. No. No. No.
A presentation opening is your promise to your listeners. These starters promise that this meeting is going to be boring at best, and a mess at most. A great introduction promises the audience that this presentation will be engaging, innovative, educational - and maybe even inspiring.
To do that, you need to stop being polite and start being passionate, from the moment you open your mouth. (Still feel the need to have a proper welcome and greeting? Make it your second paragraph, right after your compelling introduction. Nobody will mind, or likely even notice.)
While it's tempting to put weeks into building a captivating deck, spend days making sure the numbers all add up, and wake up at night worrying whether you've incorporated all the latest changes from the team, you are better off spending a few of those minutes making sure that your start is as strong, solid and sizzling as the rest of your presentation.
Here are 20 speech openings to get you started:
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Greeting your students thoughtfully sets the tone for the entire classroom experience. A simple “hello” can become an opportunity to build trust, create meaningful connections, and foster a positive learning environment.
By taking the time to engage with students in a thoughtful way, you show them that they are valued as individuals, not just learners.
In this article, we’ll explore 25 ways to greet your students that go beyond the typical greetings and help you create a welcoming and inclusive classroom culture.
1. ask how they’re feeling today and wait for a response.
Example: “Hey, how are you feeling today?”
This shows genuine interest in their well-being and allows students to share their emotions openly. It creates a personal connection and encourages emotional awareness. Listening to their response makes them feel heard and valued.
Example: “How did your soccer game go last weekend?”
By remembering something specific they shared earlier, like a hobby or an event, you show them that you care beyond academics. This builds rapport and helps them feel important as individuals. It also promotes a sense of trust and continuity in your relationship.
Example: “I saw how much time you spent on that math problem yesterday—great perseverance!”
Instead of saying, “Good job,” acknowledge their hard work or perseverance with a greeting like this. This shifts the focus from achievement to effort, fostering a growth mindset. It helps students feel recognized for their dedication, even if the results aren’t perfect.
Example: “What’s one thing you want to achieve today?”
Asking this empowers students to think about their personal growth. It encourages them to take ownership of their learning and fosters self-reflection. This thoughtful gesture shows you care about their aspirations.
Example: “Take a deep breath with me—how are you feeling right now?”
This not only models mindfulness but also helps students center themselves before diving into the day. It communicates that you prioritize their mental well-being. This greeting sets a calm, focused tone for a positive start to the day.
Example: “I saw you helped a classmate yesterday—that was really thoughtful!”
Recognizing small, positive actions from the previous day shows that you notice and appreciate their behavior. It reinforces kindness and creates a supportive classroom environment. This also encourages students to continue practicing positive habits.
Example: “What are you excited about today?”
This question encourages students to focus on the positives in their day and gives them a chance to share their interests. It helps shift their mindset toward something joyful or meaningful. By asking, you show you care about what motivates them personally.
Example: “What’s something cool you learned this week?”
This encourages students to reflect on their learning and highlights the importance of knowledge beyond the classroom. It helps them feel proud of their growth and fosters a sense of curiosity. By showing interest, you validate their learning experience.
Example: “I love the way you bring creative ideas to our discussions!”
Recognizing unique strengths and contributions makes students feel seen for who they are, beyond academics. It boosts their confidence and encourages them to continue being themselves. This helps create a positive, inclusive classroom dynamic.
Example: “How’s your reading project coming along?”
By asking about their progress on a specific task, you show you’re engaged with their individual work and interests. This keeps them accountable while also giving them a chance to share challenges or achievements. It strengthens the connection between student and teacher, fostering mutual respect.
Example: “What’s something you did recently that you’re proud of?”
This invites students to reflect on their personal achievements, promoting self-esteem and self-awareness. It shifts the focus from external validation to internal pride. Encouraging them to share positive moments reinforces confidence and self-worth.
Example: “How’s your drawing coming along? I remember you said you love sketching.”
By bringing up their hobbies, you show interest in who they are outside of the classroom. This helps foster a deeper, more personal connection. It communicates that you care about their passions, not just their academic performance.
Example: “What’s one way you could help a friend today?”
This question encourages a mindset of kindness and collaboration. It helps students consider their role in creating a positive classroom environment. By promoting empathy, you help students focus on how they can contribute to others’ well-being.
Example: “I’ve noticed how much more confident you’ve become in class discussions—great job!”
Recognizing specific areas of personal growth reinforces positive behaviors and helps students feel proud of their progress. It encourages them to continue improving while also boosting their self-confidence. Highlighting growth rather than just success fosters a growth mindset.
Example: “What’s been your favorite thing we’ve learned this week?”
This question invites students to reflect on their learning experience and connect with what excites them. It encourages curiosity and helps them see learning as something enjoyable rather than just a requirement. By showing interest in their preferences, you make them feel more engaged and motivated.
Example: “What’s something you’ve done for yourself this week to relax or recharge?”
This encourages students to prioritize their mental and emotional well-being by reflecting on self-care. It shows that you value their health beyond academics, promoting a balanced lifestyle. By asking, you create a space where they can discuss their personal habits for maintaining balance.
Example: “What do you think about the discussion we had yesterday on climate change?”
This encourages critical thinking and gives students a chance to express their unique viewpoints. It helps them feel that their opinions matter and that their voice is respected in the classroom. It also promotes engagement with the material in a meaningful way.
Example: “I noticed you were really engaged during the science experiment yesterday!”
Recognizing active participation highlights the importance of being involved in learning activities. It encourages students to continue contributing and signals that their efforts in class are appreciated. This type of acknowledgment fosters a more interactive and dynamic classroom atmosphere.
Example: “How did you manage to solve that tough math problem the other day?”
This question invites students to reflect on their problem-solving strategies and perseverance. It helps them recognize their own resilience and reinforces the value of facing challenges head-on. By asking, you show that you value their growth through obstacles, not just their successes.
Example: “What’s one thing you want to focus on today?”
This helps students start the day with purpose, encouraging them to think about what they want to achieve or improve. It promotes self-directed learning and mindfulness in their actions throughout the day. By setting an intention, students feel more in control of their goals and focus.
Example: “What did you enjoy most about working with your group on that project?”
This helps students reflect on their collaboration and interpersonal skills during group work. It reinforces the importance of teamwork and encourages them to think about the positive aspects of working with others. By asking, you promote a sense of community and shared learning in the classroom.
Example: “What’s something fun you did over the weekend?”
This allows students to share personal experiences, making them feel seen beyond their academic role. It creates a sense of connection between their personal life and the classroom environment. By engaging with their free time, you help foster a relaxed and open relationship.
Example: “Is there something you’re finding tough in class or outside of school that I can help with?”
This question shows care for their struggles, both academically and personally, and opens the door for support. It builds trust by creating a space where students feel comfortable sharing challenges. By offering help, you emphasize your role as a guide in their overall development.
Example: “You have such a creative way of solving problems, it always stands out!”
Recognizing a personal trait or skill that’s unique to them boosts their self-esteem and shows that you appreciate their individuality. It encourages them to continue embracing their strengths. This kind of personalized compliment fosters self-confidence and ownership of their identity.
Example: “What’s something you’ve been really curious about lately, either in class or outside?”
This question encourages a sense of wonder and opens up a dialogue about their personal interests. It promotes a love of learning beyond the curriculum and helps you connect with what drives their curiosity. By engaging with their interests, you make them feel that their passions matter.
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By Hannah Yang
How to email a professor in 7 steps, email to professor examples.
Emailing your professor can be a daunting task.
Writing professional emails is never easy, but composing an email to a professor can feel especially nerve-racking. After all, your professors have a lot of control over your academic success and your future career, so you don't want to make a mistake.
So, how exactly do you write a successful email to a professor?
In this article, we’ll give you a step-by-step guide for how to write an email to your professor, plus a set of email templates you can use.
We’ve broken the process of emailing your professor into seven simple steps.
Start by writing a clear, concise subject line for your email.
Your subject line should be specific to your situation. Ideally, your professor should understand why you’re emailing them without even having to open the body of your message.
For example, if you’re emailing to request an extension for a research paper, you can use the subject line “Research paper deadline extension.” Or, if you’re emailing to ask for a clarification about the syllabus, you can use the subject line “Question about class syllabus.”
You should start your email with a formal salutation.
You can use formal greetings, such as “Dear” or “Hi,” followed by your teacher’s preferred title, whether that’s “Professor [Last Name],” “Mr. [Last Name],” “Ms. [Last Name],” or simply “[First Name].”
If you’re not sure about your professor’s title, “Dear Professor [Last Name]” is always a safe bet.
Start your email by introducing yourself and explaining which class you’re in. For example, you might write, “My name is Hannah, and I’m a freshman in your ENGL 453 class.”
It’s common for professors to teach multiple classes, especially at large universities, so they don’t always know all their students by name. If you’re emailing from your academic account, they’ll likely be able to see your full name in the system, but it’s still better to be safe than sorry.
Of course, if you’ve already established a working relationship with your professor, and they know who you are, you don’t have to introduce yourself. Instead, you can start your email with a friendly greeting, such as “I hope your week is going well” or “Happy Friday!”
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Now that you’ve finished your introduction, it’s time to explain all the essential information about why you’re writing this message.
Professors lead busy lives, so try to keep the body of your email as concise as possible. Don’t use a whole paragraph when a single sentence would do.
Try to keep a professional tone while you explain your request. You don’t need to sound overly stiff, but you should generally avoid using slang or making jokes.
If you’re writing about an issue that includes personal details, such as a health issue or the loss of a loved one, it’s okay to be vague when explaining your reasons. Don’t feel pressure to include details about your personal life that you’re not comfortable sharing.
Finally, be specific about what kind of follow-up action you’re requesting from your professor, if any. For example, you can write, “Please let me know if it would be possible to extend the deadline,” or “Please send me your feedback on this draft at your earliest convenience.”
You can end the body of your email with a simple expression of gratitude. You can write something like, “Thank you for your understanding and support,” or simply “Thanks for your time.”
Sign off your email with a simple closing salutation, followed by your first name.
Keep it simple and polite. Popular choices include “Best,” “Thanks,” “Sincerely,” and “Regards.”
You don’t want to send your professor an email riddled with grammar mistakes, especially if it’s your English professor! And even if they teach a different subject, like math or biology, you still want to make sure you’re putting your best foot forward.
Editing your email with ProWritingAid can help you avoid mistakes. Our editing tool will correct grammar errors, spelling typos, and weak word choices.
You can even ask the tool to help you ensure you’re using a formal tone so your email doesn’t come across as casual or unprofessional.
Now that we’ve gone over the seven steps for writing an email to a professor, let’s look at some examples.
Here are some email templates you can use, depending on your specific situation.
Subject line: Missing class today
Dear Professor [Last Name],
My name is [your name], and I’m a student in your class [class name]. I’m writing to let you know that I won’t be able to make it to class today, due to health issues. [Insert details if needed].
Please let me know what material we’ll be covering so I can make it up before the next class.
[Your name]
Subject line: Help with [class name]
My name is [your name]. I’ve been really struggling with your class [class name] this semester, and I’m having a hard time understanding [details].
Would you have time to sit down with me and help me better understand the material? I would welcome any support you can offer.
Thank you in advance! I look forward to hearing from you.
Subject line: My grade for [assignment/exam name]
I hope your week is off to a good start!
I recently received my grade for [assignment/exam name], and it was lower than I expected. Could you please tell me where I lost points?
I know you have a busy schedule, but I would really appreciate more details, since I’m sure that information could also help me improve my grades in the future.
Thank you so much for your time!
Subject line: Research opportunities in your lab
I hope you’re doing well!
My name is [your name], and I’m a [year, major]. I’m writing to ask about research opportunities in your lab next semester.
I’m really interested in the topic you’re researching because [details], and I have experience conducting research with [previous experience, if any].
Please let me know if you have any openings that might be suitable for me. I look forward to hearing from you!
Subject line: Missing class yesterday
I hope your week is going well.
I’m writing to apologize for missing your class [class name] yesterday. I was unable to attend because [details].
I know it was an important class and that I shouldn’t have missed it. I’ll do my best to ensure this doesn’t happen again. Thank you for your support and understanding.
Subject line: Extension for [Assignment Name]
My name is [your name], and I’m a student in your class [class name]. I’m writing to request an extension for our assignment about [assignment details].
I’ve been struggling to complete the assignment in time because of [reasons]. I would really appreciate it if you could extend the deadline to [new deadline date], due to my situation.
Please let me know if that would be okay. Thank you so much for your flexibility.
Thanks again,
Subject line: Follow-up re: [subject]
I recently emailed you about [topic].
I’m just writing to follow up on my previous email and make sure you’ve received it. If you have, please let me know when I can expect a reply.
Thank you again for your time!
Warm regards,
Subject line: Joining your class [class name]
My name is [your name], and I’m a [year, major] at [school name]. I’m interested in joining your class [class name]. I’m really fascinated by [topic] because [reasons], and I’ve heard that your class is a must-take class for students interested in [topic].
I don’t know how much demand there is for the class, but I’m curious if there’s anything I should do in advance to increase my chances of getting into the class.
Thank you for your consideration! I look forward to hearing from you.
There you have it—our guide for composing a clear and professional email to a professor.
Good luck, and happy writing!
Hannah is a speculative fiction writer who loves all things strange and surreal. She holds a BA from Yale University and lives in Colorado. When she’s not busy writing, you can find her painting watercolors, playing her ukulele, or hiking in the Rockies. Follow her work on hannahyang.com or on Twitter at @hannahxyang.
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Hrideep barot.
There are usually two cases when you are made to present in front of children: when you are a full time teacher and have to conduct presentations on a regular basis to a set classroom OR you are a part-time teacher and conduct one-off presentations to new audiences.
Either ways, as a teacher presenting to kids, you should know that they can be one of the most difficult audiences to please.
Why? Because unlike a professional seminar or event where the audience is likely there because they want to be there, kids are there because they have to be there.
That’s what makes this difficult. And that’s why we must learn to be engaging presenters if we want to get our point across.
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Here are some presentation and PowerPoint tips for you teachers to increase the chances of having a more engaging conversation with your class:
This is a general rule of thumb for presentations that most people already know of – do not make your slides text heavy .
Whether you’re using PowerPoint or Keynote, in presentations, less is always more.
Steve Jobs has taught us to use big, inspiring images to get our points across. While this does hold true even today, as teachers, we still need to keep in mind that we are presenting to the generation with the lowest attention span and the lowest level of concern with regard to what you speak about.
Remember, they are most likely not there because they want to. They’re there because they have to. So, while you work on keeping those texty slides to a minimum, you gotta start using more than just images as well.
Kids consume multi media on a daily basis. Hence, you need to talk to them the same way.
Instead of explaining via speech, explain via a cool animated video, for example. If you’re talking about the ill-effects of excessive screen-time, don’t use bullet points. Use an animation of how the screen-time can damage their brain and make them worse sportsmen or how it might reduce their ability to make friends.
You don’t have to make the video here. That would be expensive. But you can definitely borrow content from free sources like YouTube.
Video is one interesting form of media, but you can also use infographs, audio (sounds can be as powerful as visuals when used correctly), GIFs, Cinema graphs, etc.
This will make your slides that much more engaging and memorable.
If you must use imagery, try to use real people who they would know. This will increase the chances of the visual being remembered by the kids. And if the visual is remembered, so will the topic.
To borrow from the previous point, don’t just read out from your slides. You’re presenting. And a presenter is no less than a performer.
If you keep true to the rule of less text, you anyways won’t read much because there simply isn’t enough to read in the first place.
But if you do have those occasional text heavy slides, remember that the best way to make people remember a lot of information is to have one important take away and use the rest of the information as supplementary cues.
Let’s elaborate a little more on having a single takeaway….
Having a clear focus is key in any presentation. But so many presenters fail to take this into account. We often stuff our presentations with everything we know. But while our intentions might be good, they might not always be the best learning experience.
Kids obviously wont remember the whole presentation. So, make it easy for them. In fact, make it as easy as you can! Just have one takeaway from the whole talk. As long as they takeaway that one thing, you have done your job. If you manage to entertain and engage them while doing this, you have done your job well !
When you start to prepare your presentation, ask yourself as the teacher, what is the most important and beneficial thing that I can make these kids remember through my talk? Once you have that, edit your deck to make it crisp and concise. Which bring me to my next point…
As a speaker, teacher or presenter – always remember the words on this badge…
Less is (almost) always more!
As a school kid, I remember attending presentations that the teachers would spend a lot of time and energy working on.
These weren’t boring subjects either. The teachers themselves were very good. A few of us would try our best to keep focus and takeaway as much as we could from the talks.
But after one hour, two hours, three hours…some times even four long hours …we would zone the heck out. Not only that, we would start getting restless.
We would grab every opportunity to whisper amongst ourselves. We would fain bathroom breaks. We would stare out the window. Regardless of our disinterest, the teacher just went on and on and on.
I could never understand why teachers do this. Of course, no ones going to be able to keep their attention for so long, least of all children!
So, if you’re ever presenting to kids, do them a favour and keep the deck as short as you can. More than them, you will also realize that your presentations are actually having a more positive effect. The kids will remember more and not despise the thought of you presenting to them again.
The thing kids hate is when a stuck up teacher who has been “teaching for the past 20 years” comes in and starts talking the language of the subject with no regard of how kids learn.
By that I mean, kids from each generation learn differently and each kid within a classroom learns differently. While personalized teaching might be a lot to ask for, at least try and speak the language of that generation!
Related article: 6 Types of Learners (And How to Speak Them for Maximum Impact)
This comes back to a basic point of knowing your audience which we will cover more in depth later in this article.
But instead of using jargon or boring graphs, understand what your students like – what movie are they currently excited to watch, which books are they reading, what are there favourite hangout spots.
Reference these when you are speaking. Use memes, GIFs, relatable moments from pop culture in your slides. This not only makes your presentation more fun but also communicates to the kids that you speak their language and get them.
It makes you a more likeable teacher and kids will also look forward to your presentations.
When you have an opportunity to present to anybody, the best way to ensure that the person on the other side is listening to you is to ask them questions.
When conducting your presentation to kids, if you go on and on talking, they are eventually going to zone out. Try spicing up the presentation with a pop quiz on the topics you have just taught them.
A good way to do this would be to divide the class up into a few groups from the beginning and assign team names to each group.
Inform the students that there will be multiple short quizzes in the middle of the presentation and whichever team has the most points towards the end wins a reward. This will give them an incentive to pay attention.
You can even experiment with other games such as charades, Pictionary, hangman, etc. I came across this great blog article on classroom games where you can get a ton of ideas from!
Kids are more likely to listen someone they know and trust. So while you are speaking, try and learn their names.
This is especially important to special guest teachers or visiting faculty who do not have the privilege of forming a long-term bond with the students.
One way to do this is to ask them to introduce themselves in the beginning of the class. Then, as you go along, pick a few students from the crowd and get them to answer a few basic questions. Don’t try to challenge them at this point, just try and get to know them a little better.
It’ll help make your session a little more interactive and personal.
When you’re in front of a crowd and if the crowd starts to zone out, it’s probably not the crowd’s fault there. As teachers, we may tend to forget that we are essentially, public speakers.
And hence, we mustn’t forget the basics of public speaking.
When you speak make sure you modulate you voice. Speaking in a monotonous tone will most certainly make the kids zone out. It also adds to their restlessness.
Modulate your voice. Go loud when you want them to listen. And go soft when you really want them to listen.
Related article: All You Need to Know about Voice Modulation & Tonality for Public Speaking
Use your body like you’re performing (heck, you are performing!). Don’t just stand in one place or sit and speak. Move around, use expressions, use your body. Non-verbal communication is of the essence here.
Related article: Body Language Guide to Public Speaking (The Do’s & Don’ts)
Just because they are kids, do not take them lightly. In fact, a room full of kids can be harsher than a room full of old professionals. So, practice. Practice till you’re convinced you are truly engaging.
A helpful tip is to run the presentation through another child who you know (your son, your niece, your neighbor’s daughter) – whoever you can find.
Related article: Surprisingly Simple But Effective Processes to Practicing for a Speech
Our first instinct is to lash out at them. “Why the F*CK aren’t they listening to me?!” is a common thought amongst frustrated teachers.
This clowds our judgment. Remember, your goal is not to make them listen but to make them learn. And lashing out at them might get them to listen but barely learn.
So, when you realize your class is getting out of hand, take a breath. Realize it’s not personal. They don’t hate or dislike you. They just haven’t seen the value you bring yet. Your job is to show that – subtly, but clearly.
This goes back to having just one takeaway. Another point to note is teaching the kids why they need to learn what they are going to learn. This gives them some justification to sit through the course.
If you find the kids talking non-stop, do not continue speaking like everything’s fine. Discipline the class first and then continue.
One way of doing this is to stop the snowball from becoming too big. Once everyone starts talking, it’s harder to quite them down without shouting. If you hear a couple of them lads whispering, stop and fix your eyes on them.
Let them speak, but control the timing, give them time to talk, build an environment of interaction.
As a kid, one of my History teachers would often have her class be quite disciplined and well behaved. We would enjoy and sometimes even look forward to her teaching.
On the other side, the same class would lose their manners when the English teacher would step in. We just would not stop talking.
The difference? The history teacher would actually give us the time to speak during her class. She would schedule a few minutes between pages to allow the students to do what they wanted for a controlled amount of time (usually 4-5 minutes).
This helped get the restlessness out of our systems and we were much better able to concentrate during the rest of the lecture.
Understand what matters to your audience. It’s usually just one thing. Highlight that point first and spare the jargon.
Again, keeping it short and sweet will be a blessing on you as well as the students.
For example, this one man had come to our school to talk to us about the threats of cyberbullying. Facebook was still new at the time and awareness on this subject was relatively less. This guy comes in and has us hooked from the get-go.
No one spoke the rest of the lecture.
Related article: 15 Powerful Speech Opening Lines (And How to Create Your Own)
How did he do it? He knew our age. He knew our background. He knew what mattered to us then. So, his very first slide was a story of a boy of our age who was tricked by cyber bullies all the way to his death.
The talk got dark really quickly, but I still remember that story to this day. Not only because the story was so controversial and heavy, but because it mattered to us. The boy whose story was told was our age, lived in the same area as we did and hung out in the same places we do.
Understand who your audience is and what’s important to them. Use those points in the beginning to hook them and make them understand the importance of the topic.
Related article: The Importance of Knowing Your Audience When Delivering a Speech
To end, presenting as a teacher is not easy. One may think they can just prepare something last minute and wing it, but that one chap is just setting himself up for failure. Remember, great teachers don’t teach, they perform, they entertain, they engage. And in this process, the students learn.
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Remember, your opening sets the tone for your entire presentation, so make it engaging and relevant to your audience. Here are 100 examples of ways to greet your classmates, each followed by a brief introduction to help you begin your speech: Good morning, everyone! Today, I'd like to share with you some insights on… Hello, dear classmates!
Bring your toothbrush or some floss so that you can get anything embarrassing out of your teeth before your presentation begins. [4] If you wear makeup, consider bringing a bit of makeup for a touch up before your presentation. You could also bring a comb or brush to make sure your hair is neat. 7.
35 Powerful Presentation Phrases in English for Engaging Your Audience. Your palms are sweating. For a moment, your mind goes blank. All eyes are on you. That moment right before you start presenting - as you take in your audience - is usually the scariest. The nervousness lessens with practice, but even the most frequent public speakers ...
This is a great way to get the audience's attention and make them think about your topic in a new way. For example: "The future of work is remote." or "Artificial intelligence will revolutionize every industry.". 9. "Today, I'm here to challenge how we think about [topic].". 10.
In this video, you'll learn 5 tips that will help you give a great impression to your teachers and classmates when giving a presentation.My presentations sit...
Step #2: Tell your audience what problem you can solve for them. This is where all of the pre-work comes into play. In this step, you will use the answers to one of those questions that you answered earlier. For instance, if my topic is how to deliver presentations, I have to determine why the audience would care.
11. "Let's embark on a journey through our discussion on…". 12. "I'm delighted to have the chance to share my insights on…". 13. "Thank you for the opportunity to present to such an esteemed audience on…". 14. "Let's set the stage for an engaging discussion about…". 15.
Here are some phrases which you can use to structure the introduction in this way: Introduce. 1. Good morning/afternoon (everyone) (ladies and gentlemen). 2. It's a pleasure to welcome (the President) here. 3. I'm … (the Director of …) Introduce the presentation topic.
Giving a presentation in English - whether online or in a face-to-face meeting, can be a challenging task. Preparation and practice is the key to a confident and clear presentation.Here is some advice to help you review the structure of a presentation and some of the language you can use at each stage.
1 Greeting the Audience. Good morning/ good afternoon/ good evening everyone. Welcome to my presentation. If you don't know me, my name is …. I work/ study in … department/ program/ lab. I'd like to thank you all for coming today. It's a great pleasure to be here with you today.
You may remember from your school days that a speech has three parts: Introduction, Body, and Conclusion. And while that may be generally true in a broad sense, most presentations include a fourth component: the Greeting. Your greeting is an essential part of your Introduction because it presents both you and your topic to your audience.
For those who don't know me, my name is [name], and for those who know me, hello again. If you're presenting to people you've never met: Hello everyone, it's nice to meet you all. My name is [name] and I am the [job/title]. Hello. Welcome to [event]. My name is [name] and I am the [job/title]. I'm glad you're all here.
Look everywhere in the room. Do not just stick your eyes to the middle aisle. Look around and naturally move your eyes to every side of the room. Oftentimes, students just keep their focus on the instructor. Keeping the instructor attentive does not guarantee you a good grade.
2. Open the Speech by Giving Compliment & Show Gratitude towards your Audience. Secondly, just after wishing greeting to your audience give them compliment and choose some words which show that you are delighted to see them there. Example: It's great to see you all, Thank you for coming here today.
Another way to greet an audience includes acknowledging the time of day: "Good morning," or "Good afternoon/evening," warms-up the audience for what's to come. If you can pull it off -- and it's the right audience -- you can start with humor. Sometimes relevant jokes or funny quotes can help lighten up the audience and make you less nervous.
Here are ten creative and distinctive greetings that can make your speech stand out: "Good day, innovators, educators, and leaders of tomorrow. We stand together at the threshold of new possibilities!". "Salutations to the seekers of knowledge and champions of tomorrow gathered here today!".
hamlyforever. In practice, do pattern drills, exercise 7 on "How to make a strong presentation" 1. Begin with / by (start off) Benjamin's video fitly begins with an elegant flair. 2. Base on Most Benjamin's video is based on teaching the non-English speaking student. 3.
It depends on your institution. In Holland, you actually have to say (in Dutch) something to the effect of "Very esteemed and highly learned Professor Doctor X, I would like to give you my most sincere thanks for the very insightful comments that blah blah blah" (seriously). I've been to defences in California where the candidate just went "hi".
Before you begin your presentation, start by greeting your audience, welcoming them to the event and introducing yourself. 1. Good morning/afternoon/evening, everyone. 2. Welcome to [name of event]. Sample sentence: Welcome to our 3rd Annual Sales Leadership Conference. Curated authentic video library for all levels.
Tips for creating effective teacher presentations 1. Know your audience. Knowing the age, background knowledge, and learning preferences of your students is essential when creating a teacher presentation. Customize your material to suit their requirements, making sure it strikes a balance between being overly complicated and overly simplistic.
Chat with people before the seminar starts. Casually speaking with your audience makes you more likeable. Greet people as they come into the room and take their seats to welcome them and thank them for coming. Ask audience members questions, such as questions to find out what brings them to your seminar.
A presentation opening is your promise to your listeners. These starters promise that this meeting is going to be boring at best, and a mess at most. A great introduction promises the audience ...
Greeting your students thoughtfully sets the tone for the entire classroom experience. A simple "hello" can become an opportunity to build trust, create ... This helps students reflect on their collaboration and interpersonal skills during group work. It reinforces the importance of teamwork and encourages them to think about the positive ...
Extension Email to Professor Example. Subject line: Extension for [Assignment Name] Dear Professor [Last Name], My name is [your name], and I'm a student in your class [class name]. I'm writing to request an extension for our assignment about [assignment details]. I've been struggling to complete the assignment in time because of [reasons].
It'll help make your session a little more interactive and personal. 8. Tonality and body language. When you're in front of a crowd and if the crowd starts to zone out, it's probably not the crowd's fault there. As teachers, we may tend to forget that we are essentially, public speakers.