When thinking about putting together a presentation and making sure that the experience of speaking in front of a collection of colleagues or peers, can at first be quite daunting, you can also think of it as an exciting opportunity to practice new skills! Below is information about what makes a presentation engaging, and something that the audience actually wants to pay attention to. The following tips may help you to be more effective and interesting the next time you have the opportunity to speak in front of a group of people.

1. Rehearse out loud, and with props or slides you plan to use. Practice in the room where you'll actually do the presentation, if possible. Listen to how the words sound coming out of your mouth, so you can avoid tongue twisters or awkward phrasing.

2. Speak slowly and loudly enough so the person in the back of the room can hear you.

3. Make eye contact with various members of your audience. If you make eye contact with them, they're more likely to make eye contact with you and remain at attention.

4. Some rules about using slides:

• Do not read off your slides word-for-word; this can make you feel more comfortable because you're just reading out loud and not really having to think about presenting, but it's boring for your audience and they're more likely to zone out while you're talking.
• Use just a few words per slide.
• Use images that directly tie in to what you are saying. An image is more likely to stick with a person in the audience, even if they don't remember exactly what you were saying.
• Keep lists to a minimum; do not have more than 5-6 items on a slide. (I'm taking this advice right now, and am about to wrap up this post.)​

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5. Act excited and enthusiastic about the idea you're presenting; if you come off as bored, your audience will almost certainly be bored by you and your presentation no matter how much good information it contains.

These are just some suggestions of how parents might support their student's continued progress once the school year is underway. Parents- you may see something in here that could be applicable to your child, even if he or she is not asking for help. Students- you may see something in here for yourself too! 

•  Help your student create and follow routines for homework and organization.

 

• Talk with your student about the strategies he or she is using to complete tasks; this reinforces the metacognitive element of learning.

 

• Help your student break down long-term projects or assignments into smaller, more manageable tasks; we call this “chunking” or “breaking big rocks into pebbles.” Then, help them to plan (and write down!) when to complete each smaller task, starting with the due date and working backwards; we call this “backwards planning.”

 

• Talk with your student about what he or she is learning, both content-wise and skill-wise. Emphasize that different strategies work for different people, and that we all need to figure out how we learn best, so we can be efficient and effective learners.

 

• Part of a student’s middle school experience should be figuring out how to manage more responsibility and independence. For students to have opportunities to learn and practice this, they need to be allowed to grapple with tasks, attempt to problem-solve independently, and experience natural consequences for their actions and inactions. (The Gift of Failure by Jessica Lahey is an interesting book that builds on this idea.)

 

• Encourage your child to communicate with his or her teachers and/or advisor, especially if they are feeling confused, overwhelmed or unsure of themselves. You could role-play a conversation they might have, or encourage them to write a note or email the teacher if they’re hesitant to initiate a conversation with them.

 

• Encourage your student to attend extra help sessions with their teachers, and any other skill-building workshops offered by the school. If you're not sure what resources might be available, have your child inquire!

 

•  Maintain a growth mindset- that is, embrace the belief that we can grow our “intelligence” in different areas, with strategic practice and perseverance. In conversations with your child about schoolwork, grades, and “abilities,” emphasize that strategic practice of a skill actually changes the brain’s structure by building and solidifying neural pathways; so, they’re not “doomed” to always struggle with one task, skill, or content area because the brain is like a muscle we can exercise to make stronger. (See the work of Carol Dweck for more information on growth mindsets- it’s pretty interesting stuff!)