Highschool presentations: all you need to know
Presenting is not an easy task. People write books on presenting, take extended presentation training courses, and do a whole lot of other stuff just to make their speeches stand out and their visuals deliver a message clearly. And when you are a student, the complexities associated with your high school presentation can grow exponentially. Not only may you be new to presenting, but giving a speech in front of your whole class can seem like a truly terrifying experience. After all, you’ll have to go to school with those people for a couple more years.
But what if we told you that your presentation can make you a celebrity in your class (in a good way)? How could it be?
Actually, there’s not much you need to know to make your presentation successful. Creating effective high school presentations involves careful planning, clear communication, and engaging delivery. Below, you’ll find five practical tips from our best experts to help you understand how to make a presentation for school that stands out.
Top Presentation Tips for Students
1. Know What You’re Talking About
It may seem like obvious advice – but you need to understand the topic you present. What is important is to not only know your speech but to actually understand the subject. High school presentations are usually made either for research projects or for elaborating on some topic your class has just learned about. In each case, your knowledge of the subject is essential.
At the same time, your knowledge of the topic will allow for a more exciting presentation for students. It may allow you to put some interesting facts into your speech and offer a better explanation of your points. People like something explained in their own words much more than listening to a dull, memorized piece of information. Finally, your knowledge would demonstrate your enthusiasm about the topic, and you will undoubtedly ignite this enthusiasm in the audience!
Pro advice: Tailor your presentation to the interests and understanding of your classmates and teacher. Consider what they already know and what might capture their attention.
2. Prepare and Pre-Plan
The foundation of all the great presentation ideas for college students is a perfect plan. You have to make sure that everything works perfectly and that you know your material well. Technical difficulties happen often: the projector is not working, the presentation won’t start, or it crashes. All this is frustrating and takes time to fix. More importantly, it breaks the flow of your presentation, making it harder for you and your audience to keep track of the speech.
To avoid technical mishaps, try to check everything several times. Arrive early before the presentation and take time to make sure that everything works fine. At the same time, try to prepare for issues as well. For example, memorize your speech so that you can continue without the slides in case they won’t be working. A good idea is to have an online backup for your presentation in case the offline version won’t load for some reason.
Pro advice: Always stay within the allotted time for your presentation. Practice pacing to learn to cover all critical points without rushing.
3. Get Ready for Questions
Questions and discussions are important parts of the presentation process, especially for college presentation for high school students. The audience or the teacher may ask you to clarify something or state a viewpoint that contradicts yours. Don’t be afraid of the questions. Instead, think of them this way: you are an expert in your topic, and your answers will be valued as an expert opinion. To illustrate your point, don’t hesitate to return to the earlier slides and demonstrate your knowledge of the presentation’s structure.
Of course, there may be questions that you can’t answer exactly. What to do in such cases? Well, you can’t possibly know everything. Thank you for the question, and try to provide your opinion on the answer based on your research for the presentation. If the questioner presented a different viewpoint on your topic, acknowledge it and present arguments that would defend your stance. In other words, try to start a discussion – this move would add an interactive element to your presentation.
Pro advice: Whenever possible, relate your topic to personal experiences or examples. This can make your presentation more memorable.
4. Add Visual Appeal
A polished custom presentation design is a vital part of your presentation. Even the best school presentation ideas can be ruined by a bad PowerPoint template. The fundamental principle here is to make your visuals support your points and don’t take up too much attention. To do so, try using neutral colors and simple graphics or infographics. Add photos to illustrate your points. However, don’t overload your slides with too many images.
Text is an equally important part of what is displayed on the slides. Keep in mind that too much text on slides is one of the biggest mistakes in any presentation rubrics in college. A good decision would be to display several main points on each slide or the description for the visuals you are using. Alternatively, you can put some of the speaker notes on the slide to coordinate your speech using them. Put only the most essential information on the slides. Sometimes, the title and one image are more than enough.
Pro advice: Incorporate storytelling elements to make your presentation more engaging. People often remember stories more than dry facts.
5. Work on Your Delivery
In the school presentation, as in other presentations, how you talk is equally important as what you are talking about. Pauses, choice of words, pace of your speech – every detail is vital. There are a ton of techniques that would allow you to increase your speaking skills. However, everything starts with practice. Knowing the material well will eliminate the unnecessary pauses and “uhs” or “ahs.” Moreover, it would allow you to work on other aspects of your speech.
How fast you speak is also highly important. Speaking too fast will leave your audience little understanding of your presentation, while speaking too slow will put everyone to sleep. A general advice is to speak a little faster when you are presenting than your usual speaking speed. However, if you are a fast speaker, consider lowering your pace a little for the presentation.
Pro advice: Stand tall, make eye contact, and use a steady pace. Confidence in your delivery will help engage your audience and convey your message effectively.
Now that you are familiar with the most effective presentation tips for high school students, let’s look at some creative ideas you can use to make your presentation truly unforgettable.
3 Creative Ideas for High School Presentations
Creative presentations can captivate your college audience and make your material more engaging. Here are some creative ideas you can use to take your next presentation to a whole new level:
1. Interactive Workshops
Turn your presentation into an interactive workshop where your classmates can participate in discussions, activities, or small group exercises related to the topic.
2. Role Play or Skits
Use role-playing or skits to act out scenarios related to your presentation. This can be a fun and engaging way to illustrate key points.
3. Gamification
Incorporate game elements, such as quizzes, polls, or interactive challenges. It will help make your presentation more enjoyable.
Tailor these ideas to your assignment’s requirements and the institution’s presentation guidelines for students, and you’re halfway to success!
Final Word
College and school presentations are actually meant to give you a presenting experience that you can use later in your career. So, don’t be afraid to experiment and try new methods while still at school. After all, practice makes perfect!
We hope these presentation guidelines for college students will help you to build a perfect presentation. Should you ever get stuck wondering how to make school presentation effective or need help with a PowerPoint makeover, reach out to our dedicated team, and we will gladly lend you a hand. We’re open 24/7/365!
