Presenting a paper in front of the whole class – stage fright included. Some students are relieved when the written formulations are omitted. For most people, however, there will be the added fear of slurring their words or embarrassing themselves in front of the whole class. What you should pay attention to when you prepare a presentation and give it to the class? Bright minds give you tips for a successful presentation.
Finally you can learn what you want to learn. Find a topic that you are really interested in. (Source: PixelQuelle)
The "A and O for your presentation in front of your classmates is a good preparation. Only if you are convinced that your presentation is good and you know about your topic, you can present it well and confidently. With free-choice papers you have the great opportunity to finally deal with something that really interests you. For book reviews, you can often choose which work you would like to talk about.
If the teacher’s suggestions do not include the right thing for you, think about what you would like to report on. You can certainly decide with your teacher on a topic that you find particularly interesting or exciting. It is important to narrow down your topic from the beginning – write down exactly what you want to cover in your paper so that you have a rough idea of the structure.
It is advisable to consider the following questions: How do you start? What are the main questions about the topic?? Which areas do you want to cover?? What can or should be discussed? For example, if you are giving a presentation on the "Descent of the Dog", what are the central questions on the topic?, then think carefully: Where should your presentation begin?? For example: "When did the dog become a pet??" What information is interesting on this topic? Example: "How did man get the dog??"
What is the best way to collect information?
You can search for information in books, reference books and on the Internet. Then get an overview.
Sometimes the teacher gives you a collection of materials. But again, it’s always good to find your own sources of information. It is a good opportunity to escape the dusty school routine and do some research on your own! An encyclopedia offers a first overview. If you don’t have one of your own, you can find one in your school library or the city library. In addition, you should search for different textbooks on your specific topic.
An additional source of information nowadays is of course the internet. There is no lack of information on almost any topic. The problem is rather to filter out the correct and useful information from the flood of information. A refined search helps, for example, by entering a wider range of terms into a search engine that are to be covered in the answer.
Also on Helles-Koepfchen.de you will find information on numerous topics and links to other websites on the topic you are looking for. It is good if you write down the information about the different areas of your presentation on a DIN-A-4 sheet of paper. For example, for the presentation on the origin of the dog, you would use a sheet on "the first dog", a sheet on the "Relationship between dogs and humans" and a sheet on the "nature of the dog" create.
Structure: keeping the overview
A good structure is important for a successful presentation. Pick out the most important information from your material and write it down. (Source: Photocase)
Now you have found a lot of interesting information about your topic. Maybe too many? It’s good that you have thought about what your topic should be beforehand. Now that you have an overview, you can check if the original structure is correct. If not, now is the time to improve it. Lay out in bullet points how your topic will be structured. Then filtering and sorting is the order of the day. What is the essence? What is superfluous? What can you cut out?
Formulate the sentences for each of the topics in writing. Highlighted subheadings make it easier for you to keep your bearings. You can also use them later as a cue for your oral presentation. Information you don’t use is not lost! You still have them at hand if questions come up. You can briefly and concisely note the structure of your topic and the most important contents on a thesis paper. You can arouse interest if you have a funny cartoon, a proverb or a mnemonic that sums up your topic. But be careful! This should definitely fit the topic and not be too far-fetched. If you don’t find anything suitable, then it is better to do without it.
You can also use slides, video clips, maps or photos if they clarify something. You can use it to make your presentation exciting. Talk to your teacher beforehand so that you can use, for example, a TV with a video/DVD recorder or a projector. In any case, you should familiarize yourself with the technique of the devices in good time! For a book discussion, you should pick an appropriate passage from the story to read to the class during your presentation. ÜThink about the best time to include reading in your presentation. The beginning is especially important. Tell your classmates what you are going to talk about and how your presentation will go. They can then prepare themselves for what to expect. It is often useful and stimulates interest to begin your presentation with questions for the class.
Speaking freely is a matter of practice
Standing in front of the whole class is unusual. Practice speaking freely beforehand by presenting your paper to friends or family.
Now you have put your presentation on paper. The only thing missing is a good delivery technique. Write down keywords – and depending on how confident you feel, formulated sentences in between. A good presentation is spoken freely and not read out. The sheet with your notes helps you during the presentation not to lose the thread and gives you security. So you can use it from time to time. To make things clearer for your classmates, you can also draw diagrams on the board or write down key points.
Free speech requires some practice. Speak the paper aloud first to yourself and then to other people, such as your friends or your parents. This will help you to memorize the wording and you will not get lost so easily. Standing in front of a group is unusual at first. A good exercise is to stand in front of your acquaintances during your rehearsal speech. You can also use this opportunity to get their opinion and estimate the length of your presentation. A good presentation should provide information and not be too short, but also not too long, because otherwise the classmates will eventually switch off. The length of your presentation should be approximately between 15 and 30 minutes, unless your teacher has specified otherwise. Afterwards, there should always be time for questions and a discussion.
The problem for the presenter is usually that he or she does not know, Where to look. It is best to look at your classmates. Maybe you can arrange with a friend to watch him/her during the presentation. You should not focus on one spot during the whole presentation, but let your eyes wander around the room from time to time. It is good if you look more to the back of the classroom, because then all the classmates will feel addressed. Otherwise, there is a risk that some listeners will become inattentive and drop out.
Stage fright? Don’t panic!
Lighten your mood before the presentation. Talk to your classmates and ask your friends for feedback afterwards.
Jitters before the speech? Don’t panic, it’s only natural. Don’t forget to eat a proper breakfast before school and take some food with you for the break so that you can concentrate well. Few people are nervous about speaking in front of a group. Once you’ve got your first few sentences down pat, the stage fright will quickly disappear.
Loosen up your mood a bit before your presentation, instead of panicking and going over the course of your presentation again. You have already made sure that you are well prepared. Maybe it will help you to talk to your classmates before the lesson. Go ahead and tell them that you are excited. The others will understand you well, because almost everybody knows this situation.
If you do lose your train of thought during your talk: Don’t worry, it can happen to the best speaker. If you’re well prepared, you’ll quickly catch up – and once you’re really into speaking, you’ll see how easy it is to do! Ask a friend for feedback afterwards. He or she can tell you later if they saw your excitement and how your talk affected them. They can give you tips and ideas for your next paper.