Resources for Educators

Teaching Tip

From the Teacher’s Aide Newsletter

2015 March

Attention-Grabbing Presentations

Are you struggling to liven up your presentations and grab student attention? The bells and whistles of new technologies aren’t going to do it for you if you don’t understand the principles of making a memorable presentation. It’s actually not about the presentation, it’s the message they connect to and remember “if it’s a good one.” Here are six tips for making your message a memorable one:

  1. Keep it simple. What is the essential bit of your message that you need them to understand?
  2. Surprise them. Everyone’s attention perks up when you do or say something unexpected.
  3. Make it real. Use physical actions or specific images to place your idea firmly in their minds.
  4. Make it real. Use physical actions or specific images to place your idea firmly in their minds.
  5. Use emotions. Make them feel something.
  6. Use stories. Illustrate your message with a story, not a hypothetical theory.