Bett Kopit
- Lesson #1: No plan survives first contact
(She set up the chairs a particular way, the attendees came in and started rearranging the chairs. I was the first as I wanted to sit by the outlet in the back of the room.) - She welcomed others in the room to share their experiences, “as long as they’re positive and not horror stories”
- “no stress”
- It’s just us in here, the presenters
- People who never present, have no idea what the presenter is going through
- If you don’t get the reception you were expecting, it might warrant further investigation
- It’s a dance between the presenter and the people listening
- There is room at the table for everyone
- Different presenters do it different ways
- You are different, not less, not more
- What you say in the manner you say it is valuable, not necessarily valued
- Focus in on task
- Listeners are so happy that it’s happening to you, not to them
- Disruptions happen
- Believe in the generosity of the group towards you
- Adult learning theory
- People today can be rude
- They’re not aware of their affect (what their body is saying)
- The culture has changed in the past 20 years
- Sense of politeness is 1/3 of what it was 20 years ago
- Stay on task, no matter what you’re getting from the group
- Anger
- Ugliness
- Boredom
- Adults take evaluation more seriously
- They expect an “A”, not an “A-”
- Take away the fear of evaluation
- Discuss the topic openly
- Be proactive in setting up the behavioral expectation
- Will not be addressing technical concerns in this presentation
- You must resist the image of perfection you are going for, you’ll never live up to it
- It will never be the way you expect it to be, something will go wrong
- Partnership with your participants instead of thinking of them as the other
- Be authentic, genuine and real with what is going on
- It is ok to be confused
- Handout: 20 Factors for an Effective Presentation
- Arrange the space / room arrangement
- Get there early if you can so you can set the room as you need it
- Arrange your position in the room
- The presenter should face the door
- The students should have the door behind them
- Least amount of distraction for presenter and students
- When you can’t you can’t
- Protect the integrity of the space for your participants
- Honor the schedule
- Be proactive
- We’re all in this together
- Don’t forget breaks
- End on time
- Adults will do better if they believe you’re partnering with them
- Rehearse the presentation
- Blue note cards
- Absorbs light & easier to read
- No need to memorize
- Actors need to memorize, you’re not an actor
- You need to be able to make eye contact with your listeners
- Get out from behind the podium
- Don’t look at your watch
- Plan the distribution and utilization of the handouts
- All at once, or piecemeal?
- She prefers piecemeal
- Allow for spur-of-the-moment breaks
- They’re falling asleep
- You’ve lost control of the class
- After lunch is deadly
- Interesting/involving activity for after lunch
- Plan your opening remarks / beware of jokes
- Don’t begin with a joke
- Easy to offend someone
- Be humorous without telling a joke
- Give clear directions
- What’s appropriate in the group?
- Turn off cell phones, contribute ideas, ask questions, etc.
- Set the purpose for listening
- Do this very early in the presentation
- Scope & sequence
- Tell them what’s going to happen
- Suggests printed agenda as handout (as appropriate)
- Techniques for instruction
- How can your listeners use this information
- Tell them what we’re here to discuss
- Reduces straying off topic
- Leading questions
- Prepare to get the discussion going by using these
- Increases participation
- Know your role
- Partnership with your audience
- Don’t set yourself up as the guru
- If you do, people will knock you down
- If your word is gospel or bad news, present it gently
- Give as much warning as possible
- Vary your voice
- Be enthusiastic
- Provide praise
- Behavior management
- Responding to silence
- Be aware of body language
- Redirect unclear information
- Respect your audience
