I was at the RELC Seminar last week to do a workshop on behalf of my publishers. The RELC Seminar used to be the seminar for young academics, and I have presented papers and conducted workshops there many times. This was also where I first met many academics whose work I have read and quoted in my own writing. I haven’t been to this Seminar for a while, so I was looking forward to being there.
Unfortunately, I was down with a horrible cough and was only there on Day 1 to do my workshop. But this time, I met many more teacher presenters and that is a very good sign of the growing professionalism among teachers. On that day, I caught a keynote speech and listened to two Singaporean teacher presenters. I must say that I was more impressed with the Singaporean teachers than the keynote speaker who, among other things, flashed a single slide with miniscule print on it. I definitely expected more from a seasoned speaker who works the conference circuits regularly.
This led me to thinking about the topic of presenting at conferences. I guess I can claim to be a bit of a veteran since I have presented at many conferences. This is not to say that I have not made any mistakes. I’ve made loads and perhaps that’s where I’ve learnt a few tricks too. And since so many teachers are beginning to present at conferences, I thought it might be useful to pull together some tips for effective presentations at conferences.
Singaporean teachers are generally good presenters. Among their strengths are the following:
1. Excellent IT skills, with impressive PowerPoint slides. At one time, there was a tendency towards excessive bells and whistles accompanying the slides but over the years, this has improved.
2. Articulate, clear speakers, who are well-rehearsed too. There are, sometimes, the odd Singlish bits but most participants can still understand the message.
3. Teacher presenters are always systematic and well organised so it is not difficult to follow their ideas.
4. Teacher presenters often begin and finish on time, which is commendable given the tight schedule at conferences.
But there are a few things that presenters could pay more attention to. These points have been gleaned from my many experiences at conferences, and are not necessarily reflective of the teacher presenters at the recent RELC Seminar.
So, here are my ten tips for a more effective presentation at conferences.
1. Teachers could relax a little more when presenting. Most times, they look very efficient and a little grim –the very model of the pragmatic Singaporean! Singaporeans at conferences sometimes remind me of super efficient machines; press a button and they’re off! Our topics may be serious, but our approach need not always be solemn and staid. Smile!
2. You may be prepared but you don’t always have to stick rigidly to your text. Tell a story or give examples to illustrate your point. As listeners, we all remember stories or examples better than hard facts. But then again, don’t just tell stories (see point 4), especially stories of you having a good time that have nothing to do with the topic! Get your main point out quickly before your audience’s attention is gone.
3. Participants appreciate your handout. Try to prepare more handouts than is necessary. If you don’t have enough, do give them an email or information on where they can get access to a soft copy. This reduces anxiety among participants and they can settle down to listen without fretting.
4. When preparing your presentation, it’s always useful to ask the “so what?” question. We all work hard at our paper and presentation but we often forget that participants who are there want to be able to take something away from your presentation for their own context. If you can ask yourself the “so what?” question, you will be forced to think of the key points of your presentation. You will also then think of the implications of your study or report for people in other contexts. I sometimes ask the “What’s the big deal?” question too which translates into, “Why should anyone come to your presentation? What’s in it for them?” Presenting is not just for you; it’s for your audience too. Consider their needs seriously.
5. The K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Stupid or Sweetheart, depending on your mood) is another useful rule for me to remember, thanks to my former professor, Bob Calfee. No matter how much wonderful data you have collected, participants do suffer from conference fatigue and may not be able to absorb that much information. This is especially when you are presenting after lunch or in the late afternoon. Stick with the crucial bits and put the rest of the information into your handout.
6. Never, never read from your PowerPoint alone or from your notes, standing at the podium. Get away from the podium if possible. Use a remote control so that you don’t have to stand next to your computer. You will be able to establish more rapport with your audience when you are closer to them. Maintain eye contact with as many members of your audience as is possible for you.
7. And when you have signalled the end of your talk, end it soon. Don’t keep going on and on after saying “and now finally” for the umpteenth time.
8. Leave enough time for questions. If you find you are running out of time, cut short your presentation but allow time for questions. Your audience should be more important than presenting all your points.
9. Remember, that above all, participants are there to listen and share in your work. They often can and do have different views to offer. Try not to be too defensive about your work. Listen carefully to their views or questions before answering. Keep your answer succinct, if possible so that you can take more questions. Don’t allow one person to monopolise the time. Often too, an answer is not required if a participant is merely making an observation.
10. Thank your audience for coming and for listening. It’s only courteous to do so. And be courteous throughout. Perhaps this should have been the number one tip!
When I was doing the conference circuit years ago, I remember how we, Singaporean speakers, were always made fun of by speakers from our neighbouring countries. They contend that Singaporeans cannot speak without their overhead transparencies (the technology then) or the PowerPoint. There is some truth in this, and I was, for a while, quite wary of technology. But of course, a Power Point can be helpful and sometimes inspiring. However, no matter how beautiful your PowerPoint is, you must remember that you are the presenter, not your PowerPoint. You need to present, so you need to rehearse and you need to be ready. The PowerPoint cannot do the presentation for you.
And what if you were all prepared and only five people showed up? This has happened to me before many years ago as a young academic. This is not unusual if your topic is a little esoteric and not too teacher friendly (most participants are teachers looking for some practical ideas for the classroom). The rules still apply. Don’t be discouraged and focus on doing your best for the few participants there and make their time with you all the more worthwhile.
One final point. This point may have little to do with the actual presentation. But it’s important too. Often, conferences are where we meet young presenters who are anxious to get validation for their work. I was one of them before so I always believe that, as a member of the audience, it’s important to be empathetic and helpful to these young presenters. On the other hand, I also wish that presenters are not so ready to persuade us that their study is a picture perfect one. There are few situations where everything occurs the way you want them to. Sharing and acknowledging some problems or issues associated with the study is not an indication of poor scholarship. Indeed, being honest about the problems and the issues surrounding your work makes your presentation more real and therefore more interesting to participants. Any good study should not just be full of facts; it should also be full of integrity. Sadly, this is sometimes missing in conferences.
At the recent Seminar, I finished my workshop about 15 minutes earlier. That was bad but I am known to speak too quickly and do things fast. This time, my awful cough was added incentive for me to hurry through the activities. But since it was the last session of the day, I think the participants were glad to be able to go home early after the long day. But that’s not an excuse. Try to time your presentation well and don’t be too fast or too slow. Illness is not an excuse for we all know, come hell or high water, the show must go on. With a smile too, I must add.
But all went well, and I posed for photos with some participants from China who thanked me for the helpful ideas (some Singaporeans thanked too). And that, I must confess, was gratifying. I was reminded then that such courteous behaviour is something we all must emulate as participants. I for one will remember to do this more often in future.
No comments:
Post a Comment