How to present school work in groups?

Fortunately for some, unfortunately for others, present school work in groups is increasingly common, both in high school and elementary school.

Many students are truly terrified of these moments, but as, nowadays, practically all professions require public presentations, it’s best to get used to it since high school.

There are many techniques to do well during a work presentation, whether in a group or individually. The important thing is to keep in mind that it is possible to overcome fear and shyness and, little by little, speaking in public can even be enjoyable. We list some of these techniques. Check out!

1. Precautions before your presentation

If you think that the techniques for a good presentation start when you are already in front of the room, about to speak up, you are very mistaken. There are precautions that must be applied well before that! Some of them are:

• Study the content of the presentation, so that there is no need to carry cheat sheets when the time comes to speak. Try to divide the central theme into keywords, which makes it easier to memorize what is most important. If you are confident in knowing what you are going to say, nervousness decreases (a lot!).
• Practice your speaking! If possible, do this for friends or family. Another good option is to record your rehearsal and listen to it later, identifying what can still be improved.
• Pay attention to your diet, avoiding heavy foods the day before presenting your work. Foods like this can reinforce bad feelings, such as anxiety and nervousness. Therefore, choose a light diet!
• Avoid drinking coffee or caffeinated drinks. Many students, even those who are still in elementary school, tend to drink a lot of drinks considered energy. But this, in practice, can be a big mistake, as it only increases nervousness. Choose natural juices or water!
• Sleep well. A good night’s sleep will ensure that you arrive at the presentation rested, ensuring that you are focused and ready to show everything you have to say.

2. Techniques to apply during the presentation

When you present a work, you are speaking to your classmates and your teacher, who are people with whom you already have a certain intimacy, right? Still, try to speak in an interesting way, so that everyone can enjoy the presentation of your work.

Some very useful tips are:

• If you are going to use the projector, be very careful with the slides! Avoid filling them with large paragraphs of text, replacing them with images or keywords. Remember that the slides are an extra and do not replace your speech during the presentation.
• Pay attention to your voice! Try to speak at a pleasant speed, not too fast, not too slow. The same goes for volume: very high volumes end up being a nuisance for those watching, while very low volumes make it difficult to understand your message.
• Contextualize your speech! A great way to make others understand what you are presenting is to do so through a story. Express your opinions and information in an accessible way, ensuring that the whole class learns from you!

Care for group work

All the tips we’ve seen so far are valid for individual and group work. However, for group presentations, there are other important steps:

• Divide each member’s speeches. It is important that everyone in the group knows what they are going to say, avoiding unnecessary repetitions.
• Do group training! One of the positive points of presenting group work is that you can practice together, with one member helping the other. This step is also important to ensure that the presentation time given by the teacher is respected.
• Make sure everyone studies the content of the presentation. This way, if a member has a “blank” or cannot attend school on the scheduled day, others will be able to talk about that specific part.