Presentation Inferno

Being recording while presenting is a slow form of torture. I've been exposed to this grueling experience once before and at the time I vowed never to allow my self-esteem to take such a beating again. During the MAT experience I have been pushing myself to leave my comfort zone and attempt all kinds of tasks that I previously avoided, such as becoming technologically competent, and I therefore view recording my presentation as another challenge that I have successfully, albeit reluctantly, undertaken.

Some new and shocking revelations include that I sound like my sister, I can't stop grinning, and that I have an incredibly annoying laugh. My compulsive repetition of vocabulary includes the random phrases "I'm so impressed by," "seriously,""yeah,""em" and "ah." I share with many of my students a disdain for hearing my own recorded voice, and I now have far more empathy for my students when they don't want to stay in the classroom to hear their own podcasts.

Notes to self

• Sufferers of shaky hand when nervous syndrome should not use a laser-pointing device, thus drawing attention to their inability to keep said device pointed toward the item they are attempting to draw attention to. Lesson learned.


• I have a fascinating habit of not finishing my sentences. It's as though I get bored by what I'm about to say, or am just too tired to finish, so I just leave the sentence dangling in the air with a highly inconclusive "so, em, yeah."Get some sleep.


• Try not to look like you want to bolt as soon as the presentation is over. I had no idea I was allergic to questions.


• When I can't think of the word such as "wrap" I begin the motion with my hands, in an attempt to muster up the word through association of ideas. Some of my hand movements, however, such as flapping, are entirely unrelated to the words I say. Did I wave to someone at one stage?

How will I modify my presenting style?

I'll never record myself presenting again in order to avoid the mortification associated with such an endeavor. I'll try to cut out various habits I've discovered that I have such as half-baked, dangling sentences, repetitive phrases and general hand signaling. I could slow the pace my speech down a huge amount and still speak faster than most people that I know.

Not being recorded while teaching has become a new and unexpected relief and therefore I've definitely become more relaxed as a result of the presentation. Now that I have a point of comparison, I realize that I'm more comfortable teaching my ninth graders than I am with presenting to my peers. I have a new appreciation for how accepting and non-judgmental my students are about their teachers.

On a positive note, I included interesting stories during my presentation, made eye-contact with my audience and didn't move excessively. I am certainly a friendly and animated presenter and I believe that I would have done a far better presentation if I were passionate about the subject, rather than just completing and presenting a mandatory project in a area that certainly isn't my personal preference.