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Youth Worker Spotlight

Meet Reginald Griffin from Horn of Africa Services!

Reginald Griffin

 

Just a few pointers (Take 1)

Part of my responsibility as the Youth Specialist in my office is outreach to high schools. I present information about AmeriCorps, WorkSource, and Youth Employability. Now in my second month of presentations, I have learned a valuable lesson or two (ok, more like six).

1.)  Students will not listen to a guest speaker if they reach the conclusion that zoning out is a better option.  Therefore, it is best to begin by informing students how valuable and relevant the information is that you are presenting.  If all else fails, collaborate with the teacher and make note taking mandatory.

2.)  No matter how professional one’s attire, some students are still capable of making inappropriate comments.

3.)  In the case that a student makes an inappropriate comment, do not ignore it—that may lead the student to believe that continued comments are acceptable.

4.)  Learn the information on ALL the power point slides.  That way when the equipment doesn’t work you’re not left stumbling over your words.

5.)  Using a pointer stick, yardstick, or other tool for pointing helps alleviate stress (just be mindful of students sitting in the front row).

6.)  Encouraging students to ask questions throughout the presentation leads to more involvement and interest (at the very least it gives you break from listening to your own voice).

 

I welcome any advise and recommendations for making my presentations more engaging to students.  I definitely have room to grow (understatement of the year) and would love any feedback.

Thank you!

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Presentations

Posted by Megan Unden at Nov 20, 2009 01:23 PM
Have you tried starting out your presentation with an ice breaker? That seems to help students feel more comfortable.

I disagree with your mandatory note taking piece. I think if you try to engage with students and facilitate a discussion rather than just lecturing them, they might be more willing to engage. You could try asking them for their ideas and comments and incorporating it into your presentation. I find that most of the students I work with do not like being told what to do, and respond better when you engage directly.

Presentations

Posted by Sinead Hennessy at Dec 04, 2009 03:35 PM
I understand that most students would rather not take notes, and I agree that making it mandatory may not be the best approach. I've considered bringing handouts to distribute to everyone, but that's a huge waste of paper. As a solution, I've adjusted my technique and now ask students to jot down a few useful online resources. I figure it's a bit more reasonable.

As for an ice breaker, I've been working on perfecting one for months to no avail (which may be my problem...). I resort to asking the students questions about themselves, and including funny pictures on my slides. But I'll keep working on it!


Thanks for your comments and suggestions!