Q&A for How to Do a Presentation in Class

If someone asks a question during your presentation, politely ask them to wait until you're finished talking. If someone asks a question at the end of your presentation or during a Q&A portion, answer as best as you can -- and don't be afraid to say you don't know, or that you need to do more research!

Be familiar with your material, go slowly, and make eye contact with your audience. Take deep breaths to help with your nerves.

Try to practice by giving your presentation to your friends or a family member. Focus on speaking slowly and clearly.

Take deep breaths to try to calm down. Practice a power pose before your presentation, and tell yourself that you can do this!

That depends on your class and the topic, but in general, you can spend a few seconds introducing yourself! You should also introduce your presentation topic so your classmates know what you're presenting about

Just keep going. You are probably misinterpreting her gaze.

Try pushing the air out of your chest with a little more force than you normally would. This can make you sound louder without making it sound like you're yelling.

Just look at the back of the room or keep your eyes on the thing you're reading from (but I highly suggest looking at the back wall).

Hook up your laptop to a larger screen or projector to make it visible to the whole class.

That sounds just fine.

Take deep breaths and imagine the audience is not there in front of you. It can be tricky because you also need to make eye contact.

Take many deep breaths, and also tell yourself you’ll do great. Keep your mind on the positive side of things, and you’ll be okay. Try to move your hands, as it shows you’re enthusiastic about the topic and your presentation.

Social anxiety is the fear of being judged and evaluated negatively by other people, leading to feelings of inadequacy, inferiority, self-consciousness, embarrassment, humiliation, and depression.

Just take a deep breath and continue. The teacher should understand you are nervous and be patient with you.

Don't panic! Take a deep breath and calm yourself. If you brought notes, now is the time to look at them. If necessary, skip the current part and move on to something you remember.

You’ll just have to do your best. Rehearse it in your head while you’re in the car or bus or walking to school.

Just push the air out of your chest with more force than you normally would, and annunciate.

Try to find a segue - a seamless transition between what they have said and what you are saying. For example, "As [their name] was saying..." Then briefly summarize the point they just made and move on to your part of the presentation.

Try to redirect your focus to your notes, or to the back wall. Try to forget the audience is there, and take a few deep breaths.

You should probably ask whoever assigned the project, but if there is no time requirement, usually about 5-10 minutes should be enough.

Don’t think about anything other than what you are presenting. Do your best to speak loudly and clearly.

The most important part of the presentation is the first 30 seconds. Try to start your presentation with something interesting, like a quote, a question for the audience, or even a quick game. That will get people's attention and help them focus on your presentation.

Just take a few deeps breaths and center yourself. Talk slowly (but not too slowly!) to avoid stuttering, and so you can plan out what to say next.

In that case, I would talk to the teacher and I would explain my problem to her. You may also want to talk to your parents about seeing a therapist or doctor.

Imagine your class and your teacher naked. This is an old trick, and it works. Don't worry, and tell yourself that you will do well.

Just casually and confidently follow your standard class procedures concerning the fire drill. Your teacher will most likely have to calm down the class after getting back to the classroom, so just stand there confidently and smile while keeping eye contact with your audience until they let you know it's okay to start performing again.

If English is the main language of the people you are presenting to, then I would advise against it. If they also speak your native language, then go ahead.

Only the parts of your past that relate directly to the topic, and you should keep it brief.

That's okay! You are just giving a presentation, not expected to have a degree on the subject! Depending on the class, situation, etc. There are a few things you can do. 1) just admit you don't know "I am not sure about that, but that is a good question!" 2) if you are able to get back to them, "I am not sure, but I can look into that and get back to you".

This would be unkind and unethical of the teacher but you can try to take the high road. Simply stop, go silent for 5 seconds (being quiet is very powerful), then look at the teacher and say something like, "I'm sorry, have I said something to make you laugh? I'm taking this seriously and I'd appreciate it if you could too. Or, would you prefer if I stop this presentation instead?" It'll make the teacher realize you are being serious and the joking about is inappropriate. After class, either discuss it with your teacher or, if you feel okay doing so, but if not, raise it with another teacher or school counselor to have the disrespect addressed.