In preparation for a workshop at Jakarta Intercultural School, I recently gave the same presentation to colleagues at Seoul Foreign School and decided to video the presentation. Similar to most people, I was hesitant to make the video and even more weary to watch it. Would I appreciate my own voice? Would I find certain tendencies annoying? Would it cause me to give up completely on presenting again in the future?

That same evening, with a drink in hand, I sat down and braced myself for the premiere.

I was not entirely please with the presentation and was hesitant to watch and relive the 50 minutes. However, I am so glad that I took the chance to film (and watch) the presentation as I was able to:

1. realize that the presentation was not as bad as I had thought and,
2. take away some valuable reflections to hopefully improve my presentation style and delivery.

A couple years ago I gave a presentation to colleagues and a trusted team member told me that I used the filler word “okay” throughout my presentation and it sometimes distracted from the content and delivery. Since that time I have been conscious and intentional about not using that word in transitions or while thinking during presentations.

Throughout the presentation I rarely used the word “okay”, however, I did find a couple of things that I’d like to improve moving forward.

1. While talking I have a tendency to shift back and forth on my feet with a slight sway. During my next presentation I will work on being grounded with the floor and feeling that strength of foundation.
2. I was reminded again of the importance of practicing, especially the first 5 minutes and/or first few slides. I do not like to memorize the entire presentation as I want to be able to adapt and change based on the room and meet the needs of those in attendance.
3. Since this viewing I have been able to add in a couple more activities for participants to get up out of their seats and network/interact with others.

As a teacher, leader, or administrator I would strongly recommend taking the time to video a class, activity, or meeting as a way of reflection and improvement. While watching your own premier, may I recommend reflecting on these questions:

1. Do you have any tendencies that might distract the audience from your presentation?
2. Do you move around too much or too little, interact with the audience, stand in one place, etc?
3. Do you interact and engage the audience with the content?
4. Do you call on some people more than others (female or male / hand up or hand down)?
5. What is one thing to improve upon during your next class, activity, or meeting?