The 4P Approach to Presenting

The ability to confidently stand up in front of others and know what you have to say is valuable and meaningful - is a life skill that serves us well no matter the situation.

When I ask students how they felt about presenting before going through Handraisers, this is what they said:

• At the beginning of the year I was soooooo nervous.

• Nervous and had no confidence.

• I was horrible and was always nervous.

• Terrified. I would scream in my head if I had to come up to the front of the room.

• I didn't mind the presentations much, but I felt pretty awkward while presenting.

• In the beginning of the year, I was stressed because I wasn't used to presenting in front of the class.

• I was really really nervous but it felt better when I had a partner. When I presented on my own, my voice was shaky and quiet. I was shaky and didn't want to move around a lot.

• My thoughts were OMG - I was worried about my grade, my note cards, and getting laughed at.

Then we spend time walking through the Handraisers 4P Approach and look at the transformations in these students when asked how they feel about standing up in front of their peers and presenting - 

• After Handraisers, I knew that I could keep on doing the checklist and it made me more confident in myself.

• I now know that I can do so much more than I thought and can really express myself standing in front of a bunch of people and talking about information.

• I found out that if I practice, using the skills I learned, then I am calmer and not so afraid.

• I'm not nervous anymore and I learned that there's no right way to do something. I can take my idea and create a presentation I am proud of.

• I learned how to use a louder voice, speak more clearly, and use more eye-contact. I feel like I'm a lot more confident when I'm in the front of the classroom. 

• I'm not nervous anymore. Once I get to the front of the class and by the board, I know how to relax and focus on my presentation. Before I was a wreck.

• When I first thought about presenting it was scary. Now it is fun and it's because I think it is cool when I present because it's like that magical moment where everyone is silent because they want to hear what I have to say.