Aura

As touched on in the workshop preparation, the Speaker plays a significant role in the overall quality of the workshop.

In fact, Dr Shaun Kemp (UMelb) cited that in all the research he worked on, the strongest variable influencing a student’s interest in a subject was the student’s perception of the teacher.

You should allow your personality to naturally flow through the workshop- as if you were presenting it to your friends.

Appearance also ties into this.

If you appear untidy, disorganised or slouch around, it’s unreasonable to expect the audience to be different.

Attitude

Always remain positive in your approach to any presentation.

This sounds really corny I know, but it's often underrated.

There is nothing worse than being at a presentation that the presenter doesn't even want to be at.

Poor attitude from a presenter significantly detriments the overall feeling of a workshop.

Whenever a participant gives a response that is correct, offer genuine praise and encouragement. Contrarily, if a participant gets one wrong, avoid undermining or dismissing them and rather, helpfully correct them.

Place yourself in the audience’s shoes and treat them in the manner you would like to be treated.

Voice

Your voice is an underrated tool to leverage when presenting.

Tone, pitch, speed, and volume can all be altered to ensure engagement or enhance meaning.

Always try to vary the pitch and volume of your voice, but don't sing.

A monotone voice will send the audience to sleep.

Try avoid talking too fast or slow.

Speech

The greatest scholar in the world is the worst presenter if they cannot effectively communicate content to an audience.

Always speak using language that students are familiar with and use simple terms where you can.

If you need to use jargon or technical language, make sure you explain it properly to the students and check they understand before moving on.

Counterintuitively, despite being in a technical team, it is a poor habit to speak very technically, using acronyms and jargon. Get in the habit of explaining things simply.