We’ve all survived presentation nightmares – slides haunted by rainbow text, speakers who never look up from their notes, and endless bullet points that multiply like creatures in the dark.
But what if these scary presentation mistakes could be transformed into powerful learning opportunities? That’s the innovative thinking behind the “Worst Presentation Ever” assignment created by Alexander Kelley, a middle school teacher at Bedford School District.
In this interview with I Need A Speaker, Alexander reveals how intentionally creating frightfully “bad” presentations helps his students understand what makes presentations effective. His creative approach proves that sometimes the best way to learn the rules is to break them first.
INAS: Can you explain the “Worst Presentation Ever” assignment?
AK: For the ‘Worst Presentation Ever’ assignment, students were asked to make a powerpoint that used as many poor presentation elements as possible. We began by watching a clip from a standup routine by comedian Don McMillan where he shows off some common powerpoint mistakes.
Then, students shared what they saw in the clip and described what was so terrible. They were asked to create a powerpoint that would be shared with incoming students with information about our school, but in the worst way possible. (These Power Point decks will not be shared with incoming students.)
Students used colors that clashed, hard to read fonts, poorly sized images, and more. Students love the opportunity to do something they’re not supposed to, so they eagerly began filling their slides. While they were creating their presentations, they were finding ways to explain rules, norms, and facts about our school.
INAS: Where did you get the inspiration for this project?
AK: This project was inspired by one of my mentor teachers who has done this project for several years. It is a great way for students to learn presentation skills in a fun way. It is important for students to learn presentation skills, but it can be boring. By allowing them to do all the ‘wrong’ things, students seize the opportunity to become better presentation makers.
If you give students a list of powerpoint rules: 12 point Times New Roman, one image per slide, must have 3 bullet points, etc., they’re going to forget everything you told them the minute they leave the classroom. However, by giving them the freedom to do the ‘wrong’ things, they were fully engaged in learning about what makes Power Point slides successful or terrible.
INAS: What do you hope students learn from this assignment?
AK: Ideally, students will learn how to avoid common mistakes when creating powerpoint presentations. After students made their presentations, we discussed again how things like poor color schemes, too many bullet points, and unrelated images can make their information hard to understand. When it comes time for them to make real presentations that they will share, they can think of their ‘worst presentation ever’ project as a list of things to avoid.
INAS: What was the worst presentation you’ve ever seen/watched?
AK: I don’t have a specific presentation in mind as the worst I’ve seen, but I have definitely seen presenters who fall victim to the same mistakes as my sixth graders. One example would be presenters who put everything they want to say on their slides, and then read them verbatim, sometimes even facing the screen instead of the audience.
Other common challenges I see are presenters who aren’t comfortable with their technology, and spend time fiddling with their computer, remote, or projector. While this doesn’t necessarily mean your presentation won’t be successful, it doesn’t project preparedness to the audience.
INAS: Have you ever given a “bad” presentation? If so, can you describe what happened?
AK: As a teacher, my life is essentially one presentation after the next. I find that as someone who is constantly ‘putting on a show’ for an audience of 10- and 11-year-olds, it is really important to adapt to feedback from the audience during a presentation. When I feel that a presentation is going poorly, for example students are distracted or seem bored, I work to make adjustments to my delivery to bring them back in.
One of the benefits I enjoy about teaching is that I deliver the same lesson multiple times. This allows me to make adjustments in my delivery after each class. Being a reflective presenter is important; take time to think about what went well and what needs to be improved.
INAS: Why do you think there are so many bad presentations in the world?
AK: I think that many presenters rely on Power Point slides to drive their presentations, when oftentimes a powerpoint should really be used to reinforce the points you are trying to make. One thing I speak with students about is really knowing your material before you go up to present. When we feel confident in the material we are about to share, everything goes more smoothly. If for whatever reason you have issues with your presentation, or the Internet isn’t working, or any of the other million things that can go wrong, you can still deliver your message because you know what you want to say.
Many presenters are completely derailed when something doesn’t go to plan. For adults who don’t present regularly, they don’t get chances to practice and become better presenters. Students are still learning how to present and I feel that it is essential for them to build those skills with low stakes opportunities before they are asked to present in the real world.
INAS: What can people (students and professionals) learn from being bad/the worst?
AK: Being bad/the worst at something means that you already know exactly what not to do. This idea is the driving force behind the worst presentation project. By teaching and allowing students to do the ‘wrong’ things while making their presentations, they are passively learning what the correct things are.
For example, when students are making their worst presentation, they might spend time looking for a font that’s hard to read. When it comes time for them to create a real presentation, they’ll spend time looking for a font that is clear and easy for their audience.
INAS: What are your tips to make a bad presentation better?
AK: I think that a major key to a successful powerpoint is simplicity. Your audience should be listening to you as the presenter, not reading paragraphs of text on your slides. As the presenter, this means that you need to spend time preparing so you know what you want to say.
A good presentation should have only the most essential information on the slides, shared in an easy to read font, with colors that go nicely together. Some people feel that they should try to get as much as possible on their slides – this is overwhelming to an audience member. The bulk of information should be coming from the presenter themselves, with the powerpoint serving as a prop to drive home their points.
Another tip I share with my students is to speak slowly. Many people who don’t regularly present get nervous and start talking very quickly. This makes it hard for your audience to understand, and they have no time to process what you are saying before you move to your next point. To become a more effective presenter, people need chances to practice. That’s why my students get time to play with presentations in low-stakes situations while they are learning to become more confident, more organized and more effective.
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Becoming an effective presenter isn’t just about memorizing rules—it’s about understanding why those best practices exist in the first place. Whether you’re a seasoned speaker or just beginning your public speaking journey, remember Alexander’s approach: sometimes, embracing the scary “bad” examples can lead to a better understanding.
As you prepare for your next speaking engagement, remember that even the most accomplished presenters started somewhere, and that every “worst” presentation can teach us something valuable about becoming our best. Looking to put these insights into practice? I Need A Speaker offers public speaking training. Email info@ineedaspeaker.com for more information.