Mastering the Art of Teaching Oral Presentations

Strategies for Teachers

As educators, we understand that teaching the art of delivering effective oral presentations to middle and high school students is about more than just instilling confidence in public speaking. It’s about preparing them with essential skills that extend far beyond the classroom. The ability to articulate ideas, engage an audience, deliver persuasive presentations is a gift. Teachers could master the art of teaching oral presentations…Check out some strategies for educators!

In this blog post, you’ll find different ways for mastering the art of teaching oral presentations in a comprehensive way, learning strategies to help your students.

First and foremost, remember the task you assign, should be clear, and guided. You should also bear in mind that students are not very much aware of what an oral presentation needs to include. If you guide them through the process, they will find it easier. Here you’ll find Editable Guidelines for Oral Presentations.

The above mentioned guide contains all the necessary information to develop an effective oral presentation. However, many times, long documents with information “scare” pupils and instead of reading them and profiting from them, they set them apart. In order to avoid this, you can check this FREE RESOURCE which includes 10 activities to work on how to deliver an effective oral presentation.

After guiding your students through the planning, preparation, studying and delivery of their oral lessons, assessment is in order. You will find editable rubrics and checklist for oral presentations here!

Now, mastering the art of teaching oral presentations is not just the delivery itself. We, as teachers, are responsible for a whole group of students who should listen intently at what is being said. In order to achieve that, we need to work on active listening and peer feedback! Below, you’ll find two free resources to help your students get involved in their peers’ presentations by offering them constructive criticism and support.

  • TWO STARS AND A WISH: Help your students provide feedback in a positive way, encourage them to mention two positive aspects about the presenter’s lesson and a wish about what (s)he might improve in the future.
  • SENTENCE STEMS FOR PEER FEEDBACK: Here you’ll find some prompts to help your students give useful and constructive feedback.

There are many other ways of helping our students to participate in class and develop active listening skills. We NEED to help them work on metacognition and on social skills. The following resource includes 12 activities on peer feedback and active listening during public speaking.


In mastering the art of teaching oral presentations, we equip our students with essential skills that they’ll apply throughout their lives. By setting clear guidelines, fostering practice and active listening, and encouraging peer feedback, we create an environment in which our students can flourish as confident, articulate speakers.

Empower your students overcome the so-called “nightmare” of public speaking. Below you’ll find the bundle to all the above mentioned activities. I use it with my pupils every single year…Hope you find it valuable and practical in your teaching journey!