Power in presentation: why speaking in front of your peers is important

By Makenzy Holm

Photo of Joshua Smith's 4th hour U.S. History class presenting their group projects, taken by junior Aliyah Matthews

“It’s time to present your project to the class,” are some of the most dreaded words a student can hear. Most teachers assign at least one group project in which the students will have to not only do research but also stand up in front of their peers and present their findings. Getting up and being the center of attention in the gaze of strangers is one thing, but doing the same thing in front of your classmates is a whole other level of scary. If teachers know this terrifies students, why do they still assign the group projects and force students to be judged by their classmates?

U.S. History teacher at OHS, Joshua Smith, explains his take on the situation, stating how “Working together and collaborating is something you’re going to have to do, no matter what job you have.”

Smith, like many other teachers at OHS, have the same goal in mind: to help students learn important life skills that will carry them throughout the rest of their lives.

“You are going to have to talk in front of people your whole life,” Smith added.

Smith’s class is very presentation based, and students often get a little psyched out when they understand how many times they are going to have to speak in front of their friends, but eventually they feel more confident and comfortable in speaking in front of an audience. Speaking in front of the same people may also help to bring them together and get them talking to people who they wouldn’t normally have conversations with.

“Whenever [students] first realize how many presentations they’re going to do, they panic a little bit,” continues Smith. “But as the year goes on, you can see everybody getting more comfortable, and you also see more and more people talking in the class, so I also think [presentations] help you connect with your peers more.”

Smith believes that putting yourself in uncomfortable situations, like public speaking, can also help in a college setting.

“[Doing presentations] is definitely going to help you out in college a lot. You’re going to have to get up and talk fairly regularly,” states Smith.

But presenting in front of your friends won’t just prepare you for future classroom-like settings, it will also aid you in different social situations as well.

Smith explains that, “One of the hardest parts about going to college, especially a big college, is you’ve gone to the same school with the same people for 12 years and now you’re with a whole new group that you might not know. … It’s going to help you just get up and meet some new people and talk to some new people.”

Although most students avoid speaking in front of their classmates, the long-lasting benefits outweigh the uncomfortable feeling of presenting to and possibly getting judged by their peers. Learning how to navigate being up in front of a crowd is a skill that will follow the majority of people for the rest of their lives.