While oral presentation assignments can provide wonderful learning experiences, inevitably some students will give weak presentations. These can be particularly troubling if the presentation material is testable; if classmates communicate their negative reactions to the presentation or if the student doing the presentation is extremely upset by the poor performance. Thinking ahead about these potential situations can reduce the problems.

• Consider allowing time at the end of each day of presentations to comment upon or clarify material the class needs to understand, but that may not be clear from the presentation.

• Consider giving the class a handout or brief lecture before presentations begin on appropriate audience behavior.

• Consider reasuring remarks or other actions you might take to calm a distressed student (i.e. suggest they might like to get a drink of water and return to class following the next presentations, allowing them to gather their thoughts).

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