• Speaking
• Using Media
• Body Language
• Note: For Statistical Discussions

• Speak loud enough for your students to hear you, yet not so loud they feel like you’re shouting.
• Try not to speak too fast or too slow.
• Try to eliminate filler words from your speech, including “like,” “um,” “you know,” “ah,” and “okay.”
• Vary the pitch of your voice and do not speak in a monotone.
• When you teach, try to replicate the natural rhythms and pitch changes of conversation.
• Avoid reading your notes or the textbook—try to be conversational.
• Pause to emphasize important content, and repeat key ideas.
• Pause from time to time to allow students to process the new information, and formulate or ask questions.

• Chalkboard/Whiteboard
  • Bring your own chalk or markers to class in case there aren’t any at the board.
  • Be sure you are using a whiteboard marker on the whiteboard, not an overhead pen or permanent marker, neither of which can be erased from the board.
  • Maintain eye contact with your students—don’t talk to the board or stand in front of what you’ve written. Talk, then write. For example, some professors first talk, then write while repeating what they are writing.
  • Print large and neatly.
  • White or yellow chalk and black or dark blue markers are easiest to see. Use colors only for emphasis, and make sure they are visible from the back of the room.
  • Organize your writings on the board. Don’t just put a line here and a line there. Think about writing from top to bottom, left to right. A student taking notes should be able to look up and follow the lecture to the next idea.
• Overhead projector
  • Number your transparencies sequentially to make class go smoother.
  • Make sure the image is focused and facing the correct direction before you begin.
  • Turn off the overhead when you are not using it to keep the students’ attention on you.
  • Reveal information one line at a time to control pace and class attention. You may want to use a cardboard from the back of a used paper tablet/pad to cover the transparency.
  • Don’t point to the screen with your finger (as any nervous shaking is magnified by the projector); use a pencil as a pointer on the projector.
• Powerpoint
  • Use a large (at least 24 pt.) and easy-to-read font, and choose your colors carefully. Make sure the background and text have a strong contrast. Avoid using a distracting background or very bright colors. Black and white make a good combination, as do dark blue and light yellow (though these are Michigan colors!!!).
  • Talk from or about your slides; don’t read them.
• Computer
  • Make sure fonts and images are visible from the back of the room. You may need to change the screen resolution to accomplish this, especially when using a program like DataDesk.

• Avoid lecturing to the class from behind the podium. This creates separation between you and your students.
• Avoid pacing and excessive gestures. Your movements should be meaningful.
• Project enthusiasm with your facial expression, body language, and voice.
• Make eye contact with students in all parts of the room.

It is extremely important to label answers in correct units and write conclusions in the context of the problem, in complete and proper sentences. For example, don’t just write “Reject Ho.” Instead, you could write “The p-value of 0.00026 is very small, so I reject the null hypothesis and conclude that eating broccoli leads to a lower chance of cancer.”



Content above adapted from

• IDEA Paper #24: “Improving Instructors’ Speaking Skills” by Nancy R. Goulden, Kansas State University
• “Using Media in the Classroom” from OSU FTAD