A teacher never ceases to learn. Reflective practices have been identified as an impactful means of enhancing teaching and is an integral part of any teacher’s professional development (Ottesen, 2007). To this goal, I reflect on the recent presentation I made, as a part of my academic activity. The audience feedback collected post the presentation is used as a key source of information. The Gibb’s Reflective Cycle is an effective tool that is very helpful to systematically reflect and analyze the phases of an activity such as a presentation (Gibbs, 1988; Oxford Brookes University, 2013). The reflection is structured by Gibb’s tool, helped me identify my strengths and the areas for betterment, eventually enhancing my teaching and learning abilities.
While the overall presentation was well timed, the heavy content of each slide was pointed. This evaluation has taught me to plan and organize the content of my presentation, with a lot of focus, avoiding typography and spelling errors.
GIBB’S REFLECTIVE CYCLE
Gibb’s reflective cycle is a popular and a very effective reflective tool that is used for systematic reflection of the teaching and learning process (Mahlanze, Sibiya, & Govender, 2015). The phases of this cycle are used to describe my experiences and learnings from the presentation.
- Description: The presentation made previously has a scope for improvement in various areas. One such area of improvement is a reduction in spelling mistakes. Typography errors and spelling mistakes indicate the irresponsibility over the presentation.
- Feelings: When I could see that my presentation had spelling mistakes too, I was shocked by the comment and felt very low. I generally check my presentations to avoid spelling mistakes and was confident that they would not contain any spelling mistakes. But the feedback has put me in a state of confession. I consider this as an opportunity to enhance my typing skills to reduce the spelling mistakes. I also have learned about software tools that help to identify spelling and typography errors, which would enhance the quality of the presentations. On the other hand, I was overwhelmed by the positive feedback given on clear content delivery and my communication and body language. I was encouraged by the fact that the narration of my personal experiences helped to relate with the audience better.
- Evaluation: A critical evaluation has helped me identify the key strengths and areas of improvement.
STRENGTHS
The key strengths identified are: a) lucid and clear language, b) style of communication, c) clarity in delivered content, d) effective utilization of time, and e) body language. The personal experiences narrated has created a deeper connection with the audience. Using a slide presentation is identified as an appropriate teaching methodology.
AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT
Where there is light, there is dark. Accordingly, the feedback also states certain areas for improvement. They are: a) the number of slides could be reduced (for the duration of the presentation), b) the presentation could be more planned ahead and well-structured, c) the information content per slide can be reduced (as slides are to be used as prompts) and lastly d) the typography errors are to be eliminated. Further, the need to acknowledge the comments made by the audience is pointed. It is evident that these areas of improvement will enhance the teaching-learning process.
- Analysis: Often the auto-spell check feature of office software do not recognize esoteric, domain-specific jargon. Relying on it and avoiding proof-reading leads to spelling errors and has to be avoided. The content has to be effectively organized in any presentation and timed rehearsals help to do so.
- Action Plan: In subsequent presentations, I would plan the structure of the presentation and organize my slides better. I will also proofread the presentation twice and ensure the presentation is devoid of any spelling or typography errors. I will also use appropriate spell-check software.
Conclusion
Well-structured slides and planned content delivery complement each other in a successful presentation. The success of teaching is attention retention, and I would succeed in my following presentations by making an error-free, well-organized presentation in a lucid language, quoting personal experiences appropriately.