Just over a week ago, I was honored to be one of the presenters at our consortium’s Summer Reading Workshop. With Summer Reading right around the corner, it was the perfect time to get new ideas for programs. My topic was Programs for All Ages.
Over the last month, I’d been scouring the Internet and looking at other state’s workshops for ideas that I could pass on. In the meantime, some original ideas popped into my head too. Preparing for the presentation was like preparing for one in school and, of course I put 110% into it. All along I was so thankful that I’d been required to give presentations in grad school, despite how much I grumbled about them back then.
After living with the ideas for a month and putting together a 14-page handout, the weekend before the presentation, I did a couple of run-throughs and also one the night before with my husband. The day of the presentation, I was nervous but I’ve been much more nervous before. I almost thought I should have been more nervous. The morning presenter was the editor of the Summer Reading Manual and she gave a great presentation. After lunch, a librarian gave booktalks on a lot of good SRP-theme related picture books and then it was my turn.
Never in my life did I expect 90 people to be so unintimidating and friendly. The presentation went great, my nervousness disappeared after my second slide and I just ran through it. People shared their experiences with particular crafts or activities and all of a sudden it was over. I got a lot of great feedback afterward and I now have one major presentation under my belt. And there may be another one in the works for a fall workshop.
woohoo! great job, erica. If you could handle the storytelling fest, you could handle this