Presenting at InstructureCon is exciting, and, let’s be honest, perhaps a little nerve-wracking. Whether you’re sharing a classroom breakthrough or a new implementation strategy, your voice helps our community grow.
Don't worry about being a "pro". Focus on your message, respect your audience, and give them something useful to take home.
Here are some practical tips we’ve gathered to help you prepare, present, and make the most of your experience gathered by talking to previous InstructureCon presenters.
Design Accessible and Inclusive Slides That Support You, Not Compete with You
Think of your slides as your backup dancers, not the lead singer. Keep them simple, accessible, and supportive:
- Use large, readable fonts with high color contrast.
- Keep text minimal.
- Use images, diagrams, or screenshots when they clarify your point.
- Avoid overwhelming charts.
- Use consistent formatting.
- Avoid relying on color alone to communicate meaning.
- Provide alt text or descriptions for important visuals when sharing materials.
- Caption videos.
- Describe important visuals verbally.
- Define acronyms and specialized terms.
- Make visual links in short, easy-to-type formats
- Make QR codes optional by also providing a short link.
Inclusive presenting also means being mindful of examples. Consider whether your assumptions about technology access, student experiences, language, ability, or institutional resources apply to everyone in the room.
Keep details in your presenter notes or a separate outline so the audience can focus on you. Remember to use the microphone and enable live captions (if available) as it ensures everyone, regardless of ability, can benefit from your expertise. Accessible presentations empower every learner in the room.
Practice Out Loud
Reading through your slides silently is not the same as practicing. Practice your session out loud more than once to find your flow. Pay attention to things like timing, transitions between sections, words or acronyms that may need explanation, places where you get stuck, and slides that feel unnecessary. Check your timing as you practice out loud. Aim for 35–30 minutes of content for your 40-minute slot, which will give you time for questions, transitions, small technical hiccups, or the inevitable moment when the conference room projector decides to pursue its own agenda.
Prepare for Questions
Questions mean people are engaged! You don’t need an answer for everything. It is perfectly okay to offer a follow-up later or admit that you are still exploring a specific area. Authentic responses build trust with your audience.
You can respond with:
- “That is a great question. We are still exploring that.”
- “I do not have that data yet, but here is what we observed anecdotally.”
- “That was outside the scope of our project, but it would be a valuable next step.”
- “I would be happy to talk more after the session.”
Repeating the question helps everyone hear and gives you a moment to think. Have your contact info ready so the conversation can continue after you leave the stage. This is especially helpful if someone asks a very technical question that may take more time to respond.
Bring Backup Plans
Tech happens! Stay calm if something glitches. While Instructure provides a laptop where your entire presentation should be preloaded, it’s always a good idea to have a USB drive with a backup presentation file along with screenshots of live demo content.
Remember that your audience is on your side. Most of them have been there too!
Do Not Apologize for Being New
It is perfectly fine to say, “This is my first time presenting at InstructureCon, and I’m excited to be here.” But avoid undermining yourself with excessive disclaimers like:
- “I’m not really an expert…”
- “This probably isn’t that interesting…”
- “I’m sorry, this may not be useful…”
You were accepted to present because your topic has value. Own that. You can be humble and confident at the same time: “We are still learning, but I’m looking forward to sharing what we have discovered so far.” That is a strong and honest stance that reflects your authentic self.
Promote Your Session
Blogging about your session in the Instructure Community is a great way to let attendees know even more about your session. The conference app is great, but this personalized option to promote your topic can help generate more interest by providing richer context about your session. This Presenting in Louisville? Write a Session Blog! post in the InstructureCon26 space provides a framework for getting started. Don’t be shy! Share your shine!
Reach Out to the InstructureCon Team With Questions
The InstructureCon team is here to help! Reach out to instructurecon@instructure.com anytime. The team is happy to support you as you prepare for the big stage.
Final Encouragement
You’ve got this! Your unique experience is exactly what someone else needs to hear to try something new. Focus on being useful and authentic, and you’ll be a success.
Remember that you are not just presenting information. You are joining a professional conversation about how technology can support teaching and learning. Your experience, whether it comes from a classroom, research project, support role, design team, pilot program, or hard-earned lesson, can help someone else think differently or try something new.
And if the projector misbehaves? Congratulations, you now have an awesome story to share! No matter what happens, you’re part of the Instructure Community and we can't wait to see you in the spotlight!
P.S. If you’re a veteran InstructureCon presenter, we invite you to share your best tip you’ve learned over the years.
Christopher Casey (@Chris)
Dianna Knox (@Dianna)
