Tips for IOP

[Laughter is endless]

I was wondering wether u could also help me out a little. Just like IBSpencer, im starting my IOP too this year, well actuallyits next week and i am doing the comparison of two poems and how they deal with death and loss of loved ones through the use of routine and the 5 senses. I was just wonderign wether you knew any tips to give such as what examiners are generally looking for and ways in which i could structure something like this. I would also just like to ask, and more relative to the topic u are discussing wether audience interaction might seem as though we are lacking confidence and clear planning... just a theory!

[sweetnsimple786]

To answer your second question first, no I don't think it matters just if you're doing a discussion or not. If you do a discussion, and it doesn't go out of control, then you're safe. I don't think you'll be disadvantaged for doing a discussion rather than something else. It's hard work. To do a discussion, you need to be more planned than if you were going to do anything else, pretty much, because you have to think of the multiple scenarios. You ask a questions, you have to expect the answers. Then you have to take each answer and tie it back in or prod further for the class to come to something you want them to come to. As for lacking confidence, I think you'd need plenty of confidence in yourself, your knowledge, and your ability to improvise if you choose discussion. And maybe I read your question backwards, so I'll also say that you're not disadvantaged if you don't do a discussion. There are many ways to show organization and confidence.

Okay so this is something a teacher made for his class: http://www.slideshare.net/MrRyanSIS/iop-pp

The works and a few other things might be different for you, but I think it's good advice. And it might already be on there, but try to have whatever you're going to present memorized. The thing is you don't want to sound memorized. So officially, be very comfortable with the material you present, however you want to try to achieve that.

Also, you want to support what you say. Use quotations from the poems. You shouldn't memorize these. I had a detailed outline of my IOP and I took it up with me. I pretty much memorized what I wanted to say, but I referred to the outline a few times. Also, make eye contact with your classmates. All of them. It might help if you look past them or imagine them in their underwear--whatever works for you. Just remember you have an audience and you want to engage with them on some level. You can try to bring humor into it if it's appropriate. Also, my teacher told us to dress up nicely unless we were doing a creative presentation that required a costume. It just helps with confidence, to be honest.