1 - Introduction ~5 mins
Welcome
- Why examiners care: at the Vocational Education Task interview they need to see you hold attention, not only click through slides.
- What you practise today: five live engagement moves (hook, pause, story, eye contact, stop) on your format 1 presentation.
- What you leave with: cues marked in your notes, a second pair rehearsal done, and {{code:sm2_peer_feedback_round_2}} saved in {{code:sm2}}.
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
- Use opening hooks, stories, eye contact, and pauses in live delivery
- End a live delivery on the takeaway or ask without adding extra material
- Complete a second pair rehearsal focused on engagement technique
Warm-up
Think of the last talk, video, or class explanation that actually held your attention. What did the speaker do in the first ten seconds, and what made you keep listening?
2 - Key Concepts ~6 mins
Five cue words in three moments. Mark all five into your format 1 notes, then test them in a pair rehearsal.
Opening: HOOK · PAUSE Middle: STORY · EYE CONTACT Close: STOP
Follow the numbered Aoife list while your teacher reads — you do not need to study the full table silently first.
| Concept | Why it matters | Example |
|---|---|---|
| HOOK — short first line that creates curiosity before you name the topic | Interviewers decide in seconds whether to lean in | "Last summer I spent €180 on bus fares to one Work Experience placement" |
| PAUSE — deliberate silence after a key line | Lets the line land | One full breath after the hook before you name the project |
| STORY — a concrete moment that makes a number mean something | People remember a person and a situation | 20-second Centra stocktake: half the sandwiches dumped at closing |
| EYE CONTACT — look at listeners, not only the screen | Shows you own the material | Glance at the slide, then speak the next line to your partner |
| STOP — end on the takeaway or ask | Overrunning weakens a strong close | "That is why I am asking for two hours a week of workshop time" — then silence |
Worked example: Aoife's enterprise pitch opening
Aoife pitches a small dog-treat side hustle for her Something Real project. Weak open: "Hi, my name is Aoife and today I am going to talk about my business idea." Strong open:
- Hook: "My collie finished a full bag of shop-bought treats in four days — and half of them came straight back up on the kitchen tiles."
- Pause (one breath).
- Story: "That weekend I tested three recipes in my nan's kitchen in Athlone. The peanut-butter batch disappeared first."
- Into the ask (still story → point, not a sixth technique): "So I built a costed plan for a small batch business, and I need two minutes to show you the numbers."
- Stop: final slide ends on the ask; no extra apology slide.
Listen while your teacher reads this once so you hear the rhythm. You will mark the same five moves (hook, pause, story, eye contact, stop) into your own format 1 notes next.
3 - Step-by-step Task ~15 mins
Mark five engagement moves into the speaker notes of your format 1 presentation (file stem {{code:sm2_format1}} in {{code:sm2}}). You are not redesigning the slides. You are planning how you will deliver them live.
Cue phrases only — if a note runs longer than two lines, cut it. Messy first hooks are normal; you will pressure-test them with a partner next.
Hook stem you can steal: Last [time], [thing that went wrong / cost money / surprised me]…
If you are unsure which file is format 1: look for {{code:sm2_format1}} in {{code:sm2}}. If more than one match or the name differs, ask your teacher to confirm before you edit notes.
If you do not have a usable format 1 deck yet: in {{code:sm2}}, create a blank document named {{code:sm2_engagement_cues_v1}} and mark the five cues there (HOOK, PAUSE, STORY, EYE CONTACT, STOP). For the live rehearsal, use your partner's deck or the class sample {{code:sm2_format1_sample}} for technique only, then catch up your own draft after class.
If your format 1 is not slides (short video narration, podcast, or carousel talk-through): open or create your one-page notes document in {{code:sm2}} (often still named {{code:sm2_format1}} or {{code:sm2_engagement_cues_v1}}) and complete the same five cues there. Follow the notes-document steps in the platform instructions below.
4 - Common Issues ~6 mins
Common Issues
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| My hook still sounds like a title slide | Rewrite it as something that happened, cost money, went wrong, or surprised you. Use the stem: Last [time], [thing that went wrong / cost money / surprised me]… If it could sit unchanged as a slide heading, it is not a hook yet. |
| I cannot see the speaker notes pane | In PowerPoint for the web use {{menu:View -> Notes}}. In Google Slides use {{menu:View -> Show speaker notes}}. If the pane is collapsed, drag the bottom edge of the slide area upward. |
| I keep reading every word on the slide | Cut the slide text and put the spoken detail in notes instead. During rehearsal, force one full sentence while looking at your partner, not the screen. |
| I freeze when it is my turn to present | Start from the hook line only. Say the hook, pause, then continue. You do not need a perfect full run on the first attempt. |
Micro-rehearsal (required before the pair run)
Do not start the timed pair rehearsal until this is done.
- Watch your teacher model hook, one full-breath pause, and one eye-contact line (about 30 seconds).
- With your partner, each of you practises only your opening 20 seconds once. That is a warm-up, not the scored rehearsal.
5 - Pair Rehearsal ~20 mins
Pair rehearsal
- You completed a live pair rehearsal using your engagement notes ({{code:sm2_format1}} or cues + partner/sample)
- {{code:sm2_peer_feedback_round_2}} is saved as a document inside {{code:Project_Portfolio}}/{{code:09_specialism}}/{{code:sm2}}
- The page records 2 pieces of feedback you received (one strength, one improvement) tied to engagement technique
- You wrote one concrete change you will make before the next run
- If you used cues doc + partner/sample deck, your {{code:sm2_peer_feedback_round_2}} still counts — note on the page that you rehearsed for technique on a sample or partner deck
KA file to save: {{code:sm2_peer_feedback_round_2}} in {{code:sm2}} (exact name).
Rehearsal order (your teacher keeps the clock):
- Partner A presents for about 90 seconds. Partner B listens without interrupting and notes engagement only (hook, story, eye contact, pauses, stop).
- Partner B gives exactly two notes: one strength, one improvement. No general praise, no redesign of the whole deck.
- Swap roles and repeat (Partner B presents about 90 seconds; Partner A gives two notes).
- At your teacher's checkpoint (about 12 minutes in), stop deliveries and create or open {{code:sm2_peer_feedback_round_2}} in {{code:sm2}}. Fill the five headings with the feedback you received.
Feedback page checklist (headings — your teacher will project these):
- Your name and your partner's name
- Date
- Strength I received (quote or paraphrase)
- Improvement I received (quote or paraphrase)
- One change I will make before the next rehearsal
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