How to Make Student Pitches Engaging

Making student pitches engaging remains a persistent challenge in education. Traditional presentations often devolve into boring lectures, with students reading slides or reciting memorized content while their peers disengage. However, there’s a more effective approach that transforms technical pitches into dynamic conversations.

The Challenge of Presentations in Education

Curricula, regardless of the class, typically focus heavily on content, leaving minimal time for developing presentation skills. Most teachers’ presentation experience centers on delivering this content rather than coaching dynamic business-style pitches, creating a gap between classroom presentations and real-world communication needs. Since students tend to mimic teacher presentations, they aren’t doing true presentations. Add the fact that this is uncomfortable for students; you get a recipe for boredom.

Why Traditional Presentations Fall Short

The standard presentation format poses particular challenges in CS classrooms:

• Students default to reading slides
• Memorized content lacks authenticity
• Audience engagement drops significantly
• Technical details overshadow core concepts

Don’t Need Formal Approval

I teach AP Computer Science Principles, which requires a programming project. For the AP Computer Science Principles Create Task, students don’t need formal approval from me —they need to generate peer excitement about their projects. They have been taught the project requirements and now need to incorporate them. My goal is to get them excited about doing their project. Peer approval is always a great motivator. My experience shows that students achieve this best through natural, unscripted pitches about their ideas. When students drop the formal presentation structure, their authentic enthusiasm shines through.

Benefits of Conversational Presentations

Converting presentations into conversations offers several advantages:

• Students speak more naturally about their work
• Peer engagement increases significantly
• Questions become more thoughtful
• Presenters think deeply about their projects
• Final products often improve through peer feedback

Creating an Interactive Environment

The most successful pitches happen when students treat the presentation as a dialogue with peers rather than a performance. This shift removes artificial barriers between the presenter and the audience, creating an environment where genuine discussion flourishes. When students speak conversationally about their projects, the entire class becomes invested in the development proces.

By focusing on natural, conversational presentations, educators can transform the traditionally dreaded student pitch into an opportunity for meaningful peer engagement and project improvement.