5 Tips to Enhance Your Google Slides Presentations

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Do you ever feel like your presentations are more cluttered than they should be? Juggling multiple tabs, videos, and slides can make even the most well-prepared lesson feel disorganized. It’s a common challenge for teachers, but there are ways to simplify and streamline your presentations.

In this article, I’ll introduce you to five easy-to-follow tips that will help you tidy up your Google Slides presentations. Whether it’s decluttering YouTube videos or grouping related tabs, these strategies will make your lessons smoother and more engaging for your students. Each tip is designed to help you stay focused on your teaching, so you can spend less time managing your resources and more time connecting with your class. For detailed instructions and demonstrations, don’t forget to check out my video tutorial and accompanying slideshow.

Tip #1: Declutter YouTube Videos

YouTube has a wealth of excellent educational content, but there are a few challenges you might face when using it in a classroom setting. First, ads can be a real interruption. Additionally, the suggested videos that appear on the side can sometimes be inappropriate for your students, especially in a middle school or elementary school setting. Then there are the comments, which can be distracting or messy to look at.

However, there’s a simple trick to avoid these distractions. If you copy the video’s URL and paste it into a new tab, you can make a small change to the link that will put the video in a cleaner, ad-free presentation mode. In the video’s URL, find the part that says “youtube.com.” Insert a dash (-) between the “t” and the “u” in “youtube” (so it reads “yout-ube”). Hit enter, and the video will now play in a full-screen presentation mode. This mode skips the ads, removes suggested videos, and hides the comments, giving you a clean and focused viewing experience that’s perfect for the classroom.

Tip #2: Pin Your Main Slide Show

For essential tabs that you use frequently, like your main slideshow, consider pinning them to your browser to keep them easily accessible and prevent accidental closures. To pin a tab, right-click on it and select “Pin Tab.” The tab will become smaller, move to the left side of your browser window, and the close button will disappear, safeguarding it from accidental closure.

Pinning is particularly useful for tabs you need open consistently throughout your work. For instance, when working on a presentation, pinning the slideshow tab ensures it remains readily available and declutters your workspace by reducing the tab’s size. However, remember that pinned tabs hide the page title, so it’s best to pin tabs easily recognizable by their icons. To unpin a tab, simply right-click and select “Unpin Tab.” This straightforward technique streamlines your workflow, minimizes distractions, and keeps your crucial resources easily accessible.

Tip #3: Group Related Tabs

Let’s say you have several tabs open that are all related to the same topic—like a set of resources you use for teaching graphic design. It can be frustrating to reopen all these tabs every time you teach, particularly if you’re teaching multiple classes or on remote learning days. One way to make this easier is by grouping your tabs. To do this, right-click on one of the tabs you want to group and select “Add tab to new group.” You can give the group a name, like “Graphic Design,” and even assign it a color to keep things organized. After that, you can add more tabs to the group by right-clicking on them and selecting “Add tab to group.” This way, all the tabs related to that topic are grouped together, making it easy to manage them.

Now, when you’re done working, you can close the entire group at once. The best part is that you won’t lose your tabs, because you can save the group. When you save it, the group stays available for you to reopen anytime you need it. Even if you close your browser, you can easily find and reopen the entire group of tabs later by clicking on it in your saved groups.

Tip #4: Skip Unnecessary Slides

Sometimes, when you’re presenting or teaching a unit, you may not need to go through every slide you’ve prepared. You could simply skip over those slides during the presentation, but there’s a more efficient way to handle this. Instead of manually skipping slides, you can use the “Skip Slide” feature. Right-click on the slide you want to skip and select “Skip Slide.” This action will mark the slide with a small icon, indicating it’s been skipped. The slide remains in your presentation, but it won’t appear when you’re in slideshow mode.

This feature is particularly handy for keeping your presentation organized. You can easily see which slides are skipped, helping you focus on the ones you plan to use. It also allows you to adapt your presentation on the fly. Additionally, if you’re sharing the presentation with students by publishing it to the web, the skipped slides will also be hidden from the version they see. You can share the presentation URL with your students, and they’ll only be able to view the slides you’ve selected, ensuring they don’t see any content you chose to skip.

Tip #5: Utilize Presenter View

Google Slides offers a valuable feature called Presenter View to enhance your presentations. This tool is especially helpful in maintaining organization and audience engagement during your presentation. By accessing Presenter View through the “Slide Show” menu in presentation mode, you gain access to three key features: Slide Control, Timer, and Speaker Notes. Slide Control allows for seamless navigation through your slides, while the Timer helps you stay on track and manage your pacing effectively. The Speaker Notes feature enables you to access private reminders and key points without cluttering your slides with excessive text.

Presenter View also includes an “Audience Tools” option, enabling you to share a URL with your audience and receive their questions in real-time during your presentation. These questions appear directly in your Presenter View, ensuring a smooth and interactive experience. However, use this feature with caution when presenting to students, as it can sometimes lead to distractions. To exit Presenter View, simply press the “Esc” key. Whether presenting in class or delivering a professional presentation, Presenter View is a valuable tool for maintaining control, timing, and interactivity throughout your presentation.

Incorporating these five simple tips into your Google Slides presentations can make a world of difference in how smoothly your lessons run. By decluttering your workspace, organizing your resources, and using the built-in tools effectively, you’ll find it easier to stay focused and keep your students engaged. With just a little effort, you can transform your presentations from chaotic to streamlined, allowing you to teach more effectively and with greater confidence.

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