Mastering PowerPoint: How to Design Engaging Slides for Your Classes

PowerPoint has long been a staple for enhancing presentations and educational courses. When used well, it helps educators deliver a logical flow, stay on track, and provide visuals that reinforce key concepts. Research shows that learners absorb information better when visuals clarify points and bulleted lists organize ideas.

However, poorly designed slides can hurt more than help. To ensure your PowerPoint enhances your childbirth class rather than distracts from it, follow these six professional tips:

1. Keep It Simple

The golden rule of PowerPoint: less is more. Cluttered slides overwhelm and confuse your audience. Instead, aim for clean, focused content:

• Use just a few bullet points.
• Keep text brief with short sentence fragments.
• Use powerful, relevant images to illustrate your point.

By distilling your information to its essentials, you’ll keep learners engaged and focused on your message rather than getting lost reading dense text.

2. Start with a Lesson Plan

Before you even open PowerPoint, develop detailed lesson plans. Your plans should outline:

• Topics to cover
• Activities and timing for each section
• Key learning objectives

Follow your lesson plan closely when building your slides. Each PowerPoint section should correspond to a main topic or class segment. Every slide should have a clear purpose—whether it’s summarizing key points, introducing new material, or supporting interactive activities.

3. Prioritize Your Delivery

Your PowerPoint is a tool, not the star of the show. You—the educator—bring the content to life. Avoid making your slides so detailed that learners can grasp everything without your guidance.

Instead, think of slides as conversation prompts. Use them to:

• Highlight key ideas
• Spark discussion
• Guide activities or demonstrations

Supplement your slides with dynamic teaching strategies, including physical props, interactive exercises, and real-life examples.

4. Use Effects Wisely

Animations and transitions can enhance visual appeal—but excessive use can become distracting and diminish the effectiveness of your presentation. Use effects sparingly and only when they enhance learning.

• Consider adding an effect every 10 slides at most.
• Focus on using animations to emphasize key points or reveal information step-by-step.

Simple, purposeful effects make your presentation smoother and more engaging without overwhelming your audience.

5. Choose High-Quality Visuals

Blurry, outdated, or improperly sourced images undermine your presentation’s professionalism and reduce its impact. To create a polished and engaging experience, invest in:

• Professional-quality photos
• Modern, relevant graphics

Always use images you have permission to include, whether through a licensed stock photo service or original content. High-quality visuals leave a lasting impression and enhance understanding.

6. Design for Readability and Consistency

A polished design creates a cohesive and professional presentation that enhances the learning experience. Consistency, clarity, and visual harmony are key. To achieve this, follow these design best practices:

• Stick to 2-3 complementary colors.
• Use fonts that are easy to read (22-point size or larger).
• Ensure text contrasts sharply with the background.

Consistent use of layouts, colors, and font styles throughout your presentation reinforces a professional appearance and supports effective teaching.

Save Time with Ready-Made PowerPoints

Want a head start on creating engaging presentations? Check out Plumtree Baby's popular PowerPoints. Available with or without custom branding, these pre-designed slides align with our parent books and childbirth curriculum. Instantly downloadable, they save you time while providing a polished, professional foundation for your classes.

By following best practices, your PowerPoint presentations will elevate your teaching, captivate your audience, and help your clients have a healthier birth experience.

References:

Effective Use of PowerPoint. University of Central Florida.
Making Better PowerPoint Presentations. Vanderbilt University, Center for Teaching. 

© 2015-2025 revised. All Rights Reserved
Plumtree Baby, LLC