18 min read
Speaker Notes
Type notes under the slide in Normal view. View → Notes Page. Print notes for the principal.
What Speaker Notes Are For
Dr. Helen Marsh needs reminders without cluttering the slide. Speaker notes are your script, not extra slides — the audience normally does not see them during a live talk.
Slides stay short for the projector. Notes hold what Dr. Helen Marsh says aloud. Move long paragraphs from the Word handbook into notes, not onto slide bullets. Follow the 6×6 rule on screen; notes can be longer.
Add Notes in Normal View
- Click Normal on the status bar.
- Click slide 2 (Welcome).
- Click Click to add notes below the slide.
- Type: Thank families for coming on Saturday 14 March 2026. Pause after the tour times bullet. Introduce James Okonkwo for questions.
- Expected result: Notes appear in the pane but not on the slide itself.
Drag the Notes pane divider upward if you need more room while typing reminders for slide 3.
Notes Page View
Notes Page shows how notes print — one slide per page with notes below.
- Click View on the Ribbon.
- Click Notes Page.
- Expected result: The slide appears at the top; your notes fill the lower area.
- Click Normal on the status bar when you are ready to edit again.
Print Notes for the Principal
A paper script helps the first Open Day run without staring at the laptop.
- Click File → Print.
- Under Settings, select Notes Pages.
- Expected result: Preview shows slide image plus notes text below.
- Print two copies — one for the principal, one backup.
| Sample Open Day notes | |
|---|---|
What Goes on Slides vs in Notes
On slide: Tour schedule table with times.
In notes: "Point to the 10:30 Science Block row — Dr. Marsh leads that group."
Crowded slides are hard to read from the back of the Main Hall. Keep bullets short on the slide. Put the script in the Notes pane below.
Notes in Presenter View
During Slide Show with Use Presenter View, notes appear on the presenter's laptop — not on the projector. The Main Hall screen shows the slide only.
Handouts help parents after the talk; notes help the presenter during it.
Example — Who sees speaker notes: The presenter sees notes on their screen in Presenter View. The Main Hall audience sees the slide on the projector. Notes are not burned into the Slide Master — they live per slide in the Notes pane.
Practice
More lessons in Microsoft PowerPoint · Next: Rehearse and Present · Previous: Automatic Timing and Rehearsed Slides