How to Use Trainer's Notes During a Powerpoint Presentation

Add trainer's notes to your PowerPoint presentation.

Microsoft PowerPoint's trainer's notes feature allows you to add notes that will be visible only to you during a presentation. The trainer's notes feature also gives you the option of printing your trainer's notes with your presentation slides to hand out to your audience members. Trainer's notes let you add key points and reminders for yourself for each slide in your presentation. Using PowerPoint trainer's notes can help you give a successful presentation.

Things You'll Need

• Computer with two monitors

Instructions

1. Start PowerPoint.

2. Open a new or existing PowerPoint presentation.

3. Click on "View" on PowerPoint's top toolbar. PowerPoint's secondary toolbar will change to show you all possible PowerPoint viewing options.

4. Click "Notes Page." A new view will appear, showing your presentation slide at the top of the page and a space for your trainer's notes right below the slide.

5. Type your trainer's notes into the space below the slide. The notes will be visible only to you during your slide show.

6. Add trainer's notes to each additional slide. To do this, scroll down to access each of the slides in the presentation, and then type your trainer's notes in the space on each page.

7. Save your presentation with your trainer's notes. Do this by clicking "File" and then "Save."

8. Prepare your slide show for viewing with trainer's notes. Click "Slide Show" from PowerPoint's top toolbar and select "Use Presenter View" from PowerPoint's secondary toolbar. A pop-up box will appear, prompting you to identify your main and extended computer monitors.

9. Select box "1" in the pop-up screen. Ensure the pop-up shows two grayed-out boxes with "This is my main monitor" and "Extend the desktop onto this monitor" already checked.

10. Choose "Extend the desktop onto this monitor" in box "2." To do this, select box "2," and then check "Extend the desktop onto this monitor."

11. Exit the pop-up screen. Click "Apply" and then "OK" to accomplish that.

12. View your slide show. Do this by clicking "From Beginning" in the Slide Show toolbar. Your main computer monitor will display the slide show in the middle, your upcoming slides on the left-hand side and your trainer's notes below the slide show. Your other computer monitor will show only the slide show.

Tips & Warnings

• Add phrases to your trainer's notes that will prompt you to remember key points.

• A computer with multiple monitors is necessary to use PowerPoint trainer's notes. Check the room in which you will make your presentation to ensure its computer has two monitors.

References

• Wellesley College Information Services, Computing Documentation: Getting Started with Microsoft PowerPoint 2004