Zoom Settings for Good Meetings

When using Zoom in a meeting, I recommend you go into the Settings dialog box which can be found on the Video "^" menu, and also in the Zoom opening dialog.

Here are settings to confirm or change you might not know about

General: Use dual monitors: Enables two-window mode if you have more than one screen. One window is the normal one, set it in "Gallery" View. The other shows either the Speaker View, or the slides of somebody sharing the screen. You don't have to put the windows on two monitors, they can go anywhere.
Video:Camera: HD: Unless bandwidth is low, turn on HD
Video: Hide Non-video participants: In a large meeting, reserves the slots you see for people actually sending video. You can see the others in the "Participants" window or when they talk. You can turn this off in the main UI, but can only turn it on here!
Video: Enable stop incoming video feature: For camera only devices or when you want to save bandwidth,enable this. Then you can turn off the incoming video on the "View" menu.
Video: Maximum Participants: Consider setting to 49 if you have a big meeting with lots of people sending video (but if you hide non-video you may not hit 25)
Audio: Original Sound for Musician: Set this if you have a quiet studio and don't need noise cancel or echo cancel
Share Screen: Side-by-side mode: If you don't have dual monitors, lets you use a slider to adjust sizes of screen and speaker. Can also be set case-by-case
Background: Avoid Zoom's virtual backgrounds. They really just distract, and they don't handle many things well. Use blurred background instead. If you have a real greenscreen you can use this
Profile: Set your name and icon (if you don't send video)
Keyboard Shortcuts: Can be worth learning, or setting, and making some "global" so they work even without focus (like mute/unmute)

Other Important Zoom Hints

Use a wired headset. It really makes a huge difference in a group setting. It lets conversation be much more natural. Speakerphone works OK for 2-3 people but once it's a group wired headsets really change the quality. Do it for yourself but also for others. Alas, bluetooth headsets often have very poor microphone audio, the only exception is the Apple Airpods Pro.
If you can't wear a headset or headphones, please mute when not engaged in conversation. On the other hand, with a good headset and reasonably quiet room, you don't have to mute in a small meeting.
Light yourself well. Avoid having a light or window behind you.
Try to use wired ethernet. When video freezes, a large fraction of the time it's due to radio noise on your wifi.
Show video when you can. It's more social.
As noted, avoid Zoom's virtual background. It's cute but it keeps wobbling and distracts people Use blurred background or (gasp) your real one if it's not too messy.

Dual Monitors

Zoom's dual monitor mode gives Zoom two windows instead of one. The extra window will show any screen-share, so that share doesn't eat up your main zoom window. You can also use it for Speaker mode, or to pin a particular user and always see them large.

Having slides on one screen and speaker on the other is one of the best ways to see a presentation that has slides. If they are not doing Zoom's advanced screen share for Powerpoint, it's the way to go.

If you don't have two displays, you can still do this. Your TV can usually be an extra display, and many TVs support a wireless display prototocl like miracast so you don't even have to plug in a cable.

You can also use any phone or tablet as a second display for your computer. If you have a spare tablet or phone that can be a great purpose for it. One program that will do that is Spacedesk which is free. You might want a small stand or holder for your tablet.