With two days of a district “Administrative Retreat” and five days of classes at the James Madison Seminar in Teaching American History at Princeton University, I’ve recently spent more than my share of seat time watching presentations and lectures. In the process, I’ve learned something important about being a student. Although it used to seem easy to resist the lecture critics by arguing that well-written, rehearsed and performed lectures can still play an important role in certain content-heavy AP history courses, it is a much harder position to take after sitting on the other side of the podium for seven days. Listening to Ian Jukes talk about the convergence of seven trends of exponential change and Dr. Jeffrey Poelvoorde talk about the philosophic frameworks of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution (in addition to singing songs from the musical comedy “Company”) is thoroughly engaging for those of us comfortable spending our summer luxuriating with our “inner geeks”. However, even if one finds the subject absorbing, sitting through several hours of lecture is tough.
Lectures inspire, entertain, explain and dispense information. They play an important role in any curriculum. Their degree of effectiveness however, is largely based on design and delivery.
When we advise students writing essays to consider their audience and the purpose of their writing; we should repeat the advice to ourselves when we are preparing lectures for class. Buying our audience in the first minute of our class, how does our opening pierce the media and hormone cloud of students’ teenage consciousness and bring them to our path? How does our introduction tell them where we are going and why they should care about what we are saying? How do the human interest stories and pacing build suspense and elicit concern? How does the media compliment and reinforce the dialogue?
And the two most important questions …Why do you think lecture is the best way to accomplish your goals? How can you finish in less than fifteen minutes?
If the subject of the lecture does not inspire, the delivery lacks spirit, or the presentation was not well-designed and scripted, lectures are not only ineffective, they are criminal.
Teachers are fond of suggesting that administrators get back into the classroom to find out what the real world is like in the trenches. I would suggest that teachers do the same, get into a student’s seat every once in a while, you may learn more than just content.