Wait, you mean I'm NOT doing it wrong?

[bunnyjadwiga]

Over the time I've been teaching in the SCA (and teaching in libraryland) I've developed a very specific teaching style for the SCA (teaching in libraries, and teaching tech, are a slightly different proposition that I address from a different angle, though there are similarities in my professional and my SCA styles).

But... my SCA teaching style tends to violate EVERY rule of good teaching as I learned it. I may have an outline, but I seldom teach from it. There are few or no bullet points. I may repeat myself, double back, or leave material out. I let people jump in and comment in the class, sometimes dragging us off topic. I even wander from the topic. I tell silly stories. I throw myself on the mercy of the class. I rush around waving papers, I admit when I'm disorganized, I seem to myself like a mess. I bring 8 million times more handout than anyone can use-- I'm the Queen of Handouts. Ok, yes, I do use visual aids and hands-on (and sometimes noses-on or tastebuds-on) realia. But This is No Way To Run A Class.

And yet... it works, for me. In fact, I sometimes seem to have groupies. People who come to the same class repeatedly, or come to everything I teach at Pennsic. I'm not boasting here: I am puzzled.

And somehow, my classes seem to go better when I stick with the style I use, when I start the class with "I hate talking to quiet classrooms!" and I ask people to be sure to remind me to get back to points I've forgotten. Not always, of course, and some people find the Here are Handouts and We'll Pass Around Stuff to Look At And Jadwiga Babbles style frustrating. But the classes are full of energy and most people like them. I keep trying to get substantive feedback on 'em -- my latest attempt was handing out comment cards at the end and asking for one thing each person liked, and one thing they thought could be improved.

Anyway, I came across this link on good presentations in the last list I posted:
Effective Presentations -- More Than One Way to Impress an Audience
http://blogs.salon.com/0002007/categories/businessInnovation/2006/11/15.html#a1697

1. Do your homework.
2. Pick your venues, know your audience.
3. Give 'em lots of new stuff.
4. Make sure your information is practical and useful.
5. No bullet point slides. Interesting, relevant pictures, graphics, screen-shots.
6. Give 'em lots of handouts.
7. Go with the flow.
8. Use multimedia.
9. Speak enthusiastically and passionately.
10. Tell stories

THIS IS WHAT I DO! This is MY Style! Hey, maybe it's not all wrong after all.

On the other hand, having an outline never hurts :)

Comments

[amykb.livejournal.com]

That is how I teach...and how I was taught to teach in College...the big things that my professor focused on was engage as many senses as you can, get people talking, and get them laughing. *Then* they will remember.

[chargirlgenius.livejournal.com]

That's how I teach too. I frequently use the flustered eccentric professor who accidentally wipes chalk on her dress routine to get them laughing. Really, it's an act. I swear. :-D

[dreamingbear.livejournal.com]

Honestly, I enjoy the way you teach. It's so much more engaging. I'd be a Jadwiga-groupie too, that is if I could get up early enough to make it to your classes. *grin* Although, I think I'll pass the fragrance oils class. (My allergies barely withstood the assault of so many fragrances at once last time and they've since gotten worse.)

[iestynapmwg.livejournal.com]

Heh, i know what you mean about talking to quiet classrooms! It's why i really dislike teaching the entry level classes sometimes, the ones full of people who don't want to be there but their employer sent them. You have to use every trick in the book to engage them sometimes (and i'll be looking at those links for more ideas). Multimedia isn't always practical for my classes, but hands-on, "here, hold this, it goes in there" works wonders.

The upper-level classes that people actually sign themselves up for really roll the way you describe yours by themselves. Those are fun to teach :)

[helwen.livejournal.com]

Having an outline doesn't hurt, it gives you a launching point at the beginning of the class, and it gave you a framework for gathering the original information for the class. After that.. eh.

I like your classes a lot :)

[madrun.livejournal.com]

That sounds like exactly how I teach SCA classes. I stand on tables. I get excited and yell and wave books around. I have been known to throw jewelry across classrooms. I gesticulate a lot. My handout generally consist of pictures and a bibliography, and that's it.

I DETEST teachers who write a handout and then teach from the handout, or worse READ from the handout. I can read on my own, thank you.

[florentinescot.livejournal.com]

*blush* I'm trying to clean up the bazillion tabs that are open in this Mozilla window. I've been going to answer this since, well, you know ...

agreeing with madrun -- there's a couple of ladies that I know that read their handouts to me. *yawn*

The only point that I disagree with is "no bullet-point slides." The Bullet-point slides are my outline. I can't teach from notes (either mundanely or in the SCA), so those are my outline. Just don't have bullet-points that are freakin' paragraphs -- goes back to what madrun said -- don't read to me! (That actually should be Mistress madrun but that just looks weird.)

In my mundane classes, if there are words there, the students will write them down -- every one of them -- even "a," "an," "and," and "the." I don't think they've ever been taught how to take notes! *sigh*