Tell them what you are going to say, say it,
and then tell them what you said
The above title is a basic rule when someone prepares to give a speech. However it applies well to preparing for a lecture. Novice teachers, especially those who are excellent researchers and practitioners in their highly specialized domains, but do not have any teaching preparation will often think more about the content they need to teach than about the techniques they need to use when present the content to their students. Below are some very general rules branched out from the major rule “say it three times”: Tell what you are going to say, say it, and tell what you said.
• Never go to a class without having a plan of how you are going to lecture. It is possible you taught the same topic for ten semesters in a row; however, each group of students has a different personality (try to know your students). Craft the lecture according to the audience.
• Focus on the main topics of what you want your students to take away from the class. List the learning outcomes for the day; what will the students be able to know and do by the end of this class time; main ideas on the first slide (link the topic to past topics studied if it is the case).
• Best is to post in advance your power points so your students can bring them to class and take notes without wasting the time to copy what is written on the slide, so they concentrate more on what you say not on copying what is written on the slide. For the same reason prepare consistent slides, nothing is more disturbing than the ever changing design, color, and animation from slide to slide. Remember your intention is to deliver the content and not distract with the context.
• Your slides are not your course notes, they should not have but only the main idea written (maximum 3-4 bullets, very short ideas, per slide). If the details are not on the slides but lectured by you, students will pay more attention to what you say than to what they must copy from a slide (post the slides on the course web so your students have access to them before class). Is always a good idea to prepare notes with student access.
• Over the lecture concentrate on the essentials and spice it with well crafted examples from real life, specific details if needed, and sometimes a joke if appropriate (remember humor always catches people attention). If you are not the type who handles well humor is better to pass, nothing can be more embarrassing than a person who tells a joke and no one finds it funny.
• Avoid extremely specific and highly technical language especially if you teach a freshmen class or any intro course. If you use new language make sure you explain what it means (don’t take it for granted; people do not pay attention and later forget the words they do not understand).
• Avoid gender, race, or any other kind of bias in your language. Use inclusive language that speaks to all groups in your audience.
• If you have a well planned lecture you should not read from slides, and by no means should you stay with your back towards your audience. Modern projectors have remote control which will allow you to advance a slide even if you are walking between the rows (good way to keep your students focused on the lecture not on their laptop screen – which at times might show their blog not your slides).
• If possible do not stay only at the podium, walk between the aisles of the room (modern wireless microphones are excellent help). Look at your students not at your papers or slides. Change from time to time the intensity and pitch of your voice, dim lights and monotone voice is a good environment for a nap.
• Remember to plan for question-and-answer time (be it at the end of the lecture or any interruptions across the class time). Encourage your students to ask questions. Sometimes, especially with freshmen, is good to pose a question to the class, give enough time to have them think and come up with a response, if no one responds then gently present the response. Is not an easy task to respond, even if the student knows the response, she or he might be shy to respond in front of a large class (as usually is with large intro classes). Do not call on a specific person, or if you do first state the problem then the person’s name (not vice versa, otherwise you will have only the person paying attention to the question). To encourage them you can bring candy, or challenge them by giving as prize a note with a good joke. Be creative and encourage them to engage in learning. What goes on in the classroom is not only on your shoulders, teachers and students are partners in constructing a good lecture.
• Remember at the end to repeat the main ideas, the take-away from class. Those main ideas that you want your students to remember when they exit your class. Last slide should always be the list of main topics discussed today. That will wrap and summarize what was taught, and help students formulate their take away ideas. Several short assessment methods can be helpful: Main idea; Muddiest points; One question; NFL (New, Friend, Learning); Door pass; etc.
• Last but not least: Smile! :-) Everyone likes people who are passionate by what they teach. If you don’t show enthusiasm for your topic what do you expect to have from your students?
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