Taking Notes: A Mind-Splitting Practice

Habit's a funny thing.

I went through school and college like everyone else, writing down what teachers and professors had just said while listening to what they were saying now. My hand-brain lagged a few seconds behind my listening-brain. And my looking-brain kept track of what was on the blackboard... Like everyone else, I could do this, and I did it, decade after decade.

I noticed that this wasn't necessarily a good way to learn from my students, not from my own learning. I realized how much time I spent waiting: "Hold on, Mr. Sagarin. I'm not done copying from the board." "Yo, Mr. Sagarin, what did you just say?" "Can you say that again?" Not to mention the bizarre collection of misstatements and misunderstandings that crept into their work--less over time as I became more adept, but still...

So I've evolved a different approach. When I'm lecturing, I ask students to listen. Just listen. No note-taking. (Yes, they can doodle--see previous post.) My students started calling this "Storytime with Steve." One wrote a theme song.

The next day, I present a concise summary of the previous day's lecture. I write notes on the board, including proper spellings and dates and other necessary information. Students can copy without having to listen, without missing or mis-hearing. Sometimes, this process takes ten minutes or less. Sometimes it provokes a discussion that takes most of the period. In general, although I was worried that I'd lose time, I gain it. We cover more material more accurately. Student anxiety is less. Student attention is greater.

I don't use Powerpoint or email notes; I use students' memories to help me. Often, their phrasing is better--more concise, more accurate--than mine would have been. New angles and interpretations jump out of this review, insight that would have been lost if I'd simply rehashed yesterday's news.

What I've described is my ideal. Weekends, class time, project pressure, absence, and any number of other distractions keep the ideal at bay. Still, this way of working works for me, and I believe it's better for my students, for their comprehension, and for their retention.

I can't believe I didn't think of it years ago.