Good Teaching and Good Lecturing

In the education world, the term “lecture” sometimes has a rather negative connotation; it often conjures images of large halls filled with bored and drowsy students, some attempting futilely to stay alert as a professor drones on about the merits of vector calculus or organic chemistry. However, the “lecture” I attended last week, given by Professor David Domke of the University of Washington and entitled Religious Politics in America: Why the 2008 Presidential Election May Change Everything For Everyone, was far from sleep-inducing. Even for a non-political enthusiast/non-religion major such as myself, I found the lecture interesting, practically fascinating, and I found myself taking furious notes (though not really required) because I did not want to forget anything Professor Domke said. The subject matter itself was appealing, but it was more than that. For the purposes of this blog and my Educational Psychology class, I have attempted to analyze Professor Domke’s lecture from the perspective of a future teacher by paying particular attention to the many commendable traits and skills he displayed during the lecture.

Even before he officially started his presentation, Professor Domke’s very presence commanded attention. He began comfortably and confidently, with a large and clear voice that carried easily to the back of the small auditorium. It was also fairly apparent that he possessed a wide and sophisticated vocabulary, which he used appropriately considering the mixed audience of college students and adult community members. Furthermore, Professor Domke used humor to his advantage; he tossed in a few witty jokes sporadically – just enough to keep the audience on their toes, so to speak. The lecture also included, not surprisingly, a Power Point presentation, which Professor Domke skillfully used to enhance his message. A mixed variety of quotes, graphs, images, and straightforward bits of factual information were displayed as he lectured, and I found the slides were extremely beneficial to my note-taking. The lecture moved at a brisk pace, comfortable yet quick, and lasted almost precisely one hour (for which I was grateful as I had other commitments directly following the presentation). Those who had questions were invited to stay afterward to voice them. The overall effect of Professor Domke’s lecture was impressive; he was extremely professional, obviously knowledgeable, clearly articulate, technologically savvy, and, perhaps most importantly, far from boring. As a future teacher, I definitely admired his presentation and I even thought that it gave a whole new, more positive, meaning to the term “lecture.”