Confessions of a legal-writing teacher, part 7
Confessions of a legal-writing teacher, part 7 of a series
7. In the classroom, I mostly “dance with the one that brung ya” and rarely “think outside the box.”
My teaching style is almost pure lecture. I don't ask many questions, and I don't try to get my students engaged in a discussion. I don't do many in-class exercises or group work. I talk. And I don't even talk in a linear, logical way. I ramble, I go off on tangents, and I sometimes even forget what I was originally saying.
Now, at the risk of sounding boastful, my talking is not bad. I tell funny stories, I crack jokes, and I keep my energy high. I'm passionate about legal writing, and I show it. I've been teaching in this humor-laden, intense, entertaining style for 17 years, and I'm comfortable with it. I feel it's "who I am."
But experts on teaching might say that my approach appeals primarily (only?) to those with an aural learning style: those who learn by listening. I probably do poorly with those who learn by seeing, writing, or doing. I also have not used much technology in my classroom, although I am using Powerpoint slides for the first time in my 1L course this year. I don't really like the interactive student-response devices I was encouraged to use this year. I don't show videos or play audio clips.
No doubt about it: I do not take full advantage of modern classroom technology. I talk.
I know I should innovate or try the innovations others recommend. But when I do, I feel I'm not as effective. If you want a true, deeply psychological confession, when I do something different from what I've always done in the classroom, I feel I'm not myself. Weird, huh?
Next: I'm obsessed with hyper-formality and plain language.
____________
Wayne Schiess
Director of Legal Writing | The University of Texas School of Law | Website | Seminars | Articles | Books: Preparing Legal Documents Nonlawyers Can Read and Understand
| Better Legal Writing
| Writing for the Legal Audience
| The Legal Memo: A Basic Guide
7. In the classroom, I mostly “dance with the one that brung ya” and rarely “think outside the box.”
My teaching style is almost pure lecture. I don't ask many questions, and I don't try to get my students engaged in a discussion. I don't do many in-class exercises or group work. I talk. And I don't even talk in a linear, logical way. I ramble, I go off on tangents, and I sometimes even forget what I was originally saying.
Now, at the risk of sounding boastful, my talking is not bad. I tell funny stories, I crack jokes, and I keep my energy high. I'm passionate about legal writing, and I show it. I've been teaching in this humor-laden, intense, entertaining style for 17 years, and I'm comfortable with it. I feel it's "who I am."
But experts on teaching might say that my approach appeals primarily (only?) to those with an aural learning style: those who learn by listening. I probably do poorly with those who learn by seeing, writing, or doing. I also have not used much technology in my classroom, although I am using Powerpoint slides for the first time in my 1L course this year. I don't really like the interactive student-response devices I was encouraged to use this year. I don't show videos or play audio clips.
No doubt about it: I do not take full advantage of modern classroom technology. I talk.
I know I should innovate or try the innovations others recommend. But when I do, I feel I'm not as effective. If you want a true, deeply psychological confession, when I do something different from what I've always done in the classroom, I feel I'm not myself. Weird, huh?
Next: I'm obsessed with hyper-formality and plain language.
____________
Wayne Schiess
Director of Legal Writing | The University of Texas School of Law | Website | Seminars | Articles | Books: Preparing Legal Documents Nonlawyers Can Read and Understand
| Better Legal Writing
| Writing for the Legal Audience
| The Legal Memo: A Basic Guide
Wayne
Adopting some tactics for educating adults can make your work physically and mentally easier for you and more effective for students.
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