Don’t be a “lecturer.”

Quite often in higher education, the term “lecturer” is revered as the way educators should interact with learners. It is still used as an educational title in many Universities. When I think of the term, I think of someone who comes across bombastic or pompous. I believe the reason I dislike the term so much is because it exposes a bit of my own fragility related to imposter syndrome. Many of the people advising me when I was young instilled a feeling that I had a limited future based on my socioeconomic status, learning difference, and overall upbringing. I never imagined I would be a college educator. Despite a considerable amount of education and training in social interaction, I still tend to talk at people vs talking with them as an unconscious coping effect of feeling anxious. This is an opportunity of professional and personal growth for me.

Talking at people can taint a first impression and it can become annoying if it continues after a first interaction. Talking at people causes others to react as an audience rather than interact as participants in a conversation. The people in a social setting should not feel like they are spectators in a one-sided engagement, but rather contributors. The other people in the engagement will likely see you as being self-important –even boring. In her book, From Sage on the State to Guide on the Side, Alison King talks about the lecturer as the person who stands at the front of a classroom and imparts knowledge upon learners. Being a guide is more student-centered. From my training, I try to move about the classroom, listen, and look for signs that learners are interested in what I and OTHERS are saying. A teacher is trained to pause intermittently to look for affirmations and questions. We then move on if no signs of either are observed. Lecturers intend to appear knowledgeable. However, the resulting impression is more of being egotistical and less open to dialogue. It is better to guide learning conversations and allow the learners to construct their meaning making connections.

Through my education and training, I learned that adult learners respond well to contextualized education –instructional activities from which students can make connections with their own knowledge or visual situations in which the information and skills they are learning are useful. I try to share authentic stories that are interesting and relevant to the concepts being covered. Still, if a story is not relatable with the learners, they will quickly lose the intended connection. Again, it is important to read the room and watch for cues of interest. If there aren’t, it’s time to move on to the next topic. Humor is another attribute students tend to appreciate because it humanizes an instructor. However, the use of too much humor can have adverse effects in a learning environment. Humor should be used in measured moderation.

As educators, our mission is not to deliver comedic sets or have one-sided monologues. Our mission is to engage in student-centered dialog to inspire learners to think critically about the concepts we are teaching. A better way to engage with learners is to ask questions and coax out interests about concepts that students can reciprocate. It is important to have a keen eye for recognizing how to talk about concepts. That, often, is as important as the concepts themselves.