I had the opportunity to do a presentation yesterday at the Department of Licensing's annual Fall Conference for traffic safety instructors. It was pretty nerve-racking for me. Even though I have had little to no trouble standing in front of a group and speaking since I was a kid, this time was different for me. The auditorium was filled with 150 of my peers and DOL staff over traffic safety. I had my newborn daughter with me and we sat in the back before it was my turn to present. Half the people I saw in back had their phones out and were playing games.
I'm usually not a high-stress teacher. I don't have a lot of expectations for my audiences. Just that I like them to be awake. All of them. Including the one who only got a few hours of sleep the night before. I am relieved to report that although the first couple of minutes were awkward for me, the remainder of the presentation was fantastic...and even fun.
Humorous videos are more effective in getting a message across than lecture.
Having teams build a case and debate against each other in traffic court is more effective than lecture.
Getting out your phone to see how fast you can text, figuring out how far your car travels during that time and then watching this movie is far more effective than the best lecture in the world.
Even if you think you're the best speaker in the world, with the best subject ever, you will be cutting your sphere of influence short if you rely on lecture instead of engaging your listener.
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