On Teaching: "A Neglected Machine"

Yesterday I enjoyed using the overhead transparency in my classes – amazingly enough, for one of the few times in my teaching career! This practical machine has been sitting in a corner of my classroom for years, and yet I have rarely made use of it. Every few years I have pulled it out and used it for several days, but never consistently, and never with a real plan in mind. I have no idea why I have ignored it, because it is certainly a useful piece of equipment for a teacher of writing. As an example, yesterday I spent a few minutes in each class looking at transparencies of excellent student writing. It took only about 5 minutes of class time, but in just those few minutes I was able to convey some crucial ideas about improving writing. I faced the students as we discussed what was on the screen, and I could see that they were extremely attentive. They were definitely learning from the lesson. Hopefully this can become a regular part of my teaching routine. Perhaps it’s a forerunner of the Smartboard for me. If I can learn how to prepare and present lessons on the overhead projector, that should naturally lead to some effective lessons on the Smartboard. (Let’s hope the overhead projector doesn’t end up back in a dusty corner in the next few weeks.