Today I passed out written answers to my game theory problem set and then went over the answers. Students pointed out that I made a mistake in the answers I handed out, but not in the verbal explanation I was currently giving. I tried to read the answer handout but found it really hard to read at that moment. I’ve noticed before that when I’m lecturing my brain isn’t very good at reading for even brief periods. Is this just me, or is there some general phenomenon at work? I almost never read when lecturing so this isn’t a significant problem, but it is an interesting one. I don’t think that lecturing reduces my ability to do math (which I do all the time when teaching) or to speak articulately.
I usually make notes for my lectures, but I usually find myself unable to read and follow them in real time. Not sure why.
I have this vague feeling that written notes usually have some “tree structure”, while speech has a “linear structure”, and that creates the tension. Like, writing “1, 1.a, 1.b; 2, 2.a, 2.b” on paper makes sense, but when you speak, it helps to have some smooth transition from e.g. “1.b” to “2”, and sometimes it is easier to go from “1.b” to “2.b” instead. But maybe I am just making things up now.
I’ve had the experience where I read for a long time and then go talk to people and my voice doesn’t work correctly on the first try and is barely audible. I assume it is because my brain got too good at suppressing subvocalization while reading.
Today I passed out written answers to my game theory problem set and then went over the answers. Students pointed out that I made a mistake in the answers I handed out, but not in the verbal explanation I was currently giving. I tried to read the answer handout but found it really hard to read at that moment. I’ve noticed before that when I’m lecturing my brain isn’t very good at reading for even brief periods. Is this just me, or is there some general phenomenon at work? I almost never read when lecturing so this isn’t a significant problem, but it is an interesting one. I don’t think that lecturing reduces my ability to do math (which I do all the time when teaching) or to speak articulately.
I usually make notes for my lectures, but I usually find myself unable to read and follow them in real time. Not sure why.
I have this vague feeling that written notes usually have some “tree structure”, while speech has a “linear structure”, and that creates the tension. Like, writing “1, 1.a, 1.b; 2, 2.a, 2.b” on paper makes sense, but when you speak, it helps to have some smooth transition from e.g. “1.b” to “2”, and sometimes it is easier to go from “1.b” to “2.b” instead. But maybe I am just making things up now.
I’ve had the experience where I read for a long time and then go talk to people and my voice doesn’t work correctly on the first try and is barely audible. I assume it is because my brain got too good at suppressing subvocalization while reading.