ABSTRACT
Philosopher Mortimer Adler said he always kept a small notepad in his pocket, and when he was introduced to someone, he would take out the notepad and write down the person’s name. He said it does wonders for the memory. The habit of taking notes in class takes practice, and such practice leads to better learning. It doesn’t take a great deal of skill; merely establishing a habit of writing down thoughts that seem important during a lesson. Try this experiment with your class. Make some notes about the important ideas, skills, and knowledge in a lesson. Then teach the lesson, asking your students to take notes during it. Afterward, hold a reflective session with the class in which you compare your notes for the lesson with the notes they have taken. This is a wonderful opportunity to “gently” teach note-taking skills.
