• chiliedogg@lemmy.world
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    1 day ago

    I’ve done public speaking in many formats. I’ve done Q&As with the public as a municipal employee. I’ve made speeches and staff reports in the same role. I teach at a local university. I used to be a preacher. I’ve spoken to crowds of 3 and crowds of thousands.

    In all cases - yep. The nodders are the best people.

    In one of my old jobs, the manager knew I was great with crowds, so he decided I should do YouTube videos on some of the same topics.

    It did NOT work. Turns out I need the nodders.

    • PoopingCough@lemmy.world
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      1 day ago

      A good producer would sit beside/behind the camera and make eye contact/nod for you. Not your fault. Staring in to a camera lens is not a naturally comfortable thing to do!

  • FiniteBanjo@feddit.online
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    23 hours ago

    NGL, whenever everything was clicking, I was writing notes with examples, and the only time I ever looked up and nodded intently was when I didn’t understand a single thing being talked about.

  • IWW4@lemmy.zip
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    1 day ago

    Could that be because they are active listeners and participate in the class?

    • Grimy@lemmy.world
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      1 day ago

      I do it to help since it reassures the person. I nod in meetings even if I’m not listening.

      • pohart@sh.itjust.works
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        1 day ago

        I once admitted to a professor after a particular class that I was too intent on looking engaged that day and forgot to actually engage with the material. She was heartbroken!

  • TomMasz@lemmy.world
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    1 day ago

    I hate to admit it, but this is true. My favorite students have always been the ones who do this.

  • Mantzy81@aussie.zone
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    1 day ago

    I’m a nodder. Consequently I’m also shit at taking notes but engage in the class instead and remember it more from pictures in my mind i.e. a visual learner. I also ask questions. It works for me, at least in subjects I’m interested in - at least up to MSc level. If it’s something I’m not interested in, even notes won’t help! In one ear and out the other.

    When teaching/presenting, knowing that people pick things up in different ways, I offer both a visual presentation and a paper version with key points I’m talking about so the note-takers can write on something (even if they were just going to fill up a notebook anyway!

    • Jankatarch@lemmy.world
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      1 day ago

      I recently learned about dream journaling.

      After you wake up, you write down what happened in your dreams, and it trains your brain to remember your dreams more accurately.

      So I started taking notes from memory after class is done, idea is to train my ability to recall and I don’t have to get distracted writing stuff down.

      All of this is speculation as I didn’t have chance to test over any full semesters yet.

    • RagingRobot@lemmy.world
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      1 day ago

      Yeah I was never a note taker either. I always hated classes where they expected you to take notes and share them with other people who were out. That always drove me crazy. Like my notes would make no sense to anyone but me lol. Do people have a standardized way to take notes? Same with people asking to see your notes. No way. It feels kind of personal in a way.

      Maybe I’m crazy

      • Mantzy81@aussie.zone
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        1 day ago

        Any “notes” I take are a series of nouns, kinda like flashcards. They would mean nothing to anyone who wasn’t there.

    • Caesium@lemmy.world
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      1 day ago

      I nod to indicate listening so much that I’ll do it when I’m not even been seen >m< it happens over voice chat w my friends and sometimes even with videos

  • darthsundhaft@piefed.social
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    1 day ago

    This reminds me of how one time that one professor called me out for nodding all the time. He chose to stop the lecture after seeing my nod to him and he asked me a random question on the subject. I couldn’t answer him and he dead ass looks me in the eyes and tells me “so you don’t really understand”. Never nodded for him after that.

  • Mac@mander.xyz
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    1 day ago

    Omg this is me. I’m 1000% a nodder, always.
    I have to pay attention because my retention is bad enough, even doing so. lol

  • Zacryon@feddit.org
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    1 day ago

    There is quite a large chunk of professors who need the interaction with students and see their faces and reactions to be happy on the job. That was most apparent when covid shit hit the fan and the time after when they were all so incredibly happy to see students onsite again (and no longer recorded classes unfortunately).

    • taiyang@lemmy.world
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      1 day ago

      I ended up being quite ok teaching over zoom, but I’m young(ish) and treat it like a streamer. Utilize chat, especially.

      I’ll still admit that good professors read the room to stay engaging though; doing so without cameras, it’s more up to your imagination.

  • Big_Boss_77@fedinsfw.app
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    1 day ago

    It’s called the “SLANT” technique:

    S - sit up

    L - lean forward

    A - answer questions

    N - nod

    T - track the speaker

  • Eat_Your_Paisley@lemmy.world
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    1 day ago

    I’m pretty indifferent to whether the speaker/prof think I’m the greatest. I’m in the room for either a grade or to take in information it’s not important to be the persons friend.

    • RagingRobot@lemmy.world
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      You would think so but I got my first job that helped launch my career from a recommendation of one of my professors. If I was like you idk if I would have ever gotten a job.

      I don’t think college is only about learning, in fact after going through it I’m convinced it’s more about networking.

    • Sergio@piefed.social
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      1 day ago

      Looking attentive in meetings, that’s a skill. It’s a good one to practice. People can tell if you’re indifferent to them.

      At some point in your life you’re going to be in a meeting with someone you really want to impress. Will you have that skill? Or will you only think that you do?

      • Eat_Your_Paisley@lemmy.world
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        1 day ago

        People.know I’m indifferent in meetings since I’m at a point in my career where I run them. I’ve had multiple bosses in my life and they’ve all wanted information presented to them in a different ways, its my job to figure that out.

    • Viking_Hippie@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      1 day ago

      to take in information if it’s important not to be the persons friend

      Why would it be important not to be the person’s friend? And why would that being less crucial keep you from learning? 🤔

      • Eat_Your_Paisley@lemmy.world
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        1 day ago

        Did I say I would do less learning?

        What I said was I’m not going to follow the person at the lectern to make the person feel better, their feels aren’t my business.

        • Viking_Hippie@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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          1 day ago

          I know. I was just being a brat about your lack of punctuation changing the literal meaning of the sentence from the one that logically follows 😁

  • garbagebagel@lemmy.world
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    1 day ago

    Just want to apologize for my college professors that had to watch me nod off in my early classes.

    In my defence, I was hung over. I shouldn’t have been allowed to go to college.

  • Oka@sopuli.xyz
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    1 day ago

    Thats me, nodding and mhm-ing. Asking followup questions and consuming more info