LLTT Newsletter #13 - May 2024
LLTT - Issue #13 - May 2024
Seven Falls To Make A Horseman
In her 1961 book “Your First Year of Teaching Shorthand,” author Marion Minerva Lamb wrote: “it takes seven falls to make a horseman…and it is just as true that even our best students are going to roll up a tidy score of errors before they achieve any real skill in stenography.”
How refreshing - knowing full well that no one escapes those stages where you need to “accumulate your errors” before becoming competent. Even the most skilled practitioners had to go through their own "falls" before mastering their craft.
"Mistakes are proof that you are trying." - Jennifer Lim
Understanding that mistakes are an integral part of growth, let's look at some common practice habits that might not lead to the outcome you want. You don’t need to address them all at once. Pick one or two and see if your progress doesn’t accelerate.
Constantly drilling at high speed.
While it's necessary to push yourself beyond your comfort zone to improve, it's also essential to strike a balance and not forget to work at slower speeds. For instance, if you're currently able to transcribe a two to three minute dictation at 80 words per minute, consider challenging yourself with a longer dictation, such as a four to five minute piece at 60 words per minute.
Not compiling a list of "trouble words".
You know you have them. So create a short list of your trouble words that you want to conquer. Practice before class, after work, during a break, before a meal, in the middle of the day, at the end of the day and/or before you go to bed. Create flashcards if you must. As those words become second nature, replace them with “new” words.
Practising for long periods of time without a break.
Your mind must be allowed to rest. While we are not suggesting you practise LESS, there is much merit in the (often-quoted) advice that four 15-minute sessions can allow you to accomplish more than one sixty minute session. Break it up. This also gives you the freedom to recognise that all practice adds up. While you do need to devote appropriate time to mastering your craft, it does not all need to be in one-hour increments.
Never drilling WITHIN your comfort zone.
Slower dictations allow you to concentrate on writing neatly (something that often gets left behind in the never-ending rush for speed). If you’re working on a prepared dictation (where you have read it ahead of time and have worked out the unfamiliar bits), you can concentrate on the quality of your notes. If you are going the unprepared route (a sight-unseen dictation), a slower dictation can gauge your skill in recalling outlines without too much pressure.
Avoiding theory revision.
When was the last time you reviewed your theory book? Enough said. Five minutes per day. No excuses. You’ll be surprised at what you’ve forgotten.
“We need repetition as much as we needed education in the first place.”
-William James
Sticking with outlines and/or groupings that you KNOW slow you down.
This one isn’t discussed often enough and goes hand-in-hand with not focusing on your trouble words. However, there is a big difference between a good outline or grouping that (for whatever reason) you haven’t gotten the hang of and just need to work on and, and an outline/grouping that (for whatever reason) just doesn’t work for you. This is where reading printed Teeline can come in handy. It isn’t until you are exposed to more of what’s out there that you realise there might be a better way of writing it! When in doubt, you can always ask us! And remember, if you just turn off the volume, the vast majority of our material on YouTube can be used as reading practice.
So there you have it. What are your thoughts? Did we miss any that you feel are important? Let us know!
Freelancing for Journalists (FFJ)
Published by FFJ in December 2023, this particular podcast episode on Court Reporting was quite informative!
We launch our specialism series by chatting to court reporter Charlie Moloney. We discuss how to cover Crown Court trials, how the commissioning process works and just how fast your shorthand needs to be. Charlie also talks about media law and how to challenge your right to report.
Court Reporting - Freelancing for Journalists
We launch our specialism series by chatting to court reporter Charlie Moloney. We discuss how to cover Crown Court trials, how the commissioning process...
If you’re looking for more information on court reporting, be sure to check out Reporting the Courts.
Thanks for reading!
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As always, if you have suggestions or topics you'd like to see covered in future newsletters, please contact us: https://www.letsloveteelinetogether.com/contact-us.
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A Parting Thought
"The secret of success in life is to keep busy, to be persevering, patient and untiring in the pursuit or calling you are following. The busy ones may now and then make mistakes, but it is better to risk these than to be idle and inactive. Keep doing, whether it be at work or seeking recreation. Motion is life and the busiest are the happiest. Cheerful, active labor is a blessing. An old philosopher said: The firefly only shines when on the wing; so it is with the mind; when once we rest, we darken."
-Frank Harrison
"Don't Get Worried. Don't Get Stressed. Let's Love Teeline Together."
