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A few years ago, a retired court reporter enrolled in my large general oceanography course. This diligent student used her considerable skill to take down, and transcribe, every word spoken and every data set presented through the course of our 16-week semester. She didn’t miss a day. At the end of the class, she presented me with a thick tome containing the transcript and her ancillary notes. Of course, I was horrified to read the sentence fragments, asides, incomplete thoughts, and occasional errors in my presentations. I became a better lecturer because of her.