A Master Communicator

My first BA is in Public Speaking and Communication.  Obviously, I took many, many public speaking classes.  My teachers taught public speaking and communication.  I never envisioned them as a public speaker or communicator.  Until, I had Dr. Loganbill as my professor.  Dr. Loganbill was a speaker and a communicator in addition to being an exceptional professor.  I learned so much from observing him.
Dr. Loganbill started every class with a story.  But, it was more than a story.  It was a powerful story that set the tone for our class.  Sometimes, the story lasted 5 minutes, and other times, it might only be a sentence… on rare special occasions, it was one powerful word.  His mannerisms and first sentence grabbed our attention.   There were never any side conversations.  No one came to class late.  Everyone was absorbed in his introduction.  Sometimes he spoke very softly; if you were paying attention, you might have lost the first few words.  Other times, he spoke in accents or with various characterizations. 
Dr. Loganbill never sat at his desk during class (unless he was listening to us present).  He walked amongst us.  He looked at us in the eye; his look never threatened us, but instead, when he looked at me, I felt that he really wanted me to learn.  Much of the time, he used gestures during his stories and his lectures.  He was totally involved and never seemed bored.  He was more than a professor, and yet, he wasn’t an actor.  He was, indeed, a communicator.  When Dr. Loganbill communicated with us, he listened.  In addition to listening, he heard every word we said, and he responded. 
Without a doubt, I would model my own communication behaviors after Dr. Loganbill.  In many ways, I hope that I do.  About three years ago, I presented my first early childhood workshop through my own company.  Following the workshop, I sent Dr. Loganbill a note explaining what I was doing with my life and the impact that his teachings had on my presentation.  It was about 20 years since I was in Dr. Loganbill’s class.  I received a lovely letter thanking me for sharing this instance with him.  He was still teaching at the college.  He mentioned a specific speech that I presented based on a Tennessee Williams’ story.  I could not believe that he remembered; I cried.
In four more years, he would celebrate his 40^th year teaching public speaking.  Dr. Loganbill passed away from cancer three years later.  I was so happy that I took the time to thank him.  Every time I begin a workshop with a “special” opening, I know that I have Dr. Loganbill to thank.  His enthusiasm in the classroom as a presenter, communicator, and educator will remain with me often.  I believe he understood his tremendous impact on his students.  I certainly hope so.  He was a master communicator!