Putting on Your Court Reporter Hat


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When I was a kid, I loved to watch Reading Rainbow.  It came on right after Sesame Street, if I can recall correctly.  My all-time favorite Reading Rainbow episode was one I remember seeing many, many times. The episode was called a Three Hat Day and featured the same-titled book, A Three Hat Day by Laura Geringer and Arnold Lobel. Something about that episode was so magical. I watched it every time it came on. When LeVar Burton, the host, put on different hats, he was transported to different places based on the hat he put on. He put on a jockey's hat and instantly he was riding on the horse in the middle of a race.  He put on a hockey mask and became the goalie in the NHL, and the last one, I believe, was putting on a train conductor's hat.

So the question occurred to me, what kind of a hat does a court reporter wear? And wouldn't that be awesome if it were that easy? To just put on a court reporter's hat and be done with school and be out in the working world would be pressing the proverbial easy button. Unfortunately such a magic bullet doesn't exist, so get practicing! Of course, you can finish reading this post. THEN get to practicing.

Figuratively speaking, a student does have to put on their thinking cap. Always be listening to others, TV, and radio for new words to add to your dictionary. Never hesitate to try a new steno technique out. Be a force of positive energy around your fellow students. Dress the part.

Or literally speaking, when it comes to breaking away from your loved ones to go get your practice hours in, you could don a favorite hat or sweatshirt to get in the zone, so to say. Then take it off when you're done practicing. (Wash it frequently!) Make a rule that there's no surfing the net or being interrupted in between takes while wearing your court reporting "hat." We have to learn to tune out distractions while working, so we might as well start now. Sorry, hun, for not saying hi right away when you get home. xoxo

Just like a runner can buy a new pair of jogging shoes or athletic gear to spice up their workout routine, we too can find "the magic" again and get excited to practice. These are what I throw on when I'm not to be bothered while practicing.

I made these. So happy w/ how they turned out!

Another Brick in the Steno Wall (Frustration!)

No one's immune to experiencing frustration and a lack of focus, even steno students. I've been experiencing a bout of steno ADD and a string of unsuccessful takes lately, but I'm confident that this, too, will pass.

Just like most get-rich-quick schemes are too good to be true, there's no magic secret to success as a court reporting or captioning student other than physically putting in the practice hours. See my 10,000 hours post on the subject.

If you're just passing through, or if you have already read it and just need a quick refresher, here's the long and the short of it: Like learning an instrument, the most important factor that determines someone's success in steno is the amount of focused, practice-with-a-purpose time put in. No one that puts in the hours should not succeed in becoming a stenographer and passing their state CSR and/or RPR test.

I replied to a fellow student's frustrated message on twitter the other day saying, "... every practice hour is a brick in the wall of success."

Provided that you have a good foundation (solid knowledge of your theory), lay your bricks straight (practice with good technique, and don't accept slop), use the proper mix for the mortar (practicing drills in all categories), and check it with a level as you go (reading back from your notes, noticing patterns of mistakes, & working on those), you will eventually finish your wall and get out of steno school so you can start earning money.


If you're in the same boat as me, check out these inspiring links that should get you focused and back on track to steno success.

Distracted by Facebook/twitter updates, the internet, shiny things, and just about anything instead of practicing? Check out this article to kick the habit.

If your mind wants to get out of school but part of you is holding you back, listen to this excellent radio show that @StenYes shared on twitter.

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." -Lao-tzu