Class that repels note-taking

I am extremely fortunate to have great classes my freshman year in college; none of the professors take delight in seeing students struggle, and all of my classes are fairly interesting and challenging. My fellow students are polite and friendly, and many have the same interests that I have. If I need extra help or simply need clarification, many professors will be willing to take time out of their busy schedules to help me with my individual needs.
One of my favorite classes this year is Ideas and Cultures. The professor is friendly and engaging, and, unlike most literature assigned at school, the material is actual interesting and typically fun to read. Unfortunately, this class has one major problem: it is nearly impossible to take good notes in this class. The professor will write one or two words on the board and quickly move on to another topic. Sometimes it is difficult to listen and get the gist of what should be written down at the same time. As good notes are essential to successfully taking courses, this problem could easily become a hinderance to my academic success.
Luckily for me, my Converse 101 class has just finished teaching us how to take notes even when the lecture is difficult to translate onto paper. I will simply have to try and grasp the "big picture" and selectively take notes instead of trying to write down everything that is said in the lecture. I will have to be an active listener and participant in this class; I cannot be afraid to ask for clarification or repetition of something I did not catch. Staying focused and not succumbing to frustration at missing a single detail will also help me in my efforts to take good notes. I hope these techniques will help me become a better listener, note-taker, and student, especially in a class I enjoy so much.