When I was using mostly my laptop to teach, I didn’t realize this as much.  Now that I am using a tablet to teach, I realize that the lectern is often missing from classrooms.  I have used everything from a styrofoam box to a thick Webster dictionary and needless to say, they did not work that well.  They simply were not sturdy enough for me to write on:

Thus I have been looking for a solution, and I think I came across a good one in the Bed Desk.  I ordered one on Etsy and it came quick (since it was made in California).  The Bed Desk came wrapped in bubble wrap:

I opt for the Natural Barewood model:

There were some sawdust but not bad.  I put it into action the very next day in class:

It was at just the right height for me to be speaking and annotating on the tablet.  I tilted the lid slightly but left the ledge down and that was enough to place my iPad Pro securely on the surface.  With the ledge up it would be more secure, but it wasn’t comfortable annotating with my wrist resting on the ledge.

On the side is a hole that is perfectly shaped for the Apple Pencil:

The lid could be lowered to be flush with the desk and the whole table could be folded up into about the size of a thin briefcase.

My experience with the Bed Desk after my first trial is really positive.  Though I didn’t do that during class, the lid was wide enough for me to slip my lecture notes next to my iPad Pro.  Overall, I think this is a good portable lectern that I can see myself using it very often.

Manufacturer website with video: The BedDesk