Preparing for Your Demo Lessons

  • Choose the topic for your lesson; it should be content that is appropriate for the grade and subject you will be teaching next year.
  • Decide which part of the lesson you will demonstrate. You will have 7 minutes. Don’t try to squeeze a 50-minute lesson into 7 minutes.
  • Plan for active learning and/or assessment.
  • You will be teaching to a group of 6-8.
  • Develop a written lesson plan. Plan for the entire class period lesson. Highlight the 7-minute portion you will use in your demo.
  • Print and bring 3 copies of your lesson plan. Please note that you will not be able to print on-site at the workshop location.
    • Give one copy to your instructor before beginning your first demo lesson. Your instructor will follow along during your lesson.
    • The other copies are for making modifications for your second lesson.
  • Gather all materials necessary for your lesson, including printed handouts, manipulatives, etc. Bring everything you and your “students” will need. Again, please note that you will not be able to print on-site at the workshop location.
  • In the demo lesson room, you will have access to a projector/screen, dry erase surface, and markers.
  • Bring your own laptop if you plan to project on the screen during your demo lesson. The projector will be HDMI. Please bring an adapter if needed.
  • Set the stage for your demo lesson by sharing a few details as you begin:
    • Subject and content
    • Age group of students
    • Are we starting at the beginning of the lesson or coming in at the middle or end?
  • Your 7-minute demo lesson will be recorded.
  • You will watch the video playback with your group and then share your thoughts, beginning with things that went well.
  • Your instructor and small group will share successful parts of the lesson they observed.
  • Discuss what to change or improve for the second lesson.
  • Taking suggestions from the group discussion and information from the general sessions, make modifications to your lesson plan.
  • Teach your second demo lesson using the modifications you made to the original lesson plan.
  • We are looking for growth and improvement from your first lesson to the second. How did you use what was learned to improve the original lesson plan, student activities, and delivery?