Teaching+Demos

TC Demonstrations Coaching for Teaching Demos How-to participate in Teaching Demonstration discussions Teaching Demo Schedule

**Hints for Successful Demonstrations **              
 * What makes an effective demonstration? While there is no absolute formula, the most effective demonstrations tend to include some or all of the following: **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Prepare a clear lesson plan format that aligns with Michigan’s GLCEs and is linked to research (e.g., resources in the UPWP Lending Library)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Keep in mind the dual purposes of - LEARNING TO WRITE/WRITING TO LEARN. Which of these is the stronger focus or purpose of your lesson?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Explain briefly how this approach to writing evolved a) out of your own teaching and experimenting, b) out of the reading you have done, and c) out of your own thinking and reflecting.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Use your reading and inquiry to explain how this lesson relates to research about “best practice” in writing instruction.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">What two questions should Fellows keep in mind as they participate in the lesson?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Involve the participants in a writing activity. Rather than describing an approach, have the teachers do it in the same way your students do. Experiencing a teaching approach as learners makes it easier to apply it in one’s own classroom. However, do not ask us to “role play” or act like children.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">If possible, use examples of student writing to illustrate how your students’ completed assignments look. (Before school dismisses for summer, try to collect some student work which might support your demonstration.)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Identify and/or illustrate any specific problems your students have had during this lesson and how you have helped them with any problems.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Include a handout which enables your colleagues to adapt the demonstration to their own teaching situations. The handout should explain how to use the lesson.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Avoid the following: **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Reading a prepared presentation.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Describing everything you do as a teacher of writing or all of the lessons which precede or follow this lesson, i.e., trying to cover so much that you are focusing on nothing.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Describing extraneous, albeit interesting, matters at great length, e.g., your school problems, your school or departmental program, grading or assessment policies and problems in your school, etc.