Micro-teaching


This page covers:

  • What is micro-teaching?

  • Support for micro-teaching

  • Planning your session

  • Things to consider

  • Structure

  • Delivering your session

  • A few tips

  • Timing

  • Assessing learning

  • Evaluating your session

  • Micro-teach resources for immediate download


What is micro-teaching?

Micro-teaching is about delivering a short session, usually to your peer group (in person or online). It's often a requirement if you are working towards a teaching qualification. It's the opportunity to demonstrate your skills, knowledge and understanding either in the subject you will teach, or a topic of your choice.

A point to remember is that the session is not about you – it’s about the learning which is taking place. Time will go quickly so it’s best to rehearse the session in advance.


Support for micro-teaching

  • A few micro-teaching resources are available to purchase with immediate download upon checkout. Just scroll down this page.
    More resources are available for the micro-teach session (ideal if you are teaching and assessing it), and for other qualifications by clicking here.

  • Videos can be seen by clicking here. 

  • An online module regarding delivering a micro-teach session is available. Ref T/18 at £18.


Planning your session

Think carefully about the topic you will deliver and have a realistic aim which can be achieved within the time allocated. You can see me talking about the micro-teach session in the video.

Prepare a session plan which shows the teaching, learning and assessment activities to be used (along with timings for each) and the resources you will use. 

An example of a completed session plan is available for purchase towards the end of this page - Ref M9055 at Â£2.


Things to consider

There are lots of things you will need to consider and find out in advance, such as:

  • How long will my session be, when and where will it take place? 

  • Who will observe me and how (in person or online), will they need a copy of my session plan in advance?

  • Will the observer make a visual recording or do I need to do this?

  • What equipment and resources are available for me to use? 

  • Can I choose my own topic?

  • How many people will there be in the group that I will teach? Are these people provided for me, are they my peers, or do I have to find suitable people to be my learners?

  • How can I find out any individual needs, and any prior knowledge that my learners might have?

  • Can I show a video clip? If so, how long can it be? 

  • How will I receive feedback afterwards and when will I know if I have passed?

A handout regarding ideas for a micro teach session, and questions to ask is available for purchase towards the end of this page - Ref M9054B at Â£1. 


Structure

Your session should have a beginning (the introduction), a middle section (the development) and an ending (the summary/conclusion) which should lead to a logical progression of learning. You should not be speaking for the majority of the session and your learners should be more active than passive.

Having a rationale will help you when structuring your session. An example of a completed rationale is available for purchase towards the end of this page - Ref M9056 at £2.


Delivering your session

You may feel nervous which is quite normal, but there's no need to say so as it probably won't be noticeable. If you can, try to imagine you are acting a role and this should help to boost your confidence and calm your nerves. 

You are the teacher in this situation; you will need to stay focused, be in control and not let any personal issues affect your performance.

See this link for more information about teaching and learning.


A few tips

  • Rehearse your session beforehand and make sure the environment is set up to suit your subject.

  • If you are being visually recorded or assessed remotely, try not to look at the camera. You will need to ensure that your learners agree to the recording taking place, in advance. If you are setting up the recording equipment, test it first and ensure that both you are your learners will be in the camera shot. Recordings submitted for assessment cannot be edited in any way.

  • Before you start, take a few deep breaths, smile and use eye contact with your learners; this should help you to relax. You can then introduce yourself by saying Hello, my name is ..., followed by your session aim.

  • Don’t tell your learners if you are nervous as it probably won’t show.

  • Be aware of your posture, speak a little more loudly and slowly than normal - as being anxious or nervous may make you speak softly or quickly.

  • If you feel you are shaking, it is highly likely no one will notice.

  • If your mind suddenly goes blank, take a couple of deep breaths for a few seconds and look at your session plan to help you refocus; it might seem a long time to you but it won’t to your learners.

  • You will need to establish a rapport with your learners and engage and interact with them from the start. Asking the question What experience, if any, do you have of this topic? is a good way of involving your learners in your subject from the start, and helps you to check any prior knowledge.

  • Keep your session plan handy as a prompt. If you feel you might forget something, use a highlight pen beforehand to mark a few key words which you can quickly glance at.

  • Keep things simple, don’t complicate things or try to deliver too much information too quickly. Conversely, don’t expect too much from your learners, as your subject may be very new to them.

  • Try to use names when talking to your learners, and if possible address everyone in the group at some point during the session. Having your learners’ names written down in advance will help, perhaps on a sketch of a seating plan.

  • Encourage your learners to ask questions, and to clarify any points at any time.

  • Develop your session by using a variety of teaching and learning approaches and activities to keep your learners interested and motivated.

  • Summarise and recap regularly to reinforce your points. Don’t be afraid to repeat things.

  • Assess what has been learnt, for example, by asking questions. Remember that the session is not about you, it's about the learning taking place. 

  • It’s useful to have a spare activity just in case you have extra time to fill, and to know what you can remove if you are short of time.

  • Do keep an eye on a clock or a watch as you might find time will go quickly.

A handout with over 40 tips is available for purchase towards the end of this page - Ref M9054A at Â£1.50.

You could access YouTube to watch some good (and not so good) micro-teach sessions by other people. Many videos have been uploaded, watching them might help you to see what to do, and what not to do.


Timing

The timing of activities needs to be followed carefully; if you are only delivering a 15 minute session you may not have time for group activities. If you use practical activities, think what you will be doing while your learners are working, i.e. moving around them and observing or asking questions shows that you are in control. 

Longer sessions i.e. 30 minutes or one hour, benefit from a mixture of teaching and learning approaches and the use of different assessment activities. If you have delivered a practical task, you will need to observe that your learners have the skill to demonstrate it, and have the required understanding to explain why they are doing it that way.


Assessing learning

During your session, you will need to assess that learning has taken place. Assessment can take place at key points, for example, by asking open questions to check knowledge as the session progresses.

Open questions begin with: who, what, whenwhere, why and how, and all learners should be included.

Closed questions will only give a yes or no response, which doesn't demonstrate that learning has taken place.

If you are assessing group activities, you will need to determine what each individual learner has achieved.

Information and resources regarding assessment can be located on this page.

Try to use the PPP (Pose, Pause, Pick) method when asking questions. Pose a question, pause for a second or two, then pick a learner to answer. This allows everyone in the group to think of an answer, rather than refraining from listening to the question because you mentioned the name of another learner beforehand. If you have a small group, you could plan to ask one open question to each learner. You might like to plan what questions you will ask in advance, and have a list of names you can cross off when you've asked each learner a question.

Once you have assessed that learning has taken place, you can provide feedback to your learners in a constructive way. If you don’t, they won’t know if they have been successful or not. Assessment should not be in isolation from teaching and learning during your session. Feedback should not demoralise your learners, it should be constructive and developmental.

If you are unsure of how to end your session, you can repeat your aim (which should have been achieved) and then say Thank you, I’ve enjoyed my session with you today. This will indicate to your group that you have finished. Make sure you tidy the area afterwards. Try and refrain from saying things like 'I'm glad that's over', or 'I'm finished now'. Just remember that you are a professional and, as such, you should end your session in a professional way.


Evaluating your session

Evaluating your session is an important aspect of your own learning and development. You might think that you have done really well, but you might have received some helpful feedback afterwards from your tutor and your peers, which could help you to improve further. Listen to them carefully and ask questions to clarify any points you are unsure of. 

Try not to interrupt or become defensive when you are receiving feedback, and don’t take anything personally.

When evaluating yourself and your session, consider:

  • your strengths

  • areas for development

  • any action and improvements required, from both a teaching perspective and your subject perspective.

An example of a completed evaluation form is available for purchase towards the end of this page - Ref M9057 at £2.

 

If you are required to provide feedback to others (or your peers) who have delivered their micro-teach session, an example of a completed peer feedback form is available for purchase towards the end of this page - Ref M9059 at Â£2.


Micro-teach resources available for immediate download


If you are a teacher/assessor of the micro-teach session, a PowerPoint and other resources to help you prepare for and carry out the observation (including completed examples) are available on this page.


Information leaflet - Delivering a Micro-teach Session (£1.50)
(Ref M9004A)
8 pages covering• What is a micro-teach session? • Questions to ask in advance • Planning • Preparing • Delivering (the beginning, middle and ending sections) • What makes a good session? • Evaluating • Reading list • Website list 


Handout - Micro-teach Ideas and Questions (£1.00)
(Ref M9054B)
1 page listing approximately 36 ideas for a micro teach session, along with approximately 20 questions to ask beforehand to be fully organised 


Handout - Micro-teach Tips (£1.50)
(Ref M9054A)
3 pages of information detailing over 40 micro-teaching tips for a successful micro-teach session i.e. what to do before, during and afterwards


Template - Rationale for a Micro-teach Session (in Word) (£1.00)
(Ref AT011)
3 page template with approximately 18 questions to help write a rationale for the micro-teach session. See below for a completed example: Ref M9056


Completed Example of a Rationale for a Micro-teach Session (£2.00)
(M9056)
6 page rationale consisting of completed questions from the above template (Ref AT011) along with a 750 word written rationale. This is linked to the completed example of a micro-teach session plan (Ref M9055) which is available to purchase separately in this section below.


Template - Session Plan (in Word) (£50p)
(Ref AT007)
1 page pro-forma with relevant headings and boxes to help structure the content of a session plan. Ideal for any type of session i.e. a micro teach session to peers or a teaching session to learners. Can easily be adapted to suit your own requirements. See below for a completed example: Ref M9055


Completed Example of a Session Plan (£1.50)
(Ref M9055)
2 page example of a completed micro teach session plan for a 30 minute delivery based on ‘non-verbal communication skills’. Includes the use of SMART objectives, appropriate timings, resources, teaching, learning and assessment activities. A blank version in Word is available above: Ref AT007


Template - Micro-teach Self Evaluation Form (in Word) (£1.00)
(Ref AT009)
1 page template in Word with approximately 15 questions to aid the self evaluation process after delivering a micro teach session. Can easily be adapted to suit your own requirements. See below for a completed example: Ref M9057


Completed Example of a Micro-teach Self Evaluation Form (£2.00)
(Ref M9057)
3 page completed example of a self evaluation form for the micro-teach session – based on the rationale (Ref M9056) and session plan (Ref M9055) for a 30 minute delivery based on ‘non-verbal communication skills’. A blank version in Word is available above: Ref AT009


Template - Micro-teach Peer Feedback Form (in Word) (£1.00)
(Ref AT010)
1 page template in Word with approximately 15 questions to aid the peer feedback process. Can easily be adapted to suit your own requirements. See below for a completed example: Ref M9059


Completed Example of a Micro-teach Peer Feedback Form (£2.00)
(Ref M9059)
3 page completed example of a peer feedback for an observed micro-teach session. A blank version in Word is available above: Ref AT010



More resources are available,

click here for details.


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