can any lecturer/teacher can help me to umderstand what is a microteach?

Question

When I go for an interview i am asked to prepare a micreteach for 10 mins or so on a chosen topic. What I need to know clearly is this:-
is microteach a part of a full one hour lesson or microteach is a whole lesson condensed into a 10 min micreteach lesson.I would appreciate if there is anyone who can help me out .

Answer 1

All above answers are right: it's a whole lesson that can be taught in 10 - 20 minutes, e.g., interpret 20 lines from Shakespeare; demonstrate how electricity is generated, etc. Short but complete teaching units.

As for planning, use Kolb's model:

1. Connect to any previous learning or put on a show and ask if they can guess what the lesson is about. Then state your aims and objectives and put them on the board or OHP. I used to write "Spider" on the board and ask them what they felt at gut level, then switched to the aims and objectives. (3 minutes)

2. Activate the observers with a demonstration or input. Use visual aids if possible (anything from a dirty spoon to working steam engine!) I used to get away with OHTs with overlays but these days you will probably need to use PowerPoint and zip key words in as appropriate. (3 minutes)

3. Set a new problem for the observers to show you they have learned your input. Involvement is a great way of passing the interview. Give them up to 3 minutes to show you they have learned something.

4. Consolidate (1 minute) by asking them what they learned and how they are going to remember it. Finish by asking the group if they felt they had been successful.

Good luck on your next interview.

Answer 2

Yep, gotta agree with Mercedes on this one.
A 'Micro-teach' is a pointless euphemism as well as a pretty pointless exercise.

What schools are looking to see is basically that you understand the beginning/middle/end theory of education... that you can be concise and show planning, and hit some (possibly pre-arranged) outcomes. With a 10 to 15 minutes 'micro-lesson'. This is, of course, impossible.

They also want to assure themselves that you won't freak out in front of a class. But as you will never have seen these kids before, and they will have just had to sit through 4 other candidates 'micro-teaching' THE SAME SUBJECT & THE SAME OBJECTIVES, this is, of course equally impossible.

They want to be assured that you have full control of 30 kids and can handle any difficult situations. But, following the self-same reasoning given above, and how bored the kids are by now with 'Ox-Bow lakes/Rennaisance poetry' (or W.H.Y.), this is, of course, totally impossible.

They also want to show you how well behaved their kids are, so that you will choose their school over any other. But, again, 10 mins with a hand-picked bunch of high-achieving year 9's tells you nothing. Except what bored and stifled teenagers are really capable of. So this one, too, it can be explained patiently, is also quite impossible.

They want to see which of their candidates can establish the best 'raport' with the students... but taking into account the paucity of time and the diminishing returns from having a class of even relatively bright students sit throught he same mini lesson several times, is - clearly - impossible.

Often Heads of Department are also looking for new ideas, and will attempt to steal candidates blind... except that when the other 5 notions above are all taken on board, this is not only pointless, it is also pretty much impossible.

After all of this, the HoD, Principal and which ever governers do not have real jobs (you'd be surprised) sit down and in half of an hour have to decide not only the fate of the candidates, but also the fate of their students and the future of the school. This is absolutely impossible.

But it is exactly situations like this that caused the advertising executives of the star system Bastablon to come up with the slogan: 'If you have already done six impossible things this morning, why not round it off with breakfast at Milliways, the Restaurant at the End of the Universe?'

Isn't teaching fun!

Answer 3

Micro teaching is the concept of training for the teaching. In case of micro teaching, short lesson plan is prepared and deliver in front of the simulated students( students are his/her friends). After the presentation of the lesson, there is feedback. According to feedback, it can be modified next time. So this is a way to prepare the preservice teacher before sending into the real classroom situation.

Answer 4

A micro-teach is a small fast tracked lesson, that has a clear beginning a middle bit and an end. The ain is to reach your goals and objectives as a teacher. The pupils must come away with more knowledege than what they had in the first place.