ECT Interview Demo Lesson Tips
As part of the interview process Early Career Teachers will almost certainly be asked to give a demonstration lesson, or a part of a lesson.
Even though it can feel extremely daunting and the pressure of the application process can get you down, thankfully there are plenty of tips on how to effectively prepare for a test lesson.
Below are 10 helpful tips on delivering a lesson, or a part of a lesson as part of the interview process.
1. Study the brief
The very first thing to do is to read the brief carefully so you know what it is expected of you. Go over it several times until you are 100% clear and fully understand the lesson you are being asked to give.
Depending on which sector you are applying for some lessons will be practical such as in secondary physical education (PE), IT/computing and Science. In primary, briefs tend to be much shorter for example, “Read a story to a class of year 1” or “Teach a year 5 group on a topic of your choice”. These are intended to test your initiative and how creative you are in interpreting such a brief.
2. Who is the audience?
Your brief should contain the specific year group you will be delivering the lesson to, if not, ask. It will be any class within the phase you have studied in and trained for. Next, sit down and think about the age of the students and work on some age-appropriate activities. Make these as varied as you can and demonstrate that you are able to engage all learner types. You will need to find out if you will have any special needs students in the class and if you will have students whose mother tongue is not English. Don’t be afraid of ringing the school and finding out well beforehand.
Try not to worry too much about whether the pupils will behave; it’s unlikely the school will give you a challenging class. Senior staff will be observing too – so the kids should be on their best behaviour.
3. Lesson plan
During the interview, you will most certainly be asked to produce a lesson plan. Therefore, make sure you have a detailed lesson plan, for yourself and your interviewers and that you time the demo lesson well. Over-planning is better than under-planning.
Keep your lesson plan very simple – bullet points on one side of paper is best. The assessors will want to see what your goals are, how you intend to differentiate and show progress. You may have planned A, B and C but don’t be frightened if you have to improvise too – that is the reality of teaching after all – and the assessors will want to see how you can think on your feet and respond to the unexpected.
4. Bring your own resources
Creating and bringing your own resources will create a very good impression. It will show that you are creative and thorough in your preparation. You will need to be sure how many students will be attending your demo lesson as well as how many interviewers will be present. Hopefully the materials you devise can be used in future lessons.
And, remember simply downloading a lesson plan from the internet is a big no, no! You need to be inventive, unique and original. Also, your interviewers just might have seen the same lesson delivered by another candidate or it could have even been used by the interviewer themselves!
Schools have limited resources and also you don’t want to ask for any resources you need just before the lesson begins. Show that you are well prepared.
5. What will they be looking for?
The main aim of an interview demo lesson is to see if you a good model of teaching and learning. The interviewers will be looking to see if you have passion for the subject, are an effective classroom teacher, confident about your subject knowledge, demonstrating good organisation and behaviour management.
The interviewers will be looking at your communication and classroom management skills. You probably won’t have any discipline problems as there will be senior members of staff with you in the classroom (your interviewers). This means that you can concentrate on the content of the lesson without worrying about behavioural problems. You can relax!
The interviewers will also want to see if you have some presence with students, therefore it’s important to build a rapport them. Remembering names is always the hardest, one thing you could is to give the kids name badges or ask them to write their names on a folded sheet to place on their desks so you can learn a few during the lesson to show you can build relationships quickly.
6. How long will the demo lesson be?
The length of a demo lesson can vary depending on the sector and subject. It may be 15-20 minutes if it’s something like reading a story for a potential new primary schoolteacher. Or, it may be longer in secondary - 30-45 minutes or even a double lesson if it’s an extended brief for English or maths. It’s best to check with the school if it’s not in your brief. This will also help you with knowing how much to plan.
7. Research the school thoroughly
This goes beyond the school motto, culture and ethos. Are they big on knowledge, for example? If so, a lesson based on fun activities to hook students into the topic is unlikely to cut it.
Scrutinise the teaching and learning, and feedback policies. Match your lesson to what they expect from their teachers. If you are able to do this seamlessly this is a massive win for you.
8. Dress appropriately
Think about the impact of your appearance on senior members of the school and the pupils you will be delivering the demo lesson to. If your lesson requires you to move around, make sure your clothes are comfortable and appropriate.
9. Practice
Practicing beforehand is really important. Rehearse your lesson in front of fellow ECTs, friends and family. That way if there are any flaws in the lesson plan, they can be dealt with before you try to present your lesson to real pupils and your interviewers.
10. Take a deep breath, smile and enjoy it!
This is really important, after all it’s an experience that should be fun. Take deep breathes to help you refocus and stay calm.
