Effective Microteaching

and Demonstration

Teaching

Janice Dowd

James Wildman

STARTALK Fall 2019

Phoenix, AZ

Glastonbury, CT

Strong language program

Celebrating 60 years of

continuous teaching of

Russian

History of our STARTALK journey

Glastonbury, CT

Program

13 years

Student and Teacher

programs

Chinese: 13 years

Russian: 10 years

Chinese Student Program

Four Weeks

Year 1: Chinese 1, 2, 3 (12-15

students per class)—high

school

Year 2: Chinese 1, 2, 3, & 4

Year 3: include middle school

Chinese Student Program

Year 4: Elementary Program

K-6

Year 6: Expanded elementary

program for returning students

Year 9: After-camp program

for elementary students

Original Teacher

Trainee Program

Two Sessions—two full weeks,

including weekends

20 trainees per session

MOPI training

First year—Chinese

Three levels of student classes: Chinese 1, 2, & 3

Trainees observed classes, discussed what was viewed

Trainees taught 45-minute lessons in the student program over three days

Years 2 – 13: Chinese

Student program: Chinese 1,

2, 3, & 4

Teachers observed with

Glastonbury questions

Discussion of observations

Russian Program

First year: only teacher

training program

Mini-demonstrations to

students at GHS with students

Russian Program—Year 2

Student program and teacher

trainee program

Glastonbury, CT & Arlington,

VA

Glastonbury Russian tradition

Year 2014

Russian Teacher Training

Program: first session in VA,

second in CT

Russian trainee program

combined with Chinese

program in Connecticut

Year 2015

Russian and Chinese teacher

training programs (two

sessions) combined in CT

Trainees in both sessions—

reduced number

Student programs—both four

weeks

Trainee Curriculum

World Readiness Standards for Learning Languages (updated)

STARTALK Principles

Principles of observation

Techniques and Strategies for teaching in the TL

Trainee Curriculum

Learning Styles

Differentiation of Instruction

MOPI

Literacy and Authentic Tales

Music in the language

classroom

Trainee Curriculum

Assessment

The Three Modes of

Communication

Coaching

Total Participation Techniques

Writing to Read

Trainee Curriculum

Green screens and creating videos

Technology in the language classroom

IPA (Integrated Performance Assessment)

Error correction

Trainee Curriculum

TELL domains, assessments,

and research

Can-Do Statements

Proficiency Guidelines

Learning Targets

Training students to teach

Student Program Themes

A trip to China/Russia

Olympics

Authentic Tales

Exploring My Diverse World

Exploring Moscow

China/Russia Today

Student Program Themes

Shandong Today

Unlocking the Mystery of the Shandong Province

Unlocking the Mystery of the Tang Dynasty

Unlocking the Mystery of the Journey to the West

Creating Materials for the

Student Program Theme

Creating Materials for the

Student Program Theme

Why Do We Change?

Trainees return

Students return

Grow our own

Professional Development is

not a “one shot deal”

Microteaching

From the first program—some

form of teaching

Important: before teaching,

trainees observe classes

List of questions (before

STARTALK Lookfors)

Microteaching with

Others

Observations

Observed different levels

Different times of the day

Only concentrated on certain

questions

Post observation discussions

Protocols of observation

Observation Questions—

Glastonbury Lookfors Which Standards are being addressed in the lesson

and what evidence is there?

What techniques does the teacher use to avoid using English and to stay in the target language?

When a student makes a mistake, how does the teacher correct the student? Does the teacher correct all mistakes? What mistakes does she not correct? Why do you think she does that?

Do you think students learned the material for the lesson? What evidence do you have?

Did all students participate? Why or why not? (What did the teacher do?)

Observation Tools

Arno Bellack, The Language of the Classroom, moves = initiatory, soliciting, reflective/responsive, reactive

John Fanselow—FOCUS (Foci for Observing Communications Used in Settings)

Student to Teacher vs

Student to Student Talk

Student to Teacher vs

Student to Student Talk

Microteaching--Russian

Microteaching--Chinese

STARTALK Lookfors

Based on STARTALK PrinciplesTL use and CI

Student-centered

Authentic materials

Performance-based assessment

Integrating content, culture, and language

Standards-based

Implementing a standards-based and thematically organized curriculum

Practice Evidence

The statements that follow are not likely to be observed during an actual lesson. They are

more indicative of the planning that occurs prior to the development of an individual lesson

plan.

The thematic unit is standards-based. The

content is cognitively engaging and relevant

to the learner.

Every unit assesses a student’s increasing

ability to use language for real-world

purposes.

Each lesson supports the goals of the unit by

having clearly stated learning targets that

indicate what students will know and be able

to do by the end of the lesson.

Grammar is not the focus of the course, unit,

or lesson. The teacher teaches grammar as a

tool for communication, avoiding

meaningless rote drills and ensuring that all

practice requires attention to meaning.

Facilitating a learner-centered classroom

Practice Evidence

Planning

The teacher has clearly established what

learners should know and be able to do as

a result of the lesson.

The teacher allows for learner choice when

possible.

Learning experiences are age-appropriate.

Learning experiences are appropriate for

the proficiency level of the learner.

Instructional materials are well-prepared

and organized. Learners have easy access

to materials and resources during the

lesson.

Lesson design is research-based and

learning experiences are sequenced in

ways that allow for maximum student

learning.

Learning Experiences

Learners clearly understand the learning

targets for the lesson.

The teacher actively models language

production prior to having learners work

collaboratively or individually. Learners

clearly understand how to engage in

language tasks.

Learners work individually, in pairs, and in

small groups. The learner, not the teacher, is

the more active participant.

The lesson varies in the level of intensity,

and the teacher incorporates physical

movement as needed.

All learners are engaged and work

collaboratively to complete meaningful

tasks in the target language.

Learners use the target language for real-

life purposes.

Assessment

The teacher offers support and

encouragement while providing descriptive

feedback.

The teacher allows for ongoing feedback

from a variety of sources to improve the

learner’s performance.

Learners work independently, demonstrating

progress toward learning targets and self-

assessing their progress.

Using target language and providing comprehensible input for instruction

Practice Evidence

The teacher uses the target language at

least 90 percent of the time.

The teacher uses a variety of strategies to

make language comprehensible.

The teacher provides multiple, varied

opportunities for students to hear new

words/expressions used in highly visualized

contexts that make meaning transparent.

The teacher monitors learner

comprehension and makes adjustments as

necessary.

The teacher avoids the use of translation by

using verbal and non-verbal strategies and

also avoids eliciting translation from

learners.

Integrating culture, content, and language in a world language classroom

Practice Evidence

Planning

Culture- and content-related instruction is

designed to allow learners to make

meaningful connections to the world

around them.

Language performance tasks are

transferable to real-world tasks.

Learning Experiences

Linguistically and culturally authentic

language is used by the teacher and made

comprehensible for learners.

Learners gain understanding of the

perspectives of native speakers of the

language. Authentic products and practices

give meaning and context to the learning

experiences.

Content from other disciplines is used to

provide meaningful and engaging contexts for

learning.

Culture, content, and language are integrated

in ways that allow for meaningful

communication in the target language.

Learners use the target language as they work

with the content and cultural goals of the unit

and lesson.

Assessment

Language growth is assessed as learners

process culture and content.

Adapting and using age-appropriate authentic materials

Practice Evidence

The teacher uses a variety of authentic

materials, both print and non-print.

The teacher adapts the task, not the text.

The materials and tasks are appropriate to

the language proficiency and age level of

the learners.

Whenever possible, the teacher uses

authentic images from the target culture.

Conducting performance-based assessment

Practice Evidence

The statements that follow may or may not be part of an individual lesson. They describe

the overall concept of assessment as it occurs throughout, and at the end of, a unit of

instruction.

The teacher uses formative checks for

learning at the end of each learning

episode to adjust instruction as needed

and to provide timely feedback to learners.

Learners know how well they are doing with

respect to specific learning goals and they

know what they can do to improve their

performance.

Learners have the ability to assess their own

learning.

Learners engage in summative real-world

performance tasks in the three modes to

demonstrate how well they have met the

performance goals of the unit.

Conducting performance-based assessment

Practice Evidence

The statements that follow may or may not be part of an individual lesson. They describe the

overall concept of assessment as it occurs throughout, and at the end of, a unit of instruction.

The teacher uses formative checks for

learning at the end of each learning episode

to adjust instruction as needed and to

provide timely feedback to learners.

Learners know how well they are doing with

respect to specific learning goals and they

know what they can do to improve their

performance.

Learners have the ability to assess their own

learning.

Learners engage in summative real-world

performance tasks in the three modes to

demonstrate how well they have met the

performance goals of the unit.

Post-Observation Class

Discussion

Discuss what was seen

Beware of criticism, not

supervisors

Discuss techniques and

activities that are useful

Discuss in small groups

Written Critique

Three parts

Short description of lesson (5 – 10

sentences)

Good points, what you will

“borrow”

What you would change

In English or TL

You Cannot Do It All

Use only one tool to observe

Target certain ideas/concepts

to view

Focus their observations

First time observations may be

overwhelming

Purpose of Observations

To understand students’

proficiency level

To see what the students are

studying

To help them formulate their

own microteaching lessons

Video

Observe and answer question:

Target language use

How create comprehensible input

Did all students participate? How did

the teacher encourage participation?

http://www.learner.org/libraries/tfl/fre

nch/scott/analyze.html (3:00 - 8:30)

Rutgers STARTALK Video

https://startalk.umd.edu/public/resources/classroom-

video-collection/rutgers-chinese?st=1

(1:00 – 15:00)

After Observations

Choose which level to teach

Speak with the classroom

teacher to decide on lesson

focus

Divide into groups

Lessons are group lessons

Lesson Planning

Use STARTALK template

Work to develop a lesson in which all group members must teach

Have a pre-microteaching conference with director and instructional lead

Talk to the classroom teacher

Lesson Plan Template

https://startalk.umd.edu/publi

c/curriculumresources_student

Click on Key Learning

Experiences Template

Before Microteaching

Lesson

Prepare all materials

Observe class one last time to

ensure that students will be

able to complete the tasks—

right level

Working with Classroom

Teachers

Microteaching

In the regular classroom

Schedule varies

Observed by other trainees,

lead instructor, and director

Videotaped

Post Microteaching

Discussion in language groups

of what happened

Use post-it notes to make

anonymous comments

Private post-observation

conference with director and

lead instructors

Teacher Comments

Enjoyed the teaching

Experimented with new

techniques

Felt supported

Enjoyed getting to know

students

Working with Students

in the Reading Room

Creating Videos of

Stories

Observed classes

Wrote script

Taught script to students

Practiced with and directed

students

Filmed final production

Videos

Russian 2

Chinese 3

Changes for 2020

PEARLL

Professionals in Education

Advancing Research and

Language Learning

Summer institutes

Essential Questions

Designing Learning Targets

Observation Tool Kit

Questions