| By: Penny de Vine |  |
So you’ve had a first Skype interview for that dream teaching job in China and everything went really well (you probably followed our tips!). Now the company has asked you to prepare a demonstration (demo) lesson and give it to them over Skype. You might be asking yourself: "How do I prepare? What do I need to include? What should I think about?" I’ve given a few of these lessons in my time, and there’s nothing to stress about if you follow these simple tips on how to prepare for a Skype demo lesson.
Getting Ready
Body language is important - no slouching! Prepare a detailed lesson plan. You may be an experienced teacher and think this will be a piece of cake, or maybe you think you work best a capella. Maybe you’ll be okay, but it’s an awfully big gamble! You should always have a lesson plan to work from. This will help you clearly map out what you want to happen in the demo—plus, most interviewers will ask you to submit a lesson plan prior to the demo class. Remember, you might be doing the demo lesson for just one interviewer, or you might be giving it to a panel. You should keep this in mind when lesson planning, particularly with your interactive activities.
You should ask the school which level the learners will be (beginner, intermediate or advanced) and then tailor your lesson plan accordingly. The school will normally be happy to tell you, but keep in mind that sometimes part of the interview may be to identify the level! Ensure you know the age range of the students you’ll be teaching (adults, teenagers, or young learners) and keep that in mind when planning the lesson and activities. This shows the interviewer that you have the ability to teach the students at their school. Also find out how many students would be in a typical class at the school you’re being interviewed for and plan the lesson activities for that number (as well as a few more, and a few less).
Confirm with the interviewer how long the demo lesson should be and then plan for that time frame. But always make sure you include extra activities, just in case they’re needed to fill time.
Make sure that you’re absolutely clear on the grammar point (or points) you need to cover in the demo lesson - if you’re unsure, double-check with the interviewer beforehand. Don’t incorporate other grammar points if you’re not asked to; be sure to stay on task. It’s also good to try to include different activities that are tailored for different learning styles - visual, auditory and kinesthetic. This might mean including a mix of mediums, like a video, some cue cards and some writing exercises for example.
In your lesson plan, highlight any potential problems or challenges that you may encounter during the lesson (for example, explaining vocabulary, or a tricky grammar point) and outline how you would overcome these issues.
Finally, practice makes perfect. Ask a friend to record your lesson, or try a few trial runs on YouTube using your webcam. Watch the video afterwards for self-assessment. Be aware of the clarity of your voice, eye-contact, body language and mannerisms, and overall enthusiasm in your delivery. It’s best to iron out these wrinkles before you do the real thing in front of your potential future boss. Before you do the lesson live, be sure to check everything tech related.
You should ask the school which level the learners will be (beginner, intermediate or advanced) and then tailor your lesson plan accordingly. The school will normally be happy to tell you, but keep in mind that sometimes part of the interview may be to identify the level! Ensure you know the age range of the students you’ll be teaching (adults, teenagers, or young learners) and keep that in mind when planning the lesson and activities. This shows the interviewer that you have the ability to teach the students at their school. Also find out how many students would be in a typical class at the school you’re being interviewed for and plan the lesson activities for that number (as well as a few more, and a few less).
Confirm with the interviewer how long the demo lesson should be and then plan for that time frame. But always make sure you include extra activities, just in case they’re needed to fill time.
Make sure that you’re absolutely clear on the grammar point (or points) you need to cover in the demo lesson - if you’re unsure, double-check with the interviewer beforehand. Don’t incorporate other grammar points if you’re not asked to; be sure to stay on task. It’s also good to try to include different activities that are tailored for different learning styles - visual, auditory and kinesthetic. This might mean including a mix of mediums, like a video, some cue cards and some writing exercises for example.
In your lesson plan, highlight any potential problems or challenges that you may encounter during the lesson (for example, explaining vocabulary, or a tricky grammar point) and outline how you would overcome these issues.
Finally, practice makes perfect. Ask a friend to record your lesson, or try a few trial runs on YouTube using your webcam. Watch the video afterwards for self-assessment. Be aware of the clarity of your voice, eye-contact, body language and mannerisms, and overall enthusiasm in your delivery. It’s best to iron out these wrinkles before you do the real thing in front of your potential future boss. Before you do the lesson live, be sure to check everything tech related.
During the Demo
Be yourself and relax! You might be nervous—it can be a slightly awkward feeling giving a demo lesson over Skype—but it’s important to stay calm and composed, smile, and try to be engaging.
Speak clearly and loudly enough to be heard. There’s nothing worse than having to repeat yourself over and over because the interviewer can’t hear you. It’s embarrassing, and obviously will affect the flow of the lesson. On the other hand, make sure you’re not speaking so loud that you’re deafening the interviewer!
Keep on track with your lesson plan as much as possible, but also have the flexibility to deviate if needed to ensure the lesson objectives are met.
Speak clearly and loudly enough to be heard. There’s nothing worse than having to repeat yourself over and over because the interviewer can’t hear you. It’s embarrassing, and obviously will affect the flow of the lesson. On the other hand, make sure you’re not speaking so loud that you’re deafening the interviewer!
Keep on track with your lesson plan as much as possible, but also have the flexibility to deviate if needed to ensure the lesson objectives are met.
After the Lesson is Over
Do a quick self-assessment: what do you think went well, and what could you improve on for next time? This will help you with your next Skype demo lesson, and perhaps also help when discussing feedback with the interviewer. Some interviewers may even ask you to discuss the good and not so good parts of your demo.
Seek feedback. The interviewer may not give you any feedback after the lesson, so you may need to request feedback in an email after the interview process. In your email, it’s good to be clear about what type of feedback you want, and on which specific aspects of your demo lesson.
Seek feedback. The interviewer may not give you any feedback after the lesson, so you may need to request feedback in an email after the interview process. In your email, it’s good to be clear about what type of feedback you want, and on which specific aspects of your demo lesson.
Skype demo lessons can be daunting, but you’ll find they get easier the more of them you do. If you go into a demo with the mindset of ‘it’s just a normal face-to-face lesson with a student’ you should be able make it feel natural while showing off your teaching skills! Follow these tips on how to prepare for a Skype demo lesson, and you should have no trouble landing that awesome teaching job China.
Have you had a Skype demo lesson before? How did it go? What tips can you share?
Have you had a Skype demo lesson before? How did it go? What tips can you share?
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