Lesson Plan

Ok, here's how the teaching demonstration works. It's a one hour presentation with a real class that the owner of the language institute will use while considering me against other candidates.  I'll have one hour to cover two pages of material, one page phonetics and one page grammar.

My interviewer gave me the following tips, things "the boss" will like to see:
     1. Energy and fast-paced teaching
     2. Clear writing and use of the whiteboard

     3. Engaging the students and eliciting answers

Incorporating those elements and the well-received advice of my friend, here is my lesson plan. Thanks, Lauren. And Chris...?

Introduction [ 10 minutes] 

Tim from the United States will explain that it's very cold in Minneapolis and that is why I moved to Kaohsiung, where the weather is beautiful. I'll open the floor for questions about me to engage the kids and get a sense of participation levels.

Then, I'll start the transition to the first lesson by telling the kids a few things they should know about me. I'll introduce one of my favorite things and bro-essential, the high five. [Goals of high five: introduce an interactive cultural element that can be used to reward correct answers, encourage participation, or simply get kids moving if they become restless. Oh yeah, and it's awesome.] Next, I'll write a few things on the board and ask students to read them.

     1. Tim is an English teacher. 

     2. Tim is a good teacher. 

Note the hard "g" in each sentence. Next, a volunteer comes to the front of the class and stands next to me. Clearly, a new sentence goes on the board. 

      3. Tim is a giant. Like a giraffe?

Again, a volunteer reads the sentence and soft "g" is introduced. 

Phonetics Lesson [ 20 minutes ]

I'll write a "G" on the board and then branch it into hard and soft. I'll ask kids what the hard g sounds like and eventually will get to writing down "gu" followed by some example words we'll practice. Next is soft g and the same process. Introduce, Rule: when e, i, or y comes after the g, the g usually stands for the soft g sound.

Then we'll do the workbook page and match words to pictures of badges, giraffes, hedges, and gems. Even generals. I'll call on kids to say what the picture is. The class will repeat things like, "It is a badge." 

Very good, class. Phonetics ends with a high five, duh.

Grammar [ 20 minutes]

The objective in this section is combining subjects and predicates. I'll start by having the kids diagram a sentence - something my generation didn't do in school because of sharing, feel-good, "creative" shit like free-journaling.

"I enjoy English class at KNS!" Will be written on the board. I like this sentence because it avoids a predicate nominative like the previous three sentences and brown-noses. High five to everyone reading. After the students diagram the sentence, I'll know how to proceed with the lesson.

Maybe we talk about subjects and predicates, I don't know. If the kids know what's going on, then we'll start combining sentences. I'll draw a diagram with a basic sentence-combining algorithm. Then we'll do a few guided examples and I'll question them about the mechanics of a correct answer. We'll finish with the workbook page.

In Sum 

Of my 60 minutes, I've used 10 for the introduction + 20 for phonetics + 20 for grammar. I'm left with 10 minutes of wiggle room. I'll use this for the closing notes : a quick and concise review of phonetics and sentence combining. If the class moves faster than I planned, then I have another page of grammar on reserve to burn time, I mean re-enforce the previous page.

NB: I am a practiced and confident presenter, but not an educator. If you are, please comment.