Need advice for my first demo lesson! UPDATE: I survived!

Hello, I was wondering if anyone could share some advice with me about what will be expected of me during a demo lesson. I had an interview last week, and I just got a phone call today to prepare a demo lesson for Thursday. This will be the first time I'm doing this, so I'm kind of nervous, mostly because I'm having trouble getting started with my lesson plan because I'm not really sure what they will want to see. I will have 30 minutes in a 4th grade classroom, and I was told to do a literacy lesson. I had an idea to gear my lesson towards practice for the upcoming ELA exam by reading the class a story, having them take notes, and then do an activity. I'd like to have them work in groups first and then also write something independently. But I'm not sure if I can fit all of that in within just 30 minutes. Should try to just shorten it, and then include how I would have extended the lesson in my plans? Also, I'm not sure if it's a good idea to read the story to the class because I've heard that principals and superintendents don't want to have their time wasted by just listening to a read aloud. Is this true? I'm not really sure how I can teach a literacy lesson without reading something to the class.
Any suggestions would really be appreciated! I think it would help me a lot just to know if I'm on the right track or not.

UPDATE: I think it went well! I fit everything in my lesson plan into the 30 minutes, & I actually had fun with the lesson! So I hoped that showed to my observers. I won't find out if I made it to the next round of interviews until next week, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed! Thanks again for the advice!

Message edited 12/18/2008 7:43:44 PM.

Re: Need advice for my first demo lesson!

Maybe something about main idea, comparing and contrasting. I am 4th grade teacher and I did a compare and contrast lesson comparing a familiar fairy tale with the same fairytale from another country. I used Little Red Riding Hood and Lon Po Po which is almost the same story from China. This may run longer than 30 min though.

I would not do the taking notes lesson. IMO the teacher probably has done this lesson and has perhaps taught them ways in which to take nots. By you doing the lesson this may confuse them. And the kids are probably so sick of this anyway.

Re: Need advice for my first demo lesson!

thank you for the advice! I actually did decide to do a lesson on comparing and contrasting different versions of a fairytale (The 3 Little Pigs vs. The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs), so it makes me feel better to know that a 4th grade teacher suggested something similar. I agree that if I had them take notes it might be confusing for them if their teacher has them do it a certain way. Also I wanted my lesson to be more fun for them, and I'd rather keep them engaged while I read the story instead of having them scrambling to take notes.
Thanks again!

Re: Need advice for my first demo lesson!

can you get your hands on a highlights magazine? My principal is big on it since they take excerpts for the ELA (you can use that as rationale) that way it's a short read.

Re: Need advice for my first demo lesson!

Posted by GraceAndAdam

thank you for the advice! I actually did decide to do a lesson on comparing and contrasting different versions of a fairytale (The 3 Little Pigs vs. The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs), so it makes me feel better to know that a 4th grade teacher suggested something similar. I agree that if I had them take notes it might be confusing for them if their teacher has them do it a certain way. Also I wanted my lesson to be more fun for them, and I'd rather keep them engaged while I read the story instead of having them scrambling to take notes.
Thanks again!

Re: Need advice for my first demo lesson! UPDATE: I survived!

glad it went well!!! i hope you get the job!