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Demonstration Lessons

Literacy leaders are more than “bag ladies” (or bag men), toting a set of books and tricks into classrooms to present dazzling lessons. A successful demonstration lesson is as much about collaborative planning, discussion, and debriefing with teachers as it is about what is actually presented in the classroom. Here is where you’ll find tools and strategies for working with teachers to get the most out of demonstration lessons, using them as a catalyst for discussions about assessment, curriculum, and standards.

Latest Content
Collections to Spark Writing

Clare Landrigan uses collections as a tool to spark writing among first graders during an upcoming vacation. This demonstration small-group lesson includes prebrief and debrief sessions with the children's teacher.

Building Background Knowledge with QR Codes

In this demonstration small group, Tammy Mulligan works with sixth graders to show them how to build background knowledge with QR codes. The video includes prebrief and debrief sessions with their teacher.

Assessing Reading in Sixth Grade

Tammy Mulligan confers with sixth grader Jordyn, assessing her reading before summer break. The conference includes a prebrief and debrief with Jordyn's teacher.

Go-To Texts for Demonstration Lessons

Clare Landrigan and Tammy Mulligan share some of their favorite mentor texts for demonstration lessons, and how to use them.

After the Demonstration: Modeling Healthy, Sustainable Reflection

Gretchen Taylor considers the role of reflection in learning after demonstration lessons, with specific examples from her work with a teacher.

Video for Reflection in a Book Club

In this demonstration small group, Tammy Mulligan uses video to help sixth graders self-assess their performance in a book club. The lesson includes a prebrief and debrief with the classroom teacher.

Discussion Before Demonstration Lesson

In this video excerpt from a brief meeting before a demonstration lesson, you'll see the first-grade teacher Erin, who will be leading the lesson, share her concerns. The principal, Jason DiCarlo, talks about how the goals of the lesson and expectations for success vary, depending upon the aims of the grade-level team.

Using Padlet to Support a Boys’ Book Group

In this fifth-grade demonstration lesson, Tammy Mulligan shows a group of boys how their book group can use Padlet to share ideas. The lesson includes a prebrief and debrief with the teacher.

Visualizing to Sustain Reading: Second-Grade Small Group

Clare Landrigan leads a small-group demonstration lesson with second graders who are having trouble sustaining their reading. The strategy she teaches is visualizing as a way to help the children hold key details from the story. The lesson includes prebrief and debrief sessions with the teacher.

Meeting Snapshot: “Look Fors” After Demonstration Lesson

Jason DiCarlo leads a group of first-grade teachers sharing their "look-for" notes after a demonstration lesson in a first-grade classroom. The teachers were observing a lesson on differences between fiction and nonfiction, and used both the look-fors and their observations of designated students to focus their notes.

Meeting Snapshot: Sharing Resources

Jason DiCarlo explains the importance of previewing resources and not just giving them to teachers, as well as linking the text directly to current work. In this video example, Jason distributes copies of Debbie Miller's Reading with Meaning during a first-grade lesson study of fiction and nonfiction text features.

Meeting Snapshot: Deciding Look-Fors

In this excerpt from a meeting before a first-grade demonstration lesson, Principal Jason DiCarlo and teachers discuss potential "look-fors" during the lesson—what everyone will focus on during observations. The lesson and activity is designed to help the children differentiate between fiction and nonfiction.

Sticking with a Topic

Tammy Mulligan leads a group with Luke and Gabby, two third graders who have trouble focusing on a topic while writing drafts. The demonstration lesson includes a prebrief and debrief with their teacher.

First-Grade Retelling Demonstration Lesson

Clare Landrigan leads this first-grade demonstration small group on retelling strategies. The demonstration includes prebrief and debrief meetings with the teacher.

Coaching Tool: Voice-Overs

Brian Sepe uses "voice-overs" (reflecting aloud during demonstration lessons) to help display his thinking to teachers who are observing the instruction.

Meeting Snapshot: Defining the Essential Question

Jason DiCarlo leads a team of first-grade teachers and specialists as they work to define an essential question before a demonstration lesson to focus discussions and expectations.

Problems and Solutions: Small-Group Demonstration Lesson

In this demonstration small group, Clare Landrigan works with a second-grade teacher to reflect on the needs of two students and, after the lesson, debriefs with her about the learning.

First-Grade Writing Group: Catchy Endings

Clare Landrigan leads a demonstration small group with first graders who are having trouble writing catchy endings to their opinion pieces. The lesson includes a prebrief and debrief with the classroom teacher.

Meeting Snapshot: Evidence of Learning

In this brief excerpt from a first-grade team planning meeting, Principal Jason DiCarlo asks for evidence of learning from previous work together. Before beginning new lesson design, the group always reflects on changes in classrooms since the last gathering.

First-Grade Small Group: From Decoding to Monitoring for Meaning

Clare Landrigan leads a demonstration small group with Braden and Talis, who are working to move from an emphasis on decoding in first grade to monitoring meaning. The video includes a prebrief and debrief with the classroom teacher, Ann Vigne.

Monitor for Meaning in Third Grade

In this demonstration conference, Tammy Mulligan works with third grader Ben to help him monitor meaning. The lesson includes prebrief and debrief sessions with his teacher.

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