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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
Demonstration Small Group: Retelling Strategies in First Grade

In this demonstration lesson, Clare Landrigan works with a group of first graders who need help developing retelling skills. The video includes a prebrief and debrief with the classroom teacher to help focus the lesson.

Book Shopping as a Literacy Coach

Karen Terlecky shops for books in new ways now that she is moving from a classroom to a literacy coaching position.

First-Grade Nonfiction Retelling Small-Group Demonstration Lesson

Clare Landrigan leads a nonfiction retelling small-group demonstration lesson. The video includes a prebrief and debrief with the teacher.

Third-Grade Demonstration Lesson: Multisyllabic Words

In this small-group demonstration lesson, Tammy Mulligan helps third graders decipher multisyllabic words. The video includes a prebrief and debrief with the classroom teacher.

Determining Importance: Demonstration Small-Group Lesson in Third Grade

Tammy Mulligan leads a demonstration small group with third graders on determining importance. The video includes a prebrief and debrief with the teacher.

Coaching Minute: That’s Me

Heather Rader shares an easy icebreaker to use when you are visiting a class of students for the first time in this quick video tip.

Demonstration Lesson: Deeper Reading with Advanced Third Graders

Clare Landrigan works with a third-grade teacher to help two advanced students read deeply and look for evidence in texts in this demonstration lesson. The video includes a discussion before and after the small group with the teacher.

Multiple Strategies for Kindergarten Readers

Tammy Mulligan explains why it's important to encourage kindergarten students to use other strategies beyond "sound it out" in this demonstration small group.

Coaching Minute: Kinesthetic Transitions

Heather Rader has fun transition suggestions for use during demonstration lessons in this quick video tip.

Mentor Texts for the Writing Process

Shari Frost shares children’s picture books which are about characters who write. These are wonderful mentor texts for writing minilessons.

Monitoring for Meaning Small Group

Clare Landrigan guides a small group of first-grade English language learners in a demonstration lesson.

Incorporating Kids into Professional Development for Adults

“My students aren’t like those in the video!” Heather Rader and her colleagues Linda Karamatic and Amanda Adrian tackle their colleagues concerns by using children as live models for professional development.

Picture It: Demonstrating Observation Skills

Observation skills are tricky to demonstrate to teachers. In this photo, you can see what it looks like when Linda Karamatic confers with a student and Amanda Adrian takes notes as part of a live demonstration for teachers during a professional development session.

Who’s the Audience for Demonstration Lessons?

Who’s the audience for demonstration lessons? Clare Landrigan and Tammy Mulligan explain why it isn’t students, and advise coaches on how to open communication with teachers about effective demonstrations.

Days of Magic and Wonder: Generating Research Topics with First Graders

In a new series, Heather Sisson shares the process of collaborating with a teacher to redefine the research process with first graders based on the Common Core.

Reading to Students

Jennifer Schwanke finds time in her busy schedule as a principal to read three books in every classroom in her elementary school every year. She explains why it’s worth her time, and how she selects the books.

Coaching the Coach

Amanda Adrian shares the uncomfortable experience of being observed leading a demonstration lesson that doesn't go as well as she hoped. In the end, she learns some powerful lessons about taking risks and the value of extra sets of eyes observing her teaching.

Planning for a Demonstration Lesson

Clare Landrigan takes a team of grades 3-5 teachers through the steps of selecting a book for a demonstration lesson.

Tips for More Effective Debriefing Sessions

Clare Landrigan and Tammy Mulligan share strategies and seven different observation templates for participants to download and try out.

Charting Isn’t Cheating

Jen Brotherton works with secondary teachers to show them the power of charting information for and with students on classroom walls.

Taking Four Corners of Text Personally

Phrases like close reading, text-dependent questions, and four corners of the text abound in the Common Core. But where is the place for personal connections while reading? Heather Rader’s thinking evolves with the help of fourth-grade students and a text about 14 cows.

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