Lead Lit Topic: 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.
Results
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...
Book Shopping as a Literacy Coach
On a gorgeous June day, a few days after our school year finished, I went to our local independent bookstore, Cover to Cover, with friends. This is always a dangerous...
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. A transcript is available below...
Demonstration Lesson: Deeper Reading with Advanced Third Graders
Clare Landrigan works with a third-grade teacher and two of her students to help two advanced students read deeply and look for evidence in texts in this demonstration lesson. The...
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. A transcript is available below the player. When doing a demo...
Mentor Texts for the Writing Process
A staple in every literacy coach’s toolbox is a library of mentor texts. Coaches share these books with teachers as well as students in minilessons to show them how published...
Monitoring for Meaning Small Group
Clare Landrigan guides a small group of first-grade English language learners in a demonstration lesson. This 13-minute video includes an assessment meeting with the teacher before the small group, the...
Incorporating Kids into Professional Development for Adults
Working in a diverse district, I’m thoughtful about the videos I use with educators. I’ve learned that if the students don’t look like the kids in our classrooms, the learning...
Picture It: Demonstrating Observation Skills
Amanda Adrian (left) sits close by colleague Linda Karamatic during their introduction to reading workshop class for teachers. During the “show it” phase, Linda and Amanda alternate conferring with student...
Who’s the Audience for Demonstration Lessons?
Demonstration lessons are one of the most effective components of coaching, but the purpose of them is often unclear to participants. Many teachers share with us that initially they thought...
Days of Magic and Wonder: Generating Research Topics with First Graders
mag·ic (noun) -- Encarta Dictionary conjuring tricks -- conjuring tricks and illusions that make apparently impossible things seem to happen, usually performed as entertainment inexplicable things -- a special, mysterious,...
Reading to Students
Three times a year, I offer to be a guest reader in each of the 25 classrooms in our K-5 elementary school where I am the principal. I am quite...
Coaching the Coach
I believe “Every teacher deserves a coach.” I believe that every teacher deserves to work in warm collaboration with a trusted colleague, looking closely at her practice or thinking deeply...
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
We do a lot of demonstration lessons in our coaching work. Lately we have been reflecting on how we structure these sessions. We find the debriefing of the lesson to...
Charting Isn’t Cheating
For the first few years of my high school teaching career, every time there was a major exam I was urged to take down or cover up anything that might...
Taking Four Corners of Text Personally
Nothing personal . . . I dislike the phrase nothing personal and try not to use it myself. For some communicators it’s the tag that gets added onto something unsolicited...
