• Explain the concept of microteaching.
• Use microteaching in your day - to - day work.

Our teaching techniques improve gradually over the years as we gain experience and also because of the continuous practice undertaken for different kinds of teaching learning situations. Educational technology, however, has evolved ways and means for better development of teaching skills even at earlier stages by undertaking some methodical exercises, one of which is Microteaching. What is Micro about it ? The   technique attaches importance to a small fraction or a particular aspect of the teaching skill and needs a small time to demonstrate the same.

Microteaching is an innovative technique of teacher training. It aims at development of competence in teaching skills through the practice of microteaching sessions. Even an experienced teacher can benefit by this technique, particularly for learning some new skills.
The teaching learning activities such as lectures, small group discussions, tutorials or demonstrations involve a combined use of many skills such as the use of overhead projector, slide projector or the age old blackboard.
Each of these components can be performed in a more effective manner by properly planned practice sessions under peer observations. This is the main function of the educational game referred to as microteaching. It is called as a game here, because an effective utilisation of the technique is possible when there is a group with sportish atmosphere.

A short lesson is taught by you to a group of four to six peers or pupils for a period of 5 - 10 minutes. The emphasis is on how to teach rather than what to teach. The session can be organised for the proper use of any visual aid such as chalk - board, specimens, models, projection instruments such as OHP, slide projector, audio aids or audio - visual aids.

The pupils / peers observe carefully your teaching behaviour during a microteaching session and later discuss whether the particular skill was properly executed or not. Thus the feedback would be immediate and can be both positive or negative.

The cycle of 'Microteaching'.

After a short break you should reteach the micro lesson making use of the feedback to improve on your previous performance.

In brief, the microteaching sessions will occur in the following sequence :

A microteaching session should begin with the statement of the objectives of the session by the trainee teacher followed by the presentation of the matter in an organised, sequential manner, with appropriate speed of presentation, use of illustrations and examples, suitable jokes and humour as and when necessary. The topic should be summarised at the end with a mention of additional sources of reading. During presentation, adequate and appropriate use of audio - visual aids should be undertaken and an active participation of the students also be ensured.
Observers can evaluate the performance in an objective manner by making use of properly designed observation chart shown on the next page. Why don't you try a few microteaching sessions in your own departments ? Try to include as many teaching skills as possible. You will definitely be impressed by its utility in improving your teaching skills.