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Reflective Journal

Microteaching

One aspect of the microteaching session I now realize is its importance in informing best

teaching practices and by extension, improvement in my own strategies. The microteaching

session required all teachers within the Science group to present a complete ten-minute lesson to

the rest of the group. At first I was under the impression that this session would be a highly

critical one; and as such I was nervous to participate. However, upon review of the videos, I

quickly realized how useful this was as a tool for sharing teaching practices and ideas; as well as,

recognizing areas for improvement through positive criticism. By being able to view multiple

videos of fellow colleagues and myself, it became possible to compare various approaches to

each aspect of the lesson: the set induction, concept attainment, questioning, and consolidation

sections.

Remesh (2013) defines microteaching as a teacher training technique for learning skills.

It employs a real teaching situation for developing skills and helps to get deeper knowledge

regarding of the art of teaching. He also goes on to state that the core skills of microteaching

such as presentation and reinforcement skills help novice teachers to learn the art of teaching at

ease and to the maximum extent. Remesh (2013) also highlights the three different phases of

microteaching: knowledge acquisition (preparatory phase), skill acquisition (planning and

execution of a micro-lesson, followed by constructive evaluation by colleagues), and transfer

(application of learned skills to real class room teaching). The microteaching experience did in

fact attempt to fulfill all of these aspects. The knowledge acquisition phase reinforced the need

for adequate research to be conducted on the topic to be taught, and proper lesson planning to
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ensure all desired objectives and learning outcomes are met in the classroom. The skill

acquisition phase assisted in identifying effective means of stimulating students interest in the

lesson, the importance of probing questions and scaffolding, proper classroom management

techniques, as well as the importance of teaching aides when delivering a lesson. The transfer

phase now provides the opportunity to apply all the skills learnt from the two previous phases.

The microteaching was effective in demonstrating the importance of the knowledge

acquisition and skill acquisition phases; and therefore made me improve my planning, teaching,

and presentation skills for the transfer phase in the classroom. It helped me to realize the

importance of proper content planning, as students are always inquisitive beyond the scope of the

syllabus objectives. Therefore, it is essential that adequate research be conducted on the topic to

be taught before the lesson is executed in the classroom. The session also assisted in

demonstrating the importance of a proper set induction, which not only sets the tone for the rest

of the lesson, but also stimulates curiosity in the topic to be taught. The use of teaching aides was

identified as an important aspect in the teaching process, as it not only reinforces principles to be

understood, but also provides a visual/hands-on reference to aspects of the lesson being taught.

The microteaching process was therefore effective in helping me to identify, transfer and utilize

key skills to enhance teaching and learning in the classroom.

These acquired skills would definitely continue to be applied to my teaching as they have

proven to be effective in the classroom. In addition to all the knowledge gained with respect to

proper teaching practices, the microteaching session was largely effective in reinforcing that vast

amounts of work can be covered in even the shortest period of time. Usually, if a lesson is

completed with excess time remaining before the session ends; teachers usually state that there is

insufficient time to cover any significant work. However, the microteaching experience proved
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otherwise. Not only did the session improve planning and teaching skills, but also demonstrated

that teaching can be done even in the shortest period of time, while still achieving maximum

learning outcomes.

The knowledge gained from the microteaching will continue to be useful throughout my

teaching career. Presentation skills learnt can also be applied outside of teaching, as I now

understand the importance of proper and effective presentation techniques. I would also attempt

to transfer these skills and knowledge to other members of the staff at Vishnu Boys Hindu

College, as I believe that these skills are necessary to ensure effective teaching and learning

across all disciplines.

It's great that the micro-teaching actually provided so much insight. It was remarkable how

much could be done in a short time. Were there any teachers that stood out to you in particular

or any approach or feedback? Did you think the techniques might not work as well with

teenagers who did not have all the prior knowledge of the group?
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Bibliography

Ambili, R. (2013). Microteaching, an efficient teachnique for learning effective teaching.

Journal of Research in Medical Sciences, 18(2), 158-163. Retrieved from

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3724377/