Questions to Ask Before a Demo Lesson
For teaching candidates who have been invited to teach a demonstration lesson (some schools call it a sample or model lesson) and want to know what they are walking into before they plan it. The questions follow the order the planning takes: the lesson you have been asked for, the students you will meet, the room and its equipment, the people watching, the day itself and what comes after. Nobody sends all of them: pick the eight or ten the invitation left unanswered and put them in one email to the principal or whoever arranged the visit.
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The questions
Each question, and why to ask it
The lesson
What topic or standard would you like the demo lesson to cover?
Why ask it
Schools split three ways here: some hand you an exact objective, some name a unit and let you choose within it, and some leave it open. If one is assigned, ask for its wording as the school writes it, so you plan to their sentence and not to your guess. If it is open, reply with the topic you have in mind and ask whether it suits the class.
Which grade and subject will I be teaching?
Why ask it
It sounds too obvious to ask, but an elementary posting or a high school English job can cover several grades, and the demo may land in whichever class is free that morning. For middle or high school, get the course name and level as well, because the same grade can mean an honors section or a support class.
How long will I have with the students, from when I start to when I have to stop?
Why ask it
Get clock times, not just a number of minutes. A 30-minute lesson inside a 45-minute period can lose five minutes to the handover and the class settling, and nobody will tell you which end they come off. Plan for a little less than you are given and keep one short extension task in your pocket.
Should it be a complete lesson with an opening and a close, or one part of a longer lesson?
Why ask it
Twenty minutes rarely holds a whole lesson, and a panel that expected a short explanation followed by practice will read a rushed full arc as poor pacing. If they want a part, ask which they most want to watch: you explaining, students discussing, or students working alone.
Where does this lesson fall in what the class is studying right now?
Why ask it
You are finding out whether you are introducing something, carrying it on or reviewing it. The two details to come away with are what was taught the day before and what comes next. With those you can open by naming the unit, which tells students and observers alike that you did not arrive with a lesson made for any room.
Should I send a written lesson plan ahead of time, and if so to whom and by when?
Why ask it
If the school has its own template, ask for it: the boxes on it (objective, differentiation, assessment) show what the people who made it care about. With no template, keep the plan to a page an observer can follow while watching. Bring a paper copy for each of them even if you emailed it.
Does the class follow a curriculum, textbook or program that I should plan from?
Why ask it
Where a school has adopted a program, a lesson that ignores it can look like a teacher who would go their own way once hired. The lesson number or the pages the class has reached is enough to plan from. If the reply is to bring your own material, take that at face value and do.
Is there a lesson structure the school expects to see, such as a mini-lesson followed by independent work?
Why ask it
Some schools build every lesson on one model, whether that is a workshop, a gradual release from teacher to students or an inquiry task, and their observers will look for its parts. If they name one you have not taught in, say so and ask for a sample plan to work from. If they name none, teach the way you teach best.
Am I free to choose my own text, problem set or activity for the topic?
Why ask it
This one is for when the topic is fixed and the material is not. If you pick a reading, send the title ahead and ask whether the level and subject matter suit the group, so no observer is surprised by the content. For a math or science task, find out whether the class has seen that kind of task before.
Should the lesson end with a quick check of what students learned, such as an exit ticket, and would you like to see what I collect?
Why ask it
A three-question exit ticket or one worked problem per student gives you something solid to point at later. Some panels ask what you would teach the next day on the strength of it, so skim the responses before you leave the room.
The class
Will I be teaching the school's own students, or members of the committee acting as a class?
Why ask it
When school is not in session, or where a school prefers not to give up a period, adults sometimes stand in. That changes the plan a good deal, since six adults will not misread an instruction the way thirty children might. The follow-up is whether they will respond as the grade would or simply as themselves.
How many students will be in the room?
Why ask it
The number sets your copies, your group sizes and whether learning every name is realistic. Check that it is the full class and not a smaller group pulled together for the visit, because a hand-picked dozen behaves differently from a full roster.
Could I email the classroom teacher a few questions about the students?
Why ask it
The teacher whose class you are borrowing knows what a principal or an office contact often cannot: last week's lesson, who works well together, which signal brings the room back. Keep it to three or four questions that can be answered in five minutes. Some schools say no so that every candidate plans from the same information, and that is a fair answer.
What have the students already learned that this lesson would build on?
Why ask it
Press for one concrete skill, such as whether they can already find a common denominator or have written a thesis statement before. A contact in the front office may not know, and this is the one question worth having passed along to the classroom teacher.
How wide is the range of levels in the class?
Why ask it
You want the spread, not names: roughly how far apart the strongest and weakest readers are, or who is still shaky on last year's math. Then build one task with an easy way in and a harder end, which observers can see working without you announcing it.
Are there students with IEPs or other support plans, and which supports should I have ready?
Why ask it
How much a school may tell a visiting candidate about individual students depends on where you are and on its own rules, so ask for whatever they are able to share. General answers are enough to plan from: two students use a graphic organizer, one needs directions read aloud. Put those supports in the written plan so the panel sees them.
Are any of the students English learners, and roughly how much English do they have?
Why ask it
A newcomer and a student who is nearly fluent need different things from you. For the first, pictures, gestures and a word bank; for the second, sentence starters for the discussion. It also helps to know whether those students usually sit with a partner or work with a support adult.
Will a paraprofessional, an aide or a co-teacher be in the room, and how do they usually work?
Why ask it
A second adult standing idle through your lesson reads as a gap in your planning. Find out what that person does on a normal day and whether you may ask them to take a group or sit with particular students. Then write one line for them into the plan.
Which routines does the class already know for getting quiet, moving into groups and handing out materials?
Why ask it
Borrowing the class's own signal is quicker than teaching yours with the clock running. Try to get what the teacher says or does to bring the room back, word for word. Students tend to answer a familiar cue from a stranger out of habit.
Do the students usually work in pairs, at tables or on their own?
Why ask it
A class that has never done a jigsaw will spend your minutes working out where to sit. Pick a structure close to what they already do, or the simplest version of the one you want, such as turning to the person beside them.
Could I have a seating chart, or will the students have name tags?
Why ask it
Calling on a child by name is the quickest way a visitor can build a little trust. If there is neither, bring folded index cards and markers and let students write their own in the first minute. When you are sent a list, ask how to say any name you are unsure of.
Will the students know beforehand that a visitor is teaching them?
Why ask it
A class that was told tends to arrive curious, and one that was not can take a few minutes to settle. Find out who will introduce you and what the students should call you, so the lesson does not begin with you explaining why you are there.
How is behavior handled in this class, and what would you like me to do if a student is disruptive?
Why ask it
You arrive with no history with these students and none of the teacher's usual consequences. The thing to pin down is whether the classroom teacher will step in or leave it with you. If it is left with you, plan your quiet moves ahead: standing nearby, a private word, a change of seat.
Is there anything about this group I should know, such as the time of day or something that happened recently?
Why ask it
Leave this one open on purpose. It is where a contact mentions that the class comes straight from lunch, has had a run of substitutes, or loses half its number to band on Thursdays. None of that fits under another question, and any of it can change how you open.
The room
Which room will I teach in, and how is the furniture arranged?
Why ask it
Rows, tables, a rug and lab benches each suit a different lesson. Two things follow from the answer: whether it is the class's usual room, and whether you may move desks. If you cannot visit first, a phone photo from the doorway answers most of what you would otherwise have to ask.
Can I get into the room before the lesson to set up, and for how long?
Why ask it
Ten minutes is enough to write the objective on the board, test the screen and lay out materials. If another class is in there until the bell, design an opening that needs only you and a marker while the rest gets handed out.
What technology is in the room: a projector, an interactive board, a document camera?
Why ask it
Get the kind of board if you hope to use anything beyond showing slides, since interactive software often needs the school's own computer and login. A vague reply should be read as a plain screen, and the lesson planned for no more than that.
Should I bring my own laptop or use the school's computer, and what does it connect with?
Why ask it
You need to know which cable or adapter the screen takes and whether you would need a guest login. Whatever the answer, carry the slides three ways: on a flash drive, as a PDF in your email, and printed.
Is there guest Wi-Fi, and will the sites or videos I plan to use get through the school's filter?
Why ask it
School networks often block video and game sites that work fine at home. Send the exact links ahead and ask if someone could try them from a school machine. Better still, build the lesson so that the clip is an extra and not the hinge.
Do the students have their own devices, and will they have them with them that period?
Why ask it
If the lesson leans on student devices, ask what they normally log into and whether the devices stay charged through the day. A visitor usually cannot be added to the class's online platform, so plan to share anything by a short link on the board.
Can the school make copies for me, or should I bring everything printed?
Why ask it
If the office will copy, ask who to send the file to and by what day, then bring a spare set regardless. Count one per student, one per observer and a few extra for the student who tears or loses the first.
What will students have at their desks, and what should I bring myself?
Why ask it
Pencils, notebooks, mini whiteboards, calculators and scissors all vary from room to room. For anything hands-on, ask what the school already keeps, such as counters, rulers or lab equipment, before you buy or borrow it.
Are there allergies or safety rules I should know about before I bring in materials?
Why ask it
This matters for anything students will touch, smell or eat: food, balloons, glue, plants, science supplies. What is allowed is the school's call and differs from one building to the next, so describe exactly what you plan to bring and let them say yes or no. If no answer comes in time, teach the version of the activity that needs none of it.
Observers
Who will be observing the lesson?
Why ask it
Names and roles are what you want. The head count tells you how many copies of the plan to print, and the roles hint at where each pair of eyes will go: a department head tends to listen to the content, a principal to watch the students.
What will the observers be looking for?
Why ask it
Candidates are often shy of this one, yet schools usually answer it plainly. A reply such as student engagement or checking for understanding is your list of priorities, in their words. If the reply is to relax and be yourself, ask which matters more to them in a first meeting with a class: rapport or command of the subject.
Is there a rubric or observation form, and may I see it beforehand?
Why ask it
Not every school will share one, and nothing is lost by asking. Where the form is the same one the school applies to its own staff, its headings give you the vocabulary the panel thinks in. Walk your plan down each row and see which rows it leaves empty.
Will the class's regular teacher stay in the room, and in what role?
Why ask it
They may watch, help, or leave you alone with the class. It is fair to ask whether they have a say in the hiring decision. Even where they do not, the panel may ask them afterwards whether the students behaved as they usually do.
Will the observers stay for the whole lesson, or come and go?
Why ask it
A principal who can spare only the first fifteen minutes should see the part you most want judged, so put your clearest teaching there. Keep a proper close all the same, because someone else in the room will still be watching it.
Will observers move around, talk to students or look at their work while I teach?
Why ask it
Some sit at the back with a form. Others crouch beside a desk and ask a child what they are learning today. For the second kind, state the objective in plain words at the start and come back to it, so any student could repeat it.
What have the strongest demo lessons you have seen here had in common?
Why ask it
It invites a story in place of a checklist, and the story usually has one detail you can use, such as a candidate who learned names or who stopped to reteach when half the room was lost. Asked with real curiosity, it also shows you want to do this well for their students.
Are all the candidates teaching the same topic to the same class?
Why ask it
If so, the panel is comparing like with like and clarity will count for more than novelty. It also means the students may be meeting this content for the third time in a week. Where that is the case, open by finding out what they remember.
Will the lesson be recorded, or will anyone be watching remotely?
Why ask it
A camera changes where you stand and how loudly you speak to the back. Rules on filming students belong to the school and differ from place to place, so if you would like a recording for your own use, ask and accept the answer.
The day
What time should I arrive, and where do I check in?
Why ask it
Visitor sign-in at a school can take longer than you expect, and what a visitor has to show or sign is set locally, so find out what to bring, photo ID included. Then work back from the lesson's start: sign-in, the walk to the room, and your set-up time.
Where should I park, and which entrance do visitors use?
Why ask it
At morning drop-off a school can have a full lot, a line of buses and a single unlocked door. Get the name of the entrance and of a street or lot where a visitor may leave a car. If you live near enough, drive the route at the same hour a day or two before.
What else is planned around the lesson, such as an interview, a tour or meeting the team?
Why ask it
The answer tells you how much of the day to keep free and what else to prepare. When a panel interview follows straight on, expect its first questions to be about the lesson, while it is fresh for everyone.
Is anything unusual happening at school that day, such as an assembly, testing or shortened periods?
Why ask it
A contact who lives by the school calendar may not think to mention it. Ask for that day's bell schedule. A shortened period is an easy way for a planned forty minutes to turn into thirty without anyone telling the visitor.
Who should I call or text that morning if something goes wrong?
Why ask it
A direct number is worth more than the main office line when you are stuck in traffic at ten to eight. Save it in your phone the day you get it, along with the name of the person who will meet you at the door.
Afterwards
Will there be a debrief after the lesson, and who will be in it?
Why ask it
In many schools the debrief is the second half of the test, where the panel hears how you think about your own teaching. Knowing it is coming, you can make a mental note mid-lesson of two moments that worked and one that did not.
Will I be asked to reflect on the lesson, and would that be in conversation or in writing?
Why ask it
Prepare for the two usual prompts: what you would change, and what you would teach this class tomorrow. A written reflection is sometimes due the same day, so ask about the deadline and the length they expect.
Will I hear feedback on the lesson, whatever the outcome?
Why ask it
Some schools give it freely and some have a policy against it. It is far easier to ask now than after a rejection. If the answer is yes, find out who to write to and how long to wait.
How much does the demo lesson count in the decision, alongside the interview and references?
Why ask it
Nobody will give you a percentage, and you should not ask for one. What you can learn is whether the lesson is the last hurdle or one of several, and whether every finalist teaches one.
What happens after the demo lesson, and when do you expect to decide?
Why ask it
There may be another round, reference calls, or an approval step above the principal, and the order differs from one school or district to the next, so let them describe how it runs there. Leave with a date, so you know when a polite follow-up is fair.
May I leave the materials with the classroom teacher so the students can finish the work?
Why ask it
That teacher gave up a period of their own plans for you. Handing over the spare copies, the slides and a line of thanks costs nothing and is remembered. It also lets the class finish anything the bell cut off.
From the invitation to the debrief
Practical guidance for the conversation itself
Getting your questions to the school
Read the invitation twice first
Most invitations already give the date, the length and often the topic. Asking for something that was in the email looks careless a week before you are judged on preparation. Tick off what you know, then build on it: 'You mentioned a 30-minute slot with a fourth grade class. Could you tell me what they have covered in fractions so far?'
Send one numbered email
The person who invited you is fitting your visit around a school day, so several short messages are harder for them than one. Number the questions, keep it to eight or ten, and put first the ones you cannot plan without: the topic, the minutes, the grade, the number of students and what the room has in it. Send it within a day or two of the invitation, while there is still time for a reply to change your plan.
Ask who can answer the class questions
A principal or an office manager can tell you the time and the room, but the questions under The class are best answered by the teacher whose students you are borrowing. Ask your contact whether they would pass those on, or whether you may write to the teacher yourself. Do not go around the contact without asking, and do not look the teacher up and write uninvited.
If no reply comes
Follow up once, a few days before the lesson, with only the two or three questions that matter most. If that goes unanswered too, plan for the unknowns: a lesson that works with or without a screen, for more students than you expect, with a task that has an easy way in and a hard finish. Silence is not a mark against you, and a plan that bends is something observers notice.
Turning the answers into a plan
Plan to the minutes, less a few
Write clock times down the margin of your plan using the start and stop you were given. Give the opening and the instructions less time than feels natural and the student work more. Mark one activity you will drop if you are behind and one you will add if you are ahead, so the decision is already made when you need it.
Put what you learned where observers can see it
If you were told about students who need directions read aloud, or English learners who use sentence starters, write those supports into the plan under their own heading. Observers cannot credit thinking they cannot see. A line such as 'word bank on each table, as suggested by the classroom teacher' shows both the support and the fact that you asked.
Keep a version that needs no power
Whatever you were promised about the projector, be able to teach the lesson from the board and a stack of paper. Print the key slide large enough to hold up or tape to the wall. A candidate who carries on calmly when the screen stays blank has shown the panel something a smooth lesson could not.
Make the goal something a student could repeat
Rewrite the standard you were given as one sentence in the students' own vocabulary and plan to say it near the start, in the middle and at the close. If an observer leans over and asks a child what the class is learning, that sentence is what you hope comes back.
On the day
Carry everything yourself
Pack the night before: copies for students and observers, your printed plan, markers that work, index cards for name tents, the adapter you were told about and one you were not, and the slides on a flash drive. The room may well have spares, but hunting for a marker with a class watching is a poor first minute.
Use what the school told you, out loud
Open with the unit the class is in, use the attention signal you asked about, and call on students by the names in front of them. Each of these is small. Together they show the panel a candidate who found out about their students before walking in, which is much of what the exercise is testing.
When an answer turns out to be wrong
You were told twenty students and there are twenty-seven, or the half hour has become twenty minutes because of a late assembly. Adjust without comment: pair up the extras, cut the second activity, keep the close. In the debrief, describe the change you made and why, and leave out whose information was off.
In the debrief and after
Name your own weak moment
Every demo lesson has one, because you are teaching strangers in a borrowed room. Say what it was before you are asked and what you would do about it: 'The instructions for the pair task took too long, and I would model one example next time.' A candidate who can see it is easier to picture improving than one who reports that it all went to plan.
Point to what the students did
Talk about the students' work more than your own delivery. If you collected exit slips, say what they showed: who had it, who nearly had it, and what you would teach those two groups the following day. That turns a single lesson into evidence of how you would run a week.
Ask one question back
If time allows, ask what stood out to the people watching, or how the class compared with an ordinary day for them. Their reply shows you what this school values in a classroom, which is worth knowing before you decide whether you want the job.
Thank the teacher whose class it was
A short note to the classroom teacher, separate from the one to the panel, is courteous and easy to forget. Mention something a student said or did. If you are hired, that teacher is likely to be down the hall from you.