Saturday, October 20, 2012

“Microteaching and Mannerism during Presentations” - Professor M.S.Rao


“More important than the curriculum is the question of the methods of teaching and the spirit in which the teaching is given.” - Bertrand Russell


I was invited for a Faculty Development Program recently. I often attend the seminars and workshops to analyze the presentations of various speakers as I do research on presentation skills. One of the presenters explained microteaching and I found it very interesting. I decided to share it on my blog so that my regular visitors to my blog are benefitted.


What is Microteaching?

Microteaching is for teaching professionals who are under observation by experts during their presentation.  Usually the session takes place between 5 to 10 minutes where the teachers deliver their presentation to their peer audience. It is a five-step process of planning; teaching; taking feedback; restructuring; and teaching again.  In this concept, the teachers briefly introduce the topic, get into the meat of the content and conclude precisely. The session is usually video recorded so that the presenters can take feedback to find out their strengths and weaknesses. The parameters that are considered for feedback are: content creation and delivery; arousing interest among the audiences; questioning; relevance of content; body language and mannerism to name a few.  It is a feedback for the teachers from peer audience to improve their teaching skills. Here are some of the advantages of microteaching:

  • Develops clarity on the topic.
  • Builds confidence as the teachers come prepared.
  • Condenses the content by removing irrelevant aspects. It is like a summary and précis writing where the key message is conveyed without compromising with the quality.
  • Improves the quality in teaching.
  • Inculcates time sense among the teachers.

Hence, the teachers must follow this concept to ensure qualitative teaching to the audiences and to make a difference in their lives. In microteaching, teachers can spot their mannerism as it plays a significant role to impact the audiences.


Mannerisms during Presentation

“A good teacher is someone who examines everything he teaches.  Old ideas can’t enslave men because, with time, they have to be adapted and be given new shapes.  So let us take the philosophical riches of the past and keep in mind all challenges the present world offers us.” - Confucius, Chinese philosopher

People have certain mannerisms which they may not be aware of. The mannerisms either make or break the presentations. From the video recorded presentation, the presenters must identify their blind spots and bring out the necessary behavioral changes to ensure effective takeaways to the audience.  Here are certain mannerisms for your attention and address:   

  • Usage is board is a must in the classroom. When teachers deliver their content their handwriting must be legible on the board to enable the audiences to understand and write the key points.
  • Don’t engage with the board for a long time as you get disconnected from your audiences. When you write on the board keep talking about the topic so that the audiences get glued with the presentation.
  • Avoid using, “but”, “did you understand?” and similar such fillers as they distract the audiences from key ideas and insights.
  • Maintain a positive body language to get the message across effectively.
  • After completion of the teaching, the teachers must clean the board to enable the next teacher to start session without any inconvenience.

Adopt right mannerism to become a role model to your audiences. Remember the sage words of Aristotle: “First, have a definite, clear practical ideal; a goal, an objective. Second, have the necessary means to achieve your ends; wisdom, money, materials, and methods. Third, adjust all your means to that end.”




Knowledge Grows When Shared



Dear readers,

I would appreciate your comments about this article.



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