GoodJobs 70215. indd 20/03/2015 12: 38

particular, it needs a clear beginning and end, and it 
must show: 
■
Good questioning.
■
Good classroom management.
■
Enthusiasm for the subject.
■
Respect for, and kindness to, the children.
■
Confident spotting and checking of incipient 
behaviour problems. 
■
Praise when warranted – but for specific tasks 
and responses, not ‘scattergun’. 
■
A task, however short, for the children to do. 
■
Awareness of pace, and of the time available. 
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Good ideas for good teachers who want good jobs
Make sure the lesson comes to an organised close. It’s easy 
to run out of time. Other candidates will, believe me, so 
make sure you are the one who’s seen to come to a smart, 
smiling, encouraging close right on the dot.
TWO FINAL TOUCHES
1 
Thank the children. They know what’s going on. 
If they’ve done well, tell them so. 
2 
If you’ve set work, collect it in for marking, and 
make sure you do. 
WHAT TO DO IF THE LESSON GOES PEAR-SHAPED
It’s possible that the lesson will go wrong, and you ‘lose’ 
the children. Whatever you do, 
don’t panic
. Don’t give up in 
embarrassment, handing over to the observer. 
All your observers are interested in is how you deal with 
the problem. You should stop everything. Settle the 
children down. Be assertive and calm. Don’t rush. Take a 
brief moment, then move straight to a manageable task. 
One of my favourites has always been, ‘Write down ten 
words’ about the topic in hand. Say it as if it’s something 
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Good teachers teach a good - or better - demonstration lesson
you had always planned to do next. Then move the lesson 
on to discuss the words: ‘That’s a great word, Jason, 
because it ...’
If you pull things back and move to even a modestly 
adequate conclusion, then you will win credit.
POST-MORTEM
You’ll be asked, perhaps in the interview, perhaps 
immediately after the lesson, how the lesson went. You 
should: