| A mini-lesson focuses on a specific teaching point | | | | step in less than five minutes. |
| and lasts five to twenty minutes. You can teach a | | | | Step Two: Active Engagement |
| mini-lesson with a whole group, small group, or | | | | The next step in teaching a mini-lesson is to |
| with individual students. Mini-lessons are ideal for | | | | actively engage your students. Active |
| quick lessons leading to active engagement. | | | | engagement can range from turning to a partner |
| Steps for Completing a Mini-Lesson | | | | and talking to a hands-on experience. The key |
| Before you plan your mini-lesson, you need to | | | | word is "active". Students are engaged in practice |
| determine your teaching point. A teaching point is | | | | (trial and error) while the teacher monitors and |
| a specific objective. What will the learner do? A | | | | assists their students. In the case of our teaching |
| teaching point might look like this: The writer will | | | | point on writing, students could work in partners |
| select a topic for writing a nonfiction magazine | | | | to help each other talk through their writing ideas |
| article. Once you have a teaching point you can | | | | in order to choose the best idea. At the end of |
| begin to plan your lesson. | | | | the session students should be ready to write. |
| Step One: Model | | | | This step might take five to ten minutes. |
| The first step in teaching a mini-lesson is to model | | | | Step Three: Sharing the Learning Experience |
| what you want your students to do. If your | | | | Before you leave the mini-lesson behind and |
| teaching point is to get your students to select a | | | | release students to responsibility, bring your class |
| writing topic, then you must model selecting a | | | | back together (or meet with your small group or |
| topic. You could show the students a list of ideas | | | | individuals) to share the learning experience. In the |
| for writing magazine articles that you | | | | case of selecting topics students could share their |
| brainstormed the night before. Perhaps you have | | | | writing topics with the rest of the class and tell |
| ten ideas on the list. Write the list on chart paper | | | | how they decided on their topic. In this case, it's |
| or place it on a projection device. Think out loud | | | | not the topic they chose, but the process they |
| about your thinking as you consider your topics. | | | | engaged in while choosing the topic. Don't spend |
| Which topic do you know the most about? Which | | | | more than five minutes for step three. You've |
| topic is the most interesting? Which topic could | | | | got to get your students to work now! It's time |
| you spend time writing without getting bored? | | | | to write (or read). |
| Which topic has enough meat to actually fill up | | | | Mini-lessons are a great tool for keeping your |
| article space? These are the kinds of questions | | | | students engaged and moving along. Children are |
| you would ask yourself (out loud) for this | | | | wired from television, video games, and the |
| particular teaching point. Your goal is to show your | | | | Internet to the point that they lose interest |
| students how you eliminate topics and select the | | | | quickly. Shorter, engaging lessons keep your |
| best topic for writing. You could complete this | | | | students interested and your teaching fresh. |