what is microteaching

Microteaching is a teacher training and faculty development technique that involves reviewing a recording of a teaching session to receive constructive feedback from peers and/or students about what has worked and what improvements can be made. It aims to prepare teacher candidates for the real classroom setting by allowing them to systematically experiment with main teacher behaviors and teaching skills in a controlled environment. This technique allows teacher candidates to break down teaching skills into smaller parts and learn them without the chaotic environment of crowded classes. Microteaching is often used in pre-service teacher training programs to provide additional experience before or during clinical experiences, and it is valuable for both new and experienced faculty to hone their teaching practices. It has also been used to train teaching assistants, new faculty, and even experienced faculty to refine their teaching techniques. Ultimately, microteaching is a useful technique for teaching soft skills, presentation skills, and interpersonal skills, and it encourages growth and improvement in teaching strategies. It is an innovative method of training wherein the teacher trainee or student-teacher conducts a class for a small group of students for a short time to enhance their teaching skills. Microteaching is a cyclic process that heavily depends on the trial and error method, where the teaching is observed, feedback is provided, and the process is repeated to improve teaching skills. It provides an opportunity for students to be provided with a small demo of how a teaching method needs to be implemented in a live classroom, allowing teachers to sharpen their skills and gain confidence in their teaching abilities. Microteaching sessions typically involve one student teacher, the class instructor or school supervisor, and a small group of students.