The Best End of Year Project I've Ever Done
Summary
The Ten Minute Teach can be a great way to end the school year
The project allows students to teach a lesson on topics they care about
You get to kick back and pretend to be a student while they run class
You might even inspire some students to consider a future in education
The Ten Minute Teach
This project is pretty self-explanatory, but here are the basics. Students will research, prepare and deliver a 10-minute lesson or presentation on a topic of their choosing. They must include an interactive component such as a game, competition, or discussion. I gave my students some barebones directions and outlining tools (subscribe for free to get access to the lesson plans), but that’s pretty much all there is to it. This was the first year I’ve done a project like this and I’ve been blown away by how well my students rose to the occasion.
So what’s great about the Ten Minute Teach? This project gives students a chance to show off their knowledge, passion, and creativity. They get to run class for ten minutes and use all the teaching strategies they’ve seen in their academic careers, they get to have fun, be silly, and interact with their peers in a novel way. At the end of the day, this is basically just a presentation but by framing it as an opportunity for students to become the teacher you change their mindset just enough that they can approach it in a much more fun way than usual. Here are some of the topics my students presented on this year.
Factors To Consider
So how do you implement this successfully? This largely depends on your personality as a teacher and the group of students you have.
Student Engagement: Encourage students to choose topics they are genuinely interested in and passionate about. This will increase their motivation and engagement throughout the project.
Student Characteristics: Take into account the individual characteristics of your students, such as their learning styles, personalities, and strengths. Consider whether they are independent learners, outgoing and confident, shy or introverted, creative, or analytical. Tailor the project to accommodate and challenge each student based on their unique traits and abilities. This can include providing additional support for shy or introverted students, fostering creativity for artistic learners, or promoting collaboration for outgoing students.
Clear Guidelines: Provide clear instructions and expectations for the project. Ensure students understand the criteria for their presentation, including the interactive component. Clear guidelines will help them stay focused and organized.
Topic Selection: Allow students to choose their own topics within certain parameters. This gives them ownership and allows for a diverse range of presentations. Encourage them to select topics that are educational, relevant, and align with their interests.
Planning and Preparation: Teach students how to effectively research, organize their ideas, and create an outline for their presentation. Help them develop a structure that includes an introduction, main points, interactive component, and a conclusion.
Interactive Component: Emphasize the importance of incorporating an interactive element into their presentations. Encourage students to think creatively and choose interactive activities such as games, competitions, discussions, or group exercises that enhance learning and engagement.
Peer Collaboration: Foster opportunities for peer collaboration and feedback. Encourage students to support and provide constructive feedback to their classmates.
Time Management: Teach students the importance of managing their time effectively to ensure they can deliver a comprehensive presentation within the given time frame. Help them develop strategies to plan and allocate time for research, preparation, practice, and refining their content.
Closing Thoughts and Highlights
I don’t want to oversell this project, but it was a genuine blast for me to see my students shine. The project generated a level of excitement that I did not anticipate and many of the students truly embraced their teacher personas. Here are some of my favorite moments.
Some kids (affectionately) adopted my persona of a beleaguered old man who likes to chime in with the frequent dad joke
Others used silly attention getters (clapping in rhythm and other classics) to keep their peers in line
Many students brought in pastries, cookies, and other treats they made at home
Multiple students came in from other periods to support heir introverted friends
Students created engaging games and competitions for their classmates
Seeing the normally disengaged students teach a lesson with passion and excitement
I’d love to hear your thoughts or ideas on this project