Preparing A Virtual Teaching Demo

By Anisah Nu’Man, Assistant Professor of Mathematics, Spelman College, @_nudoc_

In the US, it has been a little over a year since we have had our first confirmed case of the coronavirus. Since then, as a community, we have been trying to adjust to what’s been called the “new norm.” For those in academia this involved converting in-person classes to remote learning, holding virtual office hours, and becoming very familiar with various platforms that foster collaborative team work and video conferencing such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Slack, and Jamboard. While some institutions are welcoming students back to campus with limited in-person teaching, several others are preparing for another largely virtual semester in 2021. 

For those currently on the job market, the shift to remote learning came with hiring freezes, decreases in job postings, and has created a different set of challenges and uncertainties around the job search and interview process. Traditionally, in the timeline for a job search in mathematics, February through April is when institutions invite candidates for campus interviews. Campus interviews are packed with meeting department chairs, members of the department and search committee, students, and possibly the president, provost, or dean. In addition to these interviews, a research talk, teaching demonstration, or both may also be required. Although some students are returning to campuses it is likely institutions hiring this year will conduct campus interviews virtually. 

Having just wrapped up the Virtual Joint Mathematics Meeting and with several other conferences, seminars, and workshops being held online, a number of us have gotten some “practice” giving research focused talks virtually. However, with the unique challenges of online teaching, how does one prepare for a live virtual teaching demonstration in a way that highlights a candidate's strengths within the classroom? Strengths that include active learning techniques that promote higher-order thinking by engaging students in mathematical investigation, communication, and group problem-solving. My intention with this post is to discuss some of the things one can do to help you prepare for a dynamic teaching demonstration.  

Before we delve into the more practical tips, there are two things to remember when preparing a virtual teaching demonstration. First, remember that a teaching demo done at home on your computer is not the same as an active in-person class with students. It’s not, so don’t make it! Instead, use the virtual teaching demo as a way to highlight your flexibility as an instructor, any classroom innovations, and your tech skills. Second, remember that schools and departments recognize the challenges involved in online teaching.  Institutions are not looking for perfection. Instead, schools want to see intentionality and thoughtful preparation in your teaching demo. 

With that said, here are a few practical tips I hope are helpful as you prepare for a dynamic teaching demonstration. 

Logistics: Prior to your “visit,” ask what platform the institution uses for online classes and the type of demonstration you will be asked to give. Will you be a guest lecturer in a current 50-minute class or given a 25-30 minute mock class lecture? Who will be in attendance:  faculty, students, or both? This way you can familiarize yourself with the functionality of the video conferencing platform you’ll be using and your audience. More than likely, this information will be provided to you in prior communications, but it never hurts to double check. 

Uniqueness of Online Environment: As previously stated, virtual teaching demos are not the same as in-person, but there are strengths within your teaching that a virtual environment can highlight. Beforehand, decide what your strengths are when teaching online, not what you’re best at in in-person teaching (remember these may not be the same thing since in-person and virtual teaching are not the same). Some online teaching strengths could be using breakout rooms to facilitate group work or the use of polling to gauge students' understanding and get immediate anonymous feedback. Depending on the length of the teaching demo, plan your demonstration around 2-3 things you’re best at with virtual teaching.  You can save other strengths within your teaching for the interview portion of your virtual campus interview. As a resource, The Reinert Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning provides a useful “active learning cheat sheet” outlining some common active learning strategies and corresponding approaches appropriate for online teaching.

Seamless Transitions:  Online teaching requires you to be even more prepared. If you plan on sharing your screen, utilizing websites such as desmos, incorporating polls and breakout rooms for class participation, or jamboard for collaborative work, make sure you are logged in to all accounts and the settings are right prior to the teaching demo for a seamless transition between platforms. If you plan on sharing any slides or worksheets as part of your presentation, triple check for errors. Typos and minor mistakes jump out more in a virtual class. As highlighted above, pick a few things you’re strong at and highlight those. 

Existing Teaching Videos and Sample Materials: If you’ve been teaching online, whether as a teaching assistant or lead instructor, and have recent video resources or video lectures of your teaching, share these resources with the hiring committee. Share a sample lesson from your current or recent curriculum. Even if the material is not on the subject matter you’ll be teaching during the live teaching demonstration, it will give the search committee a more comprehensive idea of your teaching abilities. If you plan on using handouts during your teaching demo be sure to also share those ahead of time. 

Back-Up Plan: Always have a backup plan! In an ideal situation everything will run smoothly, but as we all have learned, things can happen. Backup plans were necessary for in-person interviews and are even more important for virtual interviews. You want to be flexible enough to switch between back-up plans as needed. For example, if you wish to use a poll in Zoom to gauge your lecture pace, but midway through your presentation the pre-scheduled poll question is malfunctioning, you may want to switch to student response cards to gain feedback. Being selective in which online strengths you wish to highlight will help with your flexibility.

Practice, Practice, Practice: Although we all have become more familiar with attending online lectures and workshops, do not assume you understand how to be in charge of a Zoom session. If you have not taught using Zoom, get a free Zoom account if your institution does not have one and start practicing with friends and colleagues. Practice all of the moving pieces of your demonstration and strategically see where you want to place your materials. See what is needed for a smooth transition and minimize potential technical hiccups. When practicing be aware how video conferencing platforms operate on different devices, i.e. Zoom capabilities on the phone versus a tablet versus a desktop.   

Hiring season can be an exciting and stressful time. Let’s be real, continuing a professional career or starting one during a pandemic kinda sucks. However, your virtual teaching demonstration doesn’t have to be so daunting. Be yourself, have fun with your teaching demo, let your personality come out, and good luck!