1. Welcome & Introductions: Members of the Summer Teaching Fellowship Team will be leading. They will share context around expectations for your time together, work through guidance when using the video platform, and provide an opportunity for introductions.
2. Model and Practice Key Teaching Taxonomies: You will get the opportunity to watch a video of master teaching in action. You will then practice a key teaching taxonomy that is essential for the success of teachers. You will get an opportunity to include that taxonomy in your prepared demo lesson.
3. Demo Lesson: You will teach the first 5-8 minutes of your lesson to the STF Team and other STF candidates as if they were your class of students. While we want you to internalize the content, you will be getting feedback around how you’re directing students and leading them through the lesson rather than how well you know the content.
4. 1:1 Interview: An STF Teammate will ask you questions to get to know you better, and you will have a chance to share information about yourself and discuss why you are interested in a career in teaching.
5. Closing and Next Steps: We will share more information about the program, discuss next steps, and answer any outstanding questions you may have.

The video interviewing platform we’ll be using is called Zoom. You do not need an account with Zoom to use the platform, but you do need either a computer with a camera (where after you receive and click the a link to your interview that we’ll share, there is a short, 1-2 minute download) or smartphone (on iPhone and Android there is an app called Zoom Cloud Meetings that you’d need to download) to use the platform. Please review these tips for engaging in a video interview via zoom.

Show Your Passion and Be Yourself: Be prepared to share your “why”. We want to hear why you are interested in urban education, working in public charter schools and how STF will help you in your teaching career path.

Response to Feedback: We do not expect you to have a perfect demo lesson. We are interested in understanding how you reflect and respond to feedback. Please be prepared to recap and share your reflections on the feedback you received during the demo lesson.

Do Your Research: We encourage you to spend time exploring our website to learn more about the Uncommon Schools network, our mission and our schools.

Prepare Questions: Think through questions you may have for interviewers (current Uncommon teachers), Interviews are just as much about you choosing us as us choosing you. Our interviewers are able to answer questions about the Uncommon teaching experience.

You will be executing a pre-scripted lesson plan. A bank of sample lessons will be emailed to you if you have been invited to interview.

• Teach the lesson from the top. If you have a Do Now as the first part of your lesson, skip over it and begin at the “Launch.”
• Please keep in mind, this is intended to be a whole group instruction lesson, not a small group tutoring session, and we ask that you teach it as such. While it may feel awkward with only 6-10 people actually in front of you via video, please do your best to teach as if you were in front of a class of students.
• The STF Team may share feedback either after the lesson, or in real time, in which we may pause you at different times throughout to provide feedback and ask you to adjust. As part of our approach to coaching and development, our teachers receive feedback during lessons that increase the level of learning and achievement for students. You should try to incorporate this feedback immediately during the video interview.

IMPORTANT NOTE:
When picking a sample lesson:

• You must pick one of the lessons provided that aligns with the grade level that you are being considered for (i.e. Elementary, Middle, or High). Pick a topic you’re comfortable with and passionate about but again, we’re looking at how you lead students through the lesson and how clear it is. If you are unsure of which grade level you have been assigned to, email us.
• If you are assigned to Middle School or High School, please pick a sample lesson that matches most closely with your undergraduate major. Remember, we are not evaluating your content expertise. For example, if you are a Math major, please pick a Math lesson. If you are a Political Science major, please pick a History lesson.
• If you are assigned to Elementary School, all of the sample lessons are “read alouds”. Feel free to pick whichever one you would like to present.
  • If you have a Read Aloud sample lesson, there is no need to find a copy of the book given our current circumstances. You simply need to prepare the “hook” and “introduction to new material.”

In all cases, the scripted lessons are full lessons, but you will have only roughly 5-8 minutes to present. You will also be receiving real time feedback from a member of our team which may prevent you from getting through the entire lesson. However, you should plan to execute the entire lesson and will be interrupted by a leader who is observing you when they would like for you to wrap up.

• Once you select your lesson plan, please read the entire lesson, internalize it, and present it as-is. You should not be making significant modifications to the scripted lesson plan. The sample lessons are not examples—the one you receive is the actual lesson you will be teaching.
• Prepare any visual materials (i.e. posters) that the lesson calls for. As a reminder, we’re looking more for your direction and how you lead the content. While preparing, please focus on your directions rather than how the content is laid out.
  • Many people who prepare PowerPoints choose not to share it after seeing other sample lessons.
• Practice your lesson as if you were teaching it! If possible, practice at least once in front of another individual who can give you feedback. Practice your teacher’s voice, practice asking the questions you have scripted the way you would ask them to students, practice giving directions. Practice, practice, practice!
• Figure out how you can internalize your lesson to ensure you aren’t reading it while delivering your lesson. Perhaps use:
  • Notecards
  • Sticky notes on a clipboard
  • Notes in the margin/highlighting of key questions and pieces of the lesson

• Skip the Do Now: As stated above, begin your lesson from the top. If your lesson includes a “Do Now,” please skip over it and begin at the launch of your lesson.
• Have Leadership Presence: As you demo your lesson, the STF Team and other STF candidates are your “students” while you are the “teacher.” You should exude a very strong leadership presence during your lesson. While you will not be in an actual classroom in front of a group of students, you should act as though you are!
• Teacher Voice: You should have a strong teacher voice that commands the attention of all.
• Sense of Urgency: At Uncommon, our mission is to close the achievement gap between our students and more privileged students through our instruction. You should not waste any time during your lesson. Every minute of learning is valuable and should be utilized during your lesson.

We encourage you to review the clips linked below to provide you with some context on what rigor, joy, and instruction looks like in an Uncommon classroom. We hope the video clips will help you to feel prepared as you plan for a sample lesson with us. The password for all of the videos is included:

• High School Sample Video Clip (Note: This video is an example of our coaching model. It highlights the pace and rigor we desire for our students. No password needed)
• Middle School Sample Video Clip (No password needed)
• Elementary School Sample Video (Password: uncommon1)

Please take a few minutes to view our videos on our YouTube account to get a better sense of how we conduct our classes.

If you haven’t done so already, please also spend time exploring our website to learn more about the Uncommon Schools network. There you can find information on the history of our organization, our academic results, what we value as an organization and the professional development that we offer to our teachers.