The demo class is probably the most important and nerve-wracking part of the PalFish application process, but we’re here to guide you through!
What is the demo class?
The PalFish demo class is intended to be as similar as possible to a real class, except that it is recorded – you simply act out the class as if you were teaching it live, but with no interviewer or student present. Your demo class should last 15-25 minutes (real classes are 25 minutes long) and show off your range of teaching skills.
To help familiarise you with the scheduling platform, PalFish require you to book your demo class using their calendar system. Simply find a time which is convenient for you and book the class. You can also reschedule the class at any point if you are no longer able to make it. We recommend picking a time of day when you will be feeling the most energetic and also have good lighting in your teaching space.
What will I need to teach?
The PalFish demo class is always the “Hello Monkey” slides – these are the same slides as used for the PalFish level 2 trial classes with real students, so also gives you a good insight into how their platform works. The keywords in this class are: Dog, Cat, Fish, Monkey, Nose, Mouth and Eyes. The key sentences are: What is this? It is a <cat>! What are these? They are eyes!
Once you have scheduled your demo class, you can enter the classroom at any point until the scheduled start time to review the slides. The recording will not start until the scheduled time.
AI Assessment
The demo class is assessed in two ways – an automated AI scoring system and a personal review.
The AI scoring system focuses on the following aspects:
- Use of TPR (Total Physical Response – using actions to represent key words/ instructions)
- Time management (30-90 seconds per slide, excluding title slides)
- Slides preparation (do all the instructions/ activities on the slide)
- Tools (draw on screen, use AI filters)
- Verbal instruction (use the keywords in the teacher notes under each slide, give clear instructions)
- Posture (sit/ stand upright)
- Facial expressions (lots of smiling!)
While for the demo class, the AI assessment is not the main deciding factor as your demo class is also personally reviewed by a PalFish mentor, this system is the only one used for assessing your training classes in the next step – so it is important to be aware of what they are looking for!
PalFish mentor assessment
Your demo class is also personally reviewed by a PalFish mentor, who provides you with more detailed guidance and feedback on your teaching. This is the deciding factor in approving you as an Official Kids Course teacher – see the next lessons for some more detailed tips on each of these assessment criteria, links to our props pack and my own recorded demo class video!