Phase 1: Prepare
Step 1 Warm-up recall
From M5.L3: what is dual coding?
Private: nothing you type here is sent or stored.
Step 2 Learning goal
By the end of this lesson you can:
- run the teaching test (Foundation);
- write your own questions (Core);
- plan and time a session (Core).
Phase 2: Teach
Step 3 A familiar example
Trying to explain a recipe to a friend by phone shows quickly which steps you actually know.
Step 4 Clear explanation
The teaching test combines retrieval with explanation. Close the notes and explain the topic aloud, as if to a beginner. Where you stall, hesitate or use a word you cannot define, you have found a gap.
Writing your own questions has a similar effect: producing a question forces you to decide what matters. Then answer them later, from memory, as in Module 3. Compare your answers with the source, mark misses and plan to revisit them using the spaced schedule from Module 4. A balanced 40-minute session might look like this (invented):
| Part of a 40-minute session (invented) | Minutes |
|---|---|
| Read the section | 10 |
| Self-explain each step aloud | 15 |
| Write and answer own questions | 10 |
| Check against the text | 5 |
| Total | 40 |
Check: 10 + 15 + 10 + 5 = 40. One caution: if you can explain fluently, that does not prove you can solve unfamiliar problems; the teaching test shows gaps in explanation, not every gap. Pair it with practice questions. See the entry on retrieval practice.
Step 5 Worked example (4 marks)
A 45-minute session is planned: 10 minutes reading, 15 minutes self-explaining, 5 minutes checking and the rest writing questions. How long is the question writing?
- Add the known parts: 10 + 15 + 5 = 30. (1 mark)
- Question time = 45 − 30. (1 mark)
- Question time = 15. (1 mark)
- Answer: 15 minutes. (1 mark)
Phase 3: Practise
Step 6 Learner practice (instant-marked)
1. The teaching test means:
It exposes gaps.
2. Where you stall in an explanation you have found:
That is where to study.
3. After finding a gap you should:
Close the loop.
4. The 40-minute plan 10 + 15 + 10 + 5 totals:
Add the parts.
Phase 4: Close
Step 7 Recap
- Explain without notes to find gaps.
- Writing your own questions shows what matters.
- Fluent explanation does not prove problem-solving skill.
Step 8 Exit ticket (ungraded)
Explain one idea from this module in two sentences, without notes.
Private: nothing you type here is sent or stored.
Step 9 Go further (Extension)
Run the teaching test on one lesson and list the gaps found.
Common mistakes
| Mistake | Why it fails |
|---|---|
| Explaining with notes open | Close them. |
| Calling fluency mastery | Add practice problems. |
| Not rechecking the gaps | Revisit them on a spaced schedule. |
Limits. Self-judged fluency can be overconfident; use outside checks or practice questions as well.