Help needed please with MFL starter for tutoring interview :)

[PamplemousseRouge]

Hi everyone!

I've got an interview for a tutoring position coming up with an agency next week.

I've been asked to prepare a 5 minute starter lesson, and told to bring all resources I need for the lesson with me.

It's for MFL (I'm not sure yet if I'd like to do it in French or Spanish). The agency have said that they won't be able to provide any resources themselves.

For the starter activity, I was originally thinking of teaching the French verb 'avoir' to the Pink Panther theme tune. I've done this before a couple of times, but to groups of students in a teaching context rather than for a tutoring interview.

I originally posted this in AIBU on Mumsnet, but a poster suggested that I might get more responses if I posted it here. They've suggested doing a game for the starter activity instead - does anyone have any ideas please?

I'm a bit stuck to be honest, and would really appreciate some help! :)

Thanks everyone! :)

[PamplemousseRouge]

Bump :)

[needsahalo]

I would make a starter something that you would expect a class to be able to have a go at...usually something they've done from last lesson re-capped or an attempt at working out some vocab for the lesson to come?

[PurpleDaisies]

Is it for one on one tutoring? It's very different to teaching a class.

I assume they've been taught the material (to some extent!) and most of my tutoring is about making sure they understand everything they're supposed to know and then applying it properly. I definitely wouldn't teach them something as a starter. Give them an activity to test what they should already know.

[PamplemousseRouge]

Hi needs and purple, and thanks for your replies! :)

The interview and starter activity is part of an application for a one-to-one tutoring role.

In the interview invitation, it says that it's a group interview, and that within the interview, I'll need to teach a 5 minute example lesson on a subject that I've chosen. I won't be teaching the lesson to actual students, but to the interview panel and the other candidates, so it's a bit of a strange setup.

It says that the panel ate looking for how I can make a lesson engaging and lively, and what questions I can ask to get a dialogue and rapport between myself and the 'students' ie. the panel and candidates. It is strange because, as you mentioned purple, tutoring is very different to teaching large class groups of students.

Any ideas for potential starter activities? I think what they seem to be mainly looking for is interaction between myself and the 'students', and how I make the lesson fun and interesting.

[70ontheinside]

How about a tarsia puzzle as the starter? Engaging and you can do it as a group activity. Gets people talking. You could time it and say that the score can be beaten next time.

[MrsGuyOfGisbo]

As others have said, a starter is not a teaching activity - it is a settling recap or teaser for the lesson - ie how much of this can pupils work out, before you actually get into the teaching part.