The looking glass
Be a student
By all means, rehearse your lesson. You won’t look very professional lecturing from notes that you have to read. Actually stand up and pace back and forth in front of an imaginary class. You may want it to appear extemporaneous, but it must be organized and consistent from one class to the next. Ultimately you will test them over it. It is much easier to make one test rather than different ones for each class since each got slightly different information. For that matter, if you are simply rambling, how will you remember what you covered in each class?
Do the written activities yourself in the same leisurely manner a student would do them. Then double or triple the time it took you. If you will be assigning reading, be sure to read it beforehand and make a list of the important points so you’ll be able to lead a class discussion effectively later. Classroom management skills go beyond just discipline. They include time management, lesson plan continuity and your ability to be responsive to the needs of your teenage students. As you rehearse, keep these points in mind too.
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