demonstration notebooks: your new classroom assistant

by Cait Ferguson

Store mini-lessons in one place so you can use them whenever a student needs to learn or review a concept. 

What is a demonstration notebook?
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• A repository for common student needs and topics that come up often in the classroom
• A chance to “duplicate” the teacher and a place to practice with exercises 

What are the elements of a demonstration notebook page?

• Sample problem or exercise
• Strategy
• Tools to implement the strategy
• Post-its for students to complete the exercise (or some other writing paper)

How can a demonstration notebook be used?

​Each student has unique needs, and usually, there is only one teacher in the classroom to address and meet those needs. A demonstration notebook can be a great way to help students who may be struggling with a concept when you can't work with them one-on-one. That means that while you are working with one student, the demonstration notebook can also be "working" with another student who needs help. 
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Therefore, a demonstration notebook is a tool for communication and a way to help “red light” students.

                                                                                                    What is a "red light"?

Green “light”=student understands the task and can work independently
Yellow “light”=student may have some difficulties and may need teacher assistance, but can keep working on some elements of the assignment
Red “light”=student cannot continue task without guidance or instruction

You may have multiple red light students in class at the same time. The demonstration notebook can be your "assistant", holding mini-lessons that your students can work through to get back to "green light" status. This can be a tool to help students spend more productive time in class, and help teachers to feel less stressed about meeting student needs. 

If you'd like to learn more about demonstration notebooks, the authors of DIY Literacy, who feature this technique, have demo videos on their website. 

Demonstration notebook examples

Do you have ideas for your demonstration notebook? Comment below!