Open Class...need help!

I went to my first open class today, and am now panicking about mine next week. The native teacher and co teacher equally taught, but I'm always completely on my own. I've been working on a lesson all week and have asked my co teacher for advice everyday, and she always says to give her time....of course, she never actually gives me any help even after a week has passed. I had what I thought was a good lesson, until I saw the open class today. Is there a certain type of lesson most people do for open classes?

So, if anybody can give me some tips on how to prepare for an open class or just advice in general, I would greatly appreciate it! I have no previous teaching experience. so this is all very new to me.

What level of students will the class be with?

I did a demo class a couple weeks ago and I taught pretty much on my own. The feedback from the parents was really good, so I don't think it matters how much or how little you work with the co-t. It depends on the quality of what you are presenting and the level of appropriateness for the students.

Stop panicking, open classes are just normal classes and highly over-rated in importance.  I am convinced someone thought up the idea to give teachers a hard time.

Just relax and teach how you normally do and unless it is an absolutely awful lesson (which I am sure it isn't) you will get rave report-backs. So smile and take it easy, stop stressing and soon it will be over. :) :) :)

I totally agree. Open classes are over hyped. I had my first open class yesterday after stressing and losing sleep over it all week.

Boy was I in for a shock: It was fun, it was a relaxed atmosphere, and I'm actually looking forward to the next one!

Good luck :)

i dont think you need to worry... even if you dont usually teach with a coteacher... but you do have one... you will probably find that they come to the open class because they are usually about how well you CO teach... also... open classes are not reality usually. They are (most of the time) staged classes with the best students... "normal everyday classes"

I had my first ever formal open-c on Friday. It went extremely well... my advice is to teach like it is a normal class, choose a lesson that caters to the level of students you have, and have fun with the children during the lesson. If it's easier for you to review a lesson that you've already taught, then I say go for it.
BTW: my co-teacher planned so much and for so long, that he literally froze up when it was time to teach. So don't worry, if the kids have fun then it'll go smoothly.

I had my first open class on Friday having only been told about it Thursday  :o Like you, I basically teach alone as my co-teacher has very very low English and I'm the main teacher. I was so worried. But it actually ended up going fantastically well and everyone being really pleased with it.

The best thing to do is think of or find online a fun game that is as interactive as possible. If parents and other teachers see the children getting up and having fun, they will think the lesson is great no matter what the subject is.

Go simple with topic, maybe play a review jeopardy game so the kids will know the subjects. Put their desks into groups and use something as a timer and a claxon for their answers. When I play games like jeopardy I use an old squeaky horn to tell them time's up and they love it for some reason. Or nick a gong out of the music department. Something fun and silly with the kis interacting will go down well, I promise.