Interviewing Skills - What's Your Elevator Pitch?

Program Area(s)

Basic Information

Brief Description
Identify main ideas and supporting details in written text during jigsaw individual reading time. Write informative text to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly when completing the Elevator Pitch – Pitch Yourself! Handout. Produce writing in which development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience when completing the Elevator Pitch – Pitch Yourself! Handout. Summarize a written text aloud in jigsaw teaching groups. Adapt speech to the context and demonstrate command of formal English when delivering their elevator pitches. Demonstrate conventions of standard English when writing and delivering their elevator pitch speeches. Given an interview prompt, students will write a 2/4/6-minute introduction about themselves that meets or exceeds an interviewer’s rubric satisfactory category.
Essential Questions
Developed By
Patricia Hughes-Fitzgerald
Co-contributors
Number of Sessions
2
Time Required
60
minutes
Setting
Classroom
Instruction Level
Beginning
Intermediate
Advanced

Objectives

Lesson Goal
Learning Objectives

Instructional Strategies

Formative assessment: My Favorite No Jigsaw Graphic organizer Video with comprehension questions Think-Pair-Share-Think Again Student presentations Rubric (peer and teacher evaluation) Exit Ticket

Resources

Resource
Scrap paper or index cards for student use Projector, ability to project Computer with Internet access Speakers Students copies of Four Stages of an Interview Chart (attached) Student copies of Introduction Purdue University. (n.d.). Four Stages of an Interview [PDF file]. Retrieved from https://www.purdue.edu/hhs/htm/undergraduate/career_center/documents/career_guide/Interview_stages.pdf Student copies of Questions by the Interviewer Purdue University. (n.d.). Four Stages of an Interview [PDF file]. Retrieved from https://www.purdue.edu/hhs/htm/undergraduate/career_center/documents/career_guide/Interview_stages.pdf Student copies of Questions by the Interviewee Purdue University. (n.d.). Four Stages of an Interview [PDF file]. Retrieved from https://www.purdue.edu/hhs/htm/undergraduate/career_center/documents/career_guide/Interview_stages.pdf Student copies of Closing Purdue University. (n.d.). Four Stages of an Interview [PDF file]. Retrieved from https://www.purdue.edu/hhs/htm/undergraduate/career_center/documents/career_guide/Interview_stages.pdf OhioMeansJobs | Big Interview. Part Two: Acing Common Questions – Tell Me About Yourself. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://ohiomeansjobs.biginterview.com/members/curriculum/fast_track?chapter=12 Student copies of Elevator Pitch – Pitch Yourself! Handout (attached) Student copies of Mock Interviews with Competencies (attached) Adapted from: Pacific University. (n.d.). Interviewing and Recruitment: Guide for Supervisors [PPT file]. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwj4rKCSuqnSAhVCHGMKHX3IBIoQFggaMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcommons.pacificu.edu%2Fcontext%2Fhrres%2Farticle%2F1004%2Ftype%2Fnative%2Fviewcontent&usg=AFQjCNFtmB_VqKL4r5DZINZFnodTDNzLVg&sig2=vkNleEeXeIAQIbhRtDQszw&bvm=bv.148073327%2Cd.cGc Elevator Pitch Rubric Post-it notes for student use
How Resource Is Used
Scrap paper or index cards for student use Projector, ability to project Computer with Internet access Speakers Jigsaw: Graphic organizer for note-taking: Students copies of Four Stages of an Interview Chart Readings: Student copies of Introduction Purdue University. (n.d.). Four Stages of an Interview [PDF file]. Retrieved from https://www.purdue.edu/hhs/htm/undergraduate/career_center/documents/career_guide/Interview_stages.pdf Student copies of Questions by the Interviewer Purdue University. (n.d.). Four Stages of an Interview [PDF file]. Retrieved from https://www.purdue.edu/hhs/htm/undergraduate/career_center/documents/career_guide/Interview_stages.pdf Student copies of Questions by the Interviewee Purdue University. (n.d.). Four Stages of an Interview [PDF file]. Retrieved from https://www.purdue.edu/hhs/htm/undergraduate/career_center/documents/career_guide/Interview_stages.pdf Student copies of Closing Purdue University. (n.d.). Four Stages of an Interview [PDF file]. Retrieved from https://www.purdue.edu/hhs/htm/undergraduate/career_center/documents/career_guide/Interview_stages.pdf Video: OhioMeansJobs | Big Interview. Part Two: Acing Common Questions – Tell Me About Yourself. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://ohiomeansjobs.biginterview.com/members/curriculum/fast_track?chapter=12 Student copies of Elevator Pitch – Pitch Yourself! Handout Student copies of Mock Interviews with Competencies Adapted from: Pacific University. (n.d.). Interviewing and Recruitment: Guide for Supervisors [PPT file]. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwj4rKCSuqnSAhVCHGMKHX3IBIoQFggaMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcommons.pacificu.edu%2Fcontext%2Fhrres%2Farticle%2F1004%2Ftype%2Fnative%2Fviewcontent&usg=AFQjCNFtmB_VqKL4r5DZINZFnodTDNzLVg&sig2=vkNleEeXeIAQIbhRtDQszw&bvm=bv.148073327%2Cd.cGc Elevator Pitch Rubric Post-it notes for student use
Notes
Pages Used

Lesson Plan

Warm-Up

Activity
To begin class, ask students to describe their experiences with job interviews and gauge student understanding of workplace appropriate behavior.
Duration
15
minutes

Introduction

Activity
Notes
Duration
minutes

Presentation

Skill to be Presented
Reading, writing, sharing information, listening
Steps for Presenting Skill
Jigsaw: Four Stages of an Interview Tell students they are going to learn about the 4 stages of an interview. Each student will be responsible for one section of text but at the end of the activity, students will know about all 4 stages. This process is called a jigsaw. Provide each student with the Four Stages of an Interview Chart. Provide each student with 1 of the 4 readings (it is helpful to copy the readings on different colored paper so students can identify who is in their own group and also move to mixed groups during the activity). Silent reading Have students read over their text individually. Ask students to identify 3 main points from their text and write the main points in the correct section of their chart. Expert groups: Have students assemble into groups with other students who have the same color paper. In this group, have one student volunteer to read their 3 main points to the rest of the group. For students who are listening, if they have the main point that was said on their own chart, instruct them to place a checkmark next to it. If they don’t have the main point that was said, instruct them to record it on their chart. Once every student has gone and the main points are identified and recorded, students may move into the next group. Teaching groups: Have students assemble into groups with other students who have different colored paper. In this group, each student takes a turn teaching the other students about their “stage” of an interview. As the student teaches, the other students record what is being said. Students should have completed charts by the end of this group. Whole group review: Facilitate a whole group review of the stages of an interview. Use this as an assessment of the information students learned during the jigsaw. Now that students have seen your “elevator pitch” and are familiar with the four stages of an interview tell them they are going to write their own elevator pitch. Start by having student watch Part 2: Acing Common Questions – Tell Me About Yourself pausing the video to ask comprehension questions. Go to OhioMeansJobs Select Individuals – Get Started Select Ready to explore own your own – Get Started Select Explore It Select Practice Interviews and Tips Select Visit Interview Practice Center Select Fast Track Select Acing Common Questions Select and watch Tell Me About Yourself Comprehension questions: What’s the point of the “tell me about yourself” question? Why should you prepare a “tell me about yourself” response? Why is it nicknamed an “elevator pitch”? Why should you answer be in bullet points instead of a script? How long should your elevator pitch be? What should you focus on?
Duration
60
minutes

Practice

Activities
Groupings
Whole Group
Small Group
Pair
Individual
Duration
30
minutes
Description
Once students are finished watching the video, distribute the Elevator Pitch – Pitch Yourself! Handout.Think-Pair-Think Again-Share Instruct students to spend 10 minutes completing the handout. Once students are finished, ask students to pair up with a partner and review each other’s answers. Provide students with Elevator Pitch Rubric for peer evaluation. Give student pairs another few minutes to make changes to their elevator pitch. Ask student pairs to share elevator pitches. If a student doesn’t want to read their own, another student can read it for them. As students are reading elevator pitches, use this time to determine if students “get it” or need reteaching. Collect Elevator Pitch – Pitch Yourself! Handout and Elevator Pitch Rubric for evaluation.

Evaluation

Duration
minutes
Objectives
Assessments
Demonstration
Observation
Written Sample
Graphic organizer, rubric
Description
My Favorite No: student responses Jigsaw: completed graphic organizer, teacher observation of Jigsaw groups, students answers during whole class review Video: student responses to comprehension questions Elevator Pitch handout: student completion, student presentation, peer feedback on rubrics
Student Reflection
Give each student the Mock Interview with Competencies handout, ask students to read over the handout and write on a post-it note (this is the Exit Ticket) the one area they need the most help with. You’ll use this information to determine groups for the next class.

Application

Activities
Student completion of Elevator Pitch - Pitch Yourself! handout Elevator Pitch Rubric
Notes
Location
Inside Classroom
Outside Classroom

Reflections

What went well in the lesson? How do you know? The warm-up activity, My Favorite No, is an activity the class does often and uses with a wide variety of content. Because they do it often they are familiar and comfortable with it. Student contributions and willingness to provide answers and share responses is a good indication of whether or not this activity is going well. Another activity the class does often is the Jigsaw. The more they do it, the easier it gets and the better it goes. So again, student participation in the different stages, their completion of the graphic organizer, and their responses during the whole class review are indications of whether or not the activity is going well. How well did planned assessments inform you of student progress? Student responses during the whole group review and to the comprehension questions during the video indicate whether students are understanding the content. Student responses on the Elevator Pitch – Pitch Yourself! Handout provide a reliable summative assessment as does the feedback provided by their peers on the Elevator Pitch Rubric. The exit ticket determines grouping for the next class and provides a starting point for every student based on student identified needs. How well did the lesson address diverse student needs? Diverse student learning modalities are addressed by projecting student responses to the warm-up, providing a graphic organizer for the Jigsaw, projecting a video, providing a graphic organizer for students to use to structure their elevator pitches. For content differentiation, the readings can be adapted using www.rewordify.com, a script to the video can be included, the elevator pitch writing assignment can be shortened or lengthened. What challenges did you encounter during the lesson? What did you do to address them? Technology is always an issue – firing up the computer, connecting to the Internet – I always expect problems as do the students! Student participation varies which is why some activities are used repeatedly (like My Favorite No and the Jigsaw). The more students do these activities the more comfortable they are with them and the more likely they are to participate and be engaged. What might you do differently? Things I’ve already done differently with this lesson include copying the individual Jigsaw readings on different colors of paper so it’s easier for student to make expert groups and teaching groups, providing a graphic organizer to help students structure their elevator pitches, providing a rubric for peer feedback. Next time I’m planning to include the script of the video. What did you learn from your students that will inform future lessons? The changes I listed in response to “What might you do differently?” are all things I observed and tweaked. Student frustration with forming groups was the impetus for colored paper, and the more I observe students the more I see how well they respond to graphic organizers. Providing structure for their writing takes the guesswork out of the assignment for students; all they need to do is provide content. It seems to simplify the task and allow them to focus solely on content and providing a quality product. Are there additional resources or support that might support your ongoing professional development? None that I can think of.