1. Scale and Scope:
* Micro-teaching: Involves teaching a small segment of a lesson (typically 5-15 minutes) to a small group (often peers or a few students). The focus is on a specific teaching skill or technique, not the entire curriculum.
* Real teaching: Encompasses teaching a full lesson or series of lessons, covering a broader range of content and skills, to a larger class of students over an extended period.
2. Audience:
* Micro-teaching: The audience is typically peers (fellow teacher trainees) or a small, pre-selected group of students, who provide constructive feedback. The focus is on the *process* of teaching.
* Real teaching: The audience is a diverse group of students with varying learning styles, needs, and abilities. The focus is on student *learning outcomes*.
3. Feedback:
* Micro-teaching: Feedback is immediate, focused, and structured. Peers and supervisors provide specific comments on the chosen teaching skill, offering suggestions for improvement. This feedback is usually highly supportive and geared toward development.
* Real teaching: Feedback is more varied, less frequent, and may come from various sources (students, administrators, parents, self-reflection). It might be less structured and could include both positive and negative aspects of the overall teaching performance.
4. Pressure and Stakes:
* Micro-teaching: The pressure and stakes are significantly lower. It's a low-risk environment designed for practice and improvement. Mistakes are expected and viewed as learning opportunities.
* Real teaching: The pressure and stakes are considerably higher. Teachers are accountable for student learning, classroom management, and meeting curriculum requirements. Mistakes can have more significant consequences.
5. Preparation and Planning:
* Micro-teaching: Preparation and planning are focused on mastering a single teaching skill within a short lesson segment. It requires a more concise and targeted approach.
* Real teaching: Preparation and planning are more extensive, requiring careful consideration of the entire lesson, curriculum alignment, student needs, assessment, and classroom management strategies.
6. Content Coverage:
* Micro-teaching: The lesson content is highly focused and limited to the scope of the practiced teaching skill. Depth of content is sacrificed for practice.
* Real teaching: The content is broader and covers a wider range of the curriculum, aiming for a deeper understanding and application.
In essence, micro-teaching is a *practice* environment designed to refine specific teaching skills before applying them in a real classroom setting. Real teaching is the *application* of those skills within the complexities of a diverse classroom environment. It's a crucial distinction to understand for teacher trainees as they transition from training to practice.