One of the most effective ways to prepare DECA members for DECA competitions is to incorporate competition preparation into your regular teaching schedule. Successful DECA competition preparation is about creating a classroom culture of excellence and practice. By integrating strategies into your regular teaching schedule, you can help DECA members develop the skills and confidence they need to excel in competition and develop skills that stick.
In addition, consider these classroom-tested approaches:
Exam Question of the Day:Start class with a bell-ringer using the Exam Question of the Day from DECA Direct Online.
Performance Indicators: Choose one performance indicator from the performance indicator list and give DECA members 5 minutes to brainstorm how they would address it in various contexts.
Mini-Case Mondays:At the beginning of class, hand out a shortened version of a practice case study. Give students 10 minutes to prepare and 5 minutes to present their solutions.
Role-Play Fridays:Partner students up, and one can take the role of a judge and the other the competitor. Practice role-plays can be found on deca.org/compete.
Elevator Pitches:Have members develop and practice "elevator pitches" based on current events and business news. This helps members learn to organize their thoughts quickly, connect business concepts to real-world situations and build communication skills.
Mock Competition: Invite local business professionals to serve as guest speakers and mock judges. This will give DECA members practice presenting to unfamiliar faces and receiving authentic feedback.
10/10/10 Practice: Practice the 10/10/10 format regularly (10 minutes prep, 10 minutes presentation, 10 minutes feedback) to help DECA members internalize competition timing.
PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
This classroom connection will provide instructional resources to introduce the following National Curriculum Standards:
Demonstrate problem-solving skills.
Demonstrate active listening skills.
Organize information.
Participate in group discussions.
Utilize resources that can contribute to professional development.
Explain performance indicators addressed in the role-play activity.
Discover more Classroom Connection activities at deca.org.
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