My Favorite AI-Proof Assignment
Peer Power Mini Lessons
As teachers, we’re navigating a world where AI tools can generate essays, solve problems, summarize readings, and even mimic student voices. But there’s one thing AI can’t replace: a student’s ability to truly understand, apply, and teach what they’ve learned.
Enter my favorite AI-proof assignment and assessment: Peer Power Mini Lessons.
What Is Peer Power Mini Lessons?
Peer Power Mini Lessons are a simple, powerful practice where students take ownership of a concept, skill, or process and teach it—back to the teacher, a partner, or a small group. It can be a mini lesson, demonstration, model, sketchnote explanation, hands-on walkthrough, or even a quick “show and tell” of how they solved a problem.
It works in any subject area:
Foods: Students demonstrate knife safety or explain how leavening works.
Personal finance: Students teach the difference between simple and compound interest using real-life examples.
Yoga and Mindfulness: Students teach back a key theme using chosen text evidence.
CTE: Students demonstrate a skill step-by-step.
Peer Power Mini Lessons shifts students from passive consumers to meaning-makers.
Why It Benefits Students
1. It Builds Deep Understanding
When students have to teach something, they quickly realize whether they truly understand it. Misconceptions float right to the surface—early and fixable.
2. It Strengthens Communication Skills
Teaching a concept requires clear sequencing, appropriate vocabulary, and intentional choices. These skills transfer to writing, presentations, and workplace readiness.
3. It Boosts Confidence and Agency
Students light up when they realize they are the experts for a moment. It validates their learning and gives them space to shine.
4. It Works for All Learners
This assignment naturally aligns with Universal Design for Learning (UDL):
Multiple means of representation: students decide how to explain a concept.
Multiple means of action/expression: demonstrations, visuals, stories, models, or digital media.
Multiple means of engagement: choice increases motivation.
Why Teachers Love It
1. It’s Naturally AI-Resistant
AI can generate content—but it can’t replace:
spontaneous explanations
real-time Q&A
demonstrations
authentic voice, creativity, and personality
Peer Power Mini Lessons emphasize human thinking, not AI-produced text.
2. It Gives You Instant Assessment
You hear immediately what students do and don’t understand—saving you time reteaching later.
3. It Helps Build a Learning Community
Students learn from one another. They collaborate. They ask questions. They realize everyone is working toward the same goal.
4. It Reduces Grading Load
Because the assessment happens in real time, there’s less paper, fewer essays, and more meaningful learning.
How to Use Teach Back Time in Your Classroom
Here are a few easy formats:
The 2-Minute Mini Lesson
Each student teaches one micro concept in two minutes or less.
Show-What-You-Know Stations
Students rotate to short stations where a classmate is teaching a skill or concept.
Partner Peer Power Mini Lesson
Partners alternate teaching a step, strategy, or process.
Teach the Teacher
Students explain their understanding directly to you while you ask questions and prompt deeper thinking.
Creative Peer Power Mini Lesson
Students choose their medium: poster, model, screencast, whiteboard sketch, Canva slide, or hands-on demo.
Assessment Ideas
Simple rubric using clarity, accuracy, and engagement
“Ticket out the door” reflection on how teaching helped them learn
Peer feedback: two compliments + one “clarify next time” suggestion
You can keep it low-stakes or build it into a larger project. Enjoy!
