Bring your knowledge.
We’ll help you teach it.
Prepare to welcome beginners, lead safe hands-on lessons and help people leave with a skill they can use. Start here after you apply or receive an invitation from DCT.
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Your checklist is saved on this browser. It is preparation progress, not a personnel record or teaching approval.
First, confirm your work arrangement
DCT confirms the arrangement in your written agreement. Choose the agreed track to see the relevant preparation steps; selecting a track does not classify you.
Keep completed forms private. Use the personnel service or private process DCT provides. Do not email SSNs, bank details, identification scans or completed tax forms. This page does not accept document uploads.
Your teaching preparation
01 · Welcome to DCT
Make tech feel reachable.
Our teaching rhythm is Understand → Use → Protect → Create. Start with an everyday example before introducing a technical term. A learner should leave each lesson knowing what it means, what they can do, how to do it safely, and what they made.
- Introduce yourself and ask what learners want to do with the skill.
- Use a phone backup, bank app or familiar task to explain the concept.
- Say “Let’s try it together.” Make questions welcome.
- Close by asking a learner to explain the concept in their own words.
Prepare: A 60-second welcome and one plain-language explanation of cloud or AI.
02 · Plan a lesson
One outcome, a clear path.
Choose one observable outcome: “Create a budget alert” is clearer than “Understand billing.” Check the official exam objectives when teaching a certification course. Teach from the approved DCT syllabus and confirm any changing product names or screens before class.
- Plan a short explanation and an instructor demonstration.
- Include guided practice, then a small independent task.
- Budget time for questions, checks and cleanup.
- Prepare a screenshot or offline alternative if an account or network fails.
Prepare: A lesson plan with an outcome, time boxes, materials, safety checks and evidence of learning.
03 · Include every learner
Patience is part of the lesson.
Never assume someone knows how to open a tab, copy a link or find a downloaded file. Read important screen labels aloud, use readable text and captions, and offer written steps. Ask permission before helping on someone’s device; let them perform the action.
- Explain jargon the first time it appears.
- Offer a phone-friendly or accessible alternative where possible.
- Use a buddy activity without making fast learners the default teachers.
- For minors, follow the host’s consent, safeguarding and communication rules; use approved channels.
Prepare: Two adaptations for a senior, a beginner, or someone using assistive technology.
04 · Run safe labs
Access. Cost. Cleanup.
Before every build, ask: Who can access it? What could it cost? How will we clean it up? Use training accounts and sample data. Learners keep their own passwords, MFA codes and private keys. Never ask them to post credentials in chat or paste personal records into an AI tool.
- Test the lab and verify service availability before teaching.
- Explain possible charges and set budgets or alerts; alerts do not automatically stop spending.
- Use least privilege and limit public access to intentionally public sample content.
- Show resource deletion and check for disks or other resources left behind.
Prepare: A three-part safety briefing and a cleanup checklist for your chosen lab.
05 · Check understanding
Feedback that helps people keep going.
Use a short knowledge check, a teach-back and a practical task. Ask why an answer works; a memorized answer alone does not demonstrate a skill. Give specific, kind feedback and a chance to try again. Keep answer keys and paid instructor materials in the approved classroom.
- Ask learners to explain their choice before revealing the answer.
- Use a new scenario to see whether they can transfer the skill.
- Record completion using the approved DCT process.
- Never promise a Microsoft credential or a job for completing a DCT lesson.
Prepare: Three questions and a simple rubric: accurate explanation, successful task, safety checks.
06 · Teach a practice lesson
Ready for a reviewer, then ready for learners.
Deliver a 10–15 minute practice lesson to your DCT reviewer. Include a warm introduction, a plain-language explanation, a demonstration, one learner task, a check for understanding and cleanup. Use sample data and your planned accessibility adaptations.
- Send the lesson plan through the approved staff channel.
- Arrange a practice session or an approved recording.
- Discuss feedback and make the requested revisions.
- Confirm the work agreement, appropriate personnel documents, course assignment and class schedule with DCT.
Prepare: Your lesson plan and a scheduled practice review. Completing this checklist does not authorize teaching or confirm employment.
Your next step: a practice review
Prepare all six activities, then request review. DCT reviews your practice lesson and the appropriate documents before confirming your teaching assignment.
If the review service is unavailable, contact DCT to arrange your practice review. Send your lesson plan through the approved staff channel.