student teaching

Home

Chat

Blogs

Collection

Directory

Home : 2001 : December : 18

student teaching
By Jacey

Hi! I would first like to thank you for taking a student teacher. I am fresh out of college, got my first job and will NEVER forget my co-op.
My co-op was great, but there wre things that they did that made my life harder
during that time.
The first was that I needed to show enthusiasm all the time, not just to the kids. She told me that I need to be positive about everything. She really didn't want to hear if I was feeling stressed, or vent about this or that. I wish that she would have asked me, how are you doing and just listen when I said "overwhelmed." Then maybe given me some advice on

time savers or such. We could gossip about anything like two old friends, just not about teaching.
Also, my coop used my student teaching time to organize her room. She never left except for the week when she was doing report cards or for 20 mins. here and there. Leave your room if you feel comfortable with you student teacher. I know that I was able to open up and really teach when this happened. (on a side note- my teacher apologized for not leaving.) She also told me that it wasn't because she couldn't trust me, she just never got the things done in her room that she planned on, i.e grouping the books, organizing files, etc. The constant oberservation was stressful.
I was told, take anything you want and make copies. I know that I did not feel comfortable going into her files and pulling things out. Why not say, let's go through this and see what you want.
Some things that she did to make my time there great:
She was very clear about what she wanted and when she wanted it.
A lot of praise to me and in front of the other teachers.
Let me do 2 parent teacher confrences. This really helped me out for my first teaching job.
Told me that she was going to demonstrate such and such for me, and then did. Such as a way she did a group time activity.
Explained her system for grading, management, and homework. I use hers to this day - with modifications.
Most of all- she accepted me into her room and made me feel welcome. She also preped the kids and got them excited to have me. This really made a difference. They took to me and right away, I was the teacher... not a student teacher.
She never interupted a lesson. If she saw something that I could have done better with, she waited and told me later.
Most of all, she guided me and helped me to remember all the trivial things that make a school day crazy.
good luck and I hope this helped