Advice for Student Teachers

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Student Teaching Chatboard

Advice for Student Teachers

by A Cooperating Teacher

Sep 23, 2010

I have my first student teacher this year, and, unfortunately, I am unimpressed. A few words of advice:

1. Ask questions. Especially when I ask, "Do you have any questions?" There is so much to learn, and there has to be something, at least ONE thing you have a question about or need to know more about. I think in three weeks he has asked maybe one or two questions.

2. Get to know those you will be working with. My ST has never initiated a conversation with me, not even to say hello. I went to lunch with him during workshop week and, as we ate, asked a few basic getting-to-know-you questions, such as "Where are you from? How was your summer? Did you do anything fun?" He succinctly answered my questions and then just sit there. He never asked me a single questions in response.

3. Take the initiative. He doesn't do anything unless I give him explicit directions. Don't be afraid to offer to hand out papers, grade assignments, or make copies. Take attendance. ...See MoreI have my first student teacher this year, and, unfortunately, I am unimpressed. A few words of advice:

1. Ask questions. Especially when I ask, "Do you have any questions?" There is so much to learn, and there has to be something, at least ONE thing you have a question about or need to know more about. I think in three weeks he has asked maybe one or two questions.

2. Get to know those you will be working with. My ST has never initiated a conversation with me, not even to say hello. I went to lunch with him during workshop week and, as we ate, asked a few basic getting-to-know-you questions, such as "Where are you from? How was your summer? Did you do anything fun?" He succinctly answered my questions and then just sit there. He never asked me a single questions in response.

3. Take the initiative. He doesn't do anything unless I give him explicit directions. Don't be afraid to offer to hand out papers, grade assignments, or make copies. Take attendance. Walk around the room and help out students as they work independently.

4. Become familiar with the curriculum. Ask for a copy of the textbook. Do the readings the students are assigned. Look at the handouts.

And, if your cooperating teacher is gone the first two days of the week on a conference, and she assigns a vocabulary assignment that needs to be graded and handed back to the students by the third day so they can complete the review, and you've graded the same type of assignment before, it would be a fantastic idea if you helped out your cooperating teacher by, oh, I don't know, grading the assignment! It may not be required, but I would be infinitely grateful if you helped me out once in a while.

I know there are many of you student teachers out there who are doing a fantastic job, many of you going above and beyond what is required of you. Some of you have taken over classes on your first few days. You have enthusiasm and you work hard. You are doing an excellent job and I applaud you.

I think I just need to vent a little about my situation. I am working with my student teacher, giving him feedback and encouraging him, but sometimes I want to scream, "Don't just sit there! Do something!" Because, honestly, he would just sit there until I gave him directions. I'm sick of having to tell him every little thing every single time.

*sigh* Thanks for listening.

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Mrs. Mikesell I couldn't help but jump in...

I have had three student teachers.

Two were fantastic - dreamy. One is actually my co-teacher now.

One did not work out. They were asked to leave my school due to actually combative behavior. Whoa.

Each person is different. You have to build a relationship. You're basically with t...See More

Jul 8, 2011

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rejected What sort of things did your student teacher do that she was then hired at your school? I loved my cooperating teacher and thought she liked me too but when there was an opening for her teaching partner, I didn't get it. I was heartbroken. It was kind of a strange situation because the position opened up in the middle of the year and was never offi...See More

Jul 13, 2011

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Judy2/CA I doubt your coop teacher had anything to do with who was hired for the open position. Don't blame her or yourself. It doesn't mean that you didn't do a great job. We have many teachers in our district who are working part-time as teacher tutors and they generally get full-time positions as they occur. Teachers who have completed a number of long t...See MoreI doubt your coop teacher had anything to do with who was hired for the open position. Don't blame her or yourself. It doesn't mean that you didn't do a great job. We have many teachers in our district who are working part-time as teacher tutors and they generally get full-time positions as they occur. Teachers who have completed a number of long term sub jobs often get hired full-time also. I've only known one student teacher who was hired at our school and that was a long time ago when there was actually a teacher shortage due to class size reduction.

On 7/13/11, rejected wrote: > What sort of things did your student teacher do that > she was then hired at > your school? I loved my cooperating teacher and thought > she liked me too but when there was an opening for her > teaching partner, I didn't get it. I was heartbroken. > It was kind of a strange situation because the position > opened up in the middle of the year and was never > officially posted but I had turned in my resume to the > principal in case they ever had openings. My > cooperating teacher had always told me that I was a > great teacher but maybe she was just saying that... I > wish I knew what I did wrong. > > > > > > > > On 7/08/11, Mrs. Mikesell wrote: >> I couldn't help but jump in... >> >> I have had three student teachers. >> >> Two were fantastic - dreamy. One is actually my >> co-teacher now. >> >> One did not work out. They were asked to leave my >> school due to actually combative behavior. Whoa. >> >> Each person is different. You have to build a >> relationship. You're basically with this person from >> sun up to sun down for 1/2 a year! >> >> I've never gotten paid for having a student teacher - >> yet, I'm still begging to get more because I know >> that I can learn as much from them as they can from >> me. >> >> Sometimes I think people forget that student teachers >> are just like our elementary students - you have to >> model, model, model and practice, practice, practice >> and talk, talk, talk! >> >> Kelly :)

Jul 15, 2011

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Depressed Thanks Judy! I am working part time as a teacher tutor. I have never had anyone say anything bad about my performance and I give everything I have everyday to my students. However, after three years of tutoring I have not gotten a full-time job. Sometimes, I feel as though the full-time classroom teachers look down on me because I am just a tutor. ...See MoreThanks Judy! I am working part time as a teacher tutor. I have never had anyone say anything bad about my performance and I give everything I have everyday to my students. However, after three years of tutoring I have not gotten a full-time job. Sometimes, I feel as though the full-time classroom teachers look down on me because I am just a tutor. I wonder if they think that I must be a bad teacher because I have not gotten a full-time job yet which in turn makes them not want to consider me when the full-time jobs open and it turns into a viscious cycle. Do you think that could be true?

On 7/15/11, Judy2/CA wrote: > I doubt your coop teacher had anything to do with who was > hired for the open position. Don't blame her or yourself. > It doesn't mean that you didn't do a great job. We have > many teachers in our district who are working part-time as > teacher tutors and they generally get full-time positions > as they occur. Teachers who have completed a number of long > term sub jobs often get hired full-time also. I've only > known one student teacher who was hired at our school and > that was a long time ago when there was actually a teacher > shortage due to class size reduction. > > > > On 7/13/11, rejected wrote: >> What sort of things did your student teacher do that >> she was then hired at >> your school? I loved my cooperating teacher and thought >> she liked me too but when there was an opening for her >> teaching partner, I didn't get it. I was heartbroken. >> It was kind of a strange situation because the position >> opened up in the middle of the year and was never >> officially posted but I had turned in my resume to the >> principal in case they ever had openings. My >> cooperating teacher had always told me that I was a >> great teacher but maybe she was just saying that... I >> wish I knew what I did wrong. >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> On 7/08/11, Mrs. Mikesell wrote: >>> I couldn't help but jump in... >>> >>> I have had three student teachers. >>> >>> Two were fantastic - dreamy. One is actually my >>> co-teacher now. >>> >>> One did not work out. They were asked to leave my >>> school due to actually combative behavior. Whoa. >>> >>> Each person is different. You have to build a >>> relationship. You're basically with this person from >>> sun up to sun down for 1/2 a year! >>> >>> I've never gotten paid for having a student teacher - >>> yet, I'm still begging to get more because I know >>> that I can learn as much from them as they can from >>> me. >>> >>> Sometimes I think people forget that student teachers >>> are just like our elementary students - you have to >>> model, model, model and practice, practice, practice >>> and talk, talk, talk! >>> >>> Kelly :)

Aug 6, 2011

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Judy2/CA We have teacher tutors in our district also. It can be a way to get into a classroom full-time (one of our teacher tutors was hired this year when a new primary class had to be opened) but there is so little hiring going on here that it doesn't always seem to work out that way. I know that nobody at my school looks down on the teacher tutors. The e...See MoreWe have teacher tutors in our district also. It can be a way to get into a classroom full-time (one of our teacher tutors was hired this year when a new primary class had to be opened) but there is so little hiring going on here that it doesn't always seem to work out that way. I know that nobody at my school looks down on the teacher tutors. The economy has made it an uncertain time to retire so you don't have many of those classrooms opening up plus we live in a very desirable area so teachers don't leave for a different area. Does the district office know that you are looking for a full-time job? Have you met the hiring director personally? Schmoozing is sometimes necessary to get noticed.

On 8/06/11, Depressed wrote: > Thanks Judy! I am working part time as a teacher tutor. I have > never had anyone say anything bad about my performance and I > give everything I have everyday to my students. However, after > three years of tutoring I have not gotten a full-time job. > Sometimes, I feel as though the full-time classroom teachers > look down on me because I am just a tutor. I wonder if they > think that I must be a bad teacher because I have not gotten a > full-time job yet which in turn makes them not want to consider > me when the full-time jobs open and it turns into a viscious > cycle. Do you think that could be true? > > > On 7/15/11, Judy2/CA wrote: >> I doubt your coop teacher had anything to do with who was >> hired for the open position. Don't blame her or yourself. >> It doesn't mean that you didn't do a great job. We have >> many teachers in our district who are working part-time as >> teacher tutors and they generally get full-time positions >> as they occur. Teachers who have completed a number of long >> term sub jobs often get hired full-time also. I've only >> known one student teacher who was hired at our school and >> that was a long time ago when there was actually a teacher >> shortage due to class size reduction. >> >> >> >> On 7/13/11, rejected wrote: >>> What sort of things did your student teacher do that >>> she was then hired at >>> your school? I loved my cooperating teacher and thought >>> she liked me too but when there was an opening for her >>> teaching partner, I didn't get it. I was heartbroken. >>> It was kind of a strange situation because the position >>> opened up in the middle of the year and was never >>> officially posted but I had turned in my resume to the >>> principal in case they ever had openings. My >>> cooperating teacher had always told me that I was a >>> great teacher but maybe she was just saying that... I >>> wish I knew what I did wrong. >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> On 7/08/11, Mrs. Mikesell wrote: >>>> I couldn't help but jump in... >>>> >>>> I have had three student teachers. >>>> >>>> Two were fantastic - dreamy. One is actually my >>>> co-teacher now. >>>> >>>> One did not work out. They were asked to leave my >>>> school due to actually combative behavior. Whoa. >>>> >>>> Each person is different. You have to build a >>>> relationship. You're basically with this person from >>>> sun up to sun down for 1/2 a year! >>>> >>>> I've never gotten paid for having a student teacher - >>>> yet, I'm still begging to get more because I know >>>> that I can learn as much from them as they can from >>>> me. >>>> >>>> Sometimes I think people forget that student teachers >>>> are just like our elementary students - you have to >>>> model, model, model and practice, practice, practice >>>> and talk, talk, talk! >>>> >>>> Kelly :)

Aug 13, 2011

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