Student Teachers 101

Chapter 1: To Ask or Not Ask, That is the Question

Where is my classroom? How do I put in grades? Where do I go for professional development?  These are just a few of the many questions that your student teacher will have on any given day. Let’s face it; being in a new school for the first time is quite overwhelming for student teachers. There are so many questions that they have no clue as to what the answer may be. This chapter will discuss how cooperating teacers can thoroughly answer the multitude of questions that students teachers will have on a daily basis.  Suggestions will be given on how CTs should address all the questions that will be thrown their way, especially the first few days.  

Chapter 2: Did that Seriously Just Happen?

Students up out of their seats; students sharpening pencils during lecture; tardies, tardies, and more tardies; talking without raising hands; the list could go on forever. These are just a few of the issues that a student teacher will face on a daily basis.  So how can a cooperating teacher help a student teacher successfully solve these problems? This chapter will focus on how cooperating teachers can help student teachers become familiar and comfortable with rules and procedures.  Chapter two will give specific examples of different rules and procedures that should be explained to a student teacher. It also gives advice on how to make your expectations clear without being domineering. For a student teacher it can be quite intimidating taking over someone else’s class; multiple suggestions will be provided in this chapter to help you calm some of the nerves your student teacher will experience.

Chapter 3: Prepare? Shoot, I’ll Just Wing It

Let’s be honest, lesson planning can be an absolute nightmare for a student teacher. It’s time consuming, stressful, and just one of the many things on an ever growing checklist. However, as a student teacher it is absolutely necessary to be well prepared and have lesson plans done in advance. Student teachers often find difficulty in deciding what they should be teaching and when they should be teaching particular units.  This chapter will focus on how CTs can successfully work with their student teachers to plan upcoming units. No, student teachers don’t need you to create the entire unit but they need guidance along the way. Throughout chapter three there will be advice on how to co-plan successfully.

Chapter 4: Communication is the Key to Success

For a student teacher to be successful there needs to be great communication going on with the CT. When CTs and student teachers stop talking is when things can quickly go south.  Chapter four focuses on how CTs can effectively communicate with their student teachers.  How to provide adequate feedback will take up the majority of this chapter because student teachers need to know if they are on the right track. Suggestions will also be given on how to effectively give positive feedback.

Chapter 5: Not in Front of the Students Please

Making mistakes is a part of student teaching. Yes, student teachers will mess up and mistakes will occur more than once.  However, it is important that CTs do not call out mistakes in front of the students.  Chapter five will discuss how to tactfully approach a student teacher when a mistake is made.  This chapter also discusses the importance of providing constructive criticism away from the students and in a private setting.  Appropriate times and places will be addressed throughout the chapter to help give CTs an idea of when and where to address certain issues.