Being a student teacher is hard. I feel like I had a mixed bag for my student teaching experience. In my middle school placement, after one week of observations the cooperating teacher basically gave me the full classroom to do whatever I wanted for 7 weeks. When I got to the high school, the teacher I was paired with had a very different philosophy than I did. He was a great teacher, we just weren’t a good match. I got switched unofficially to work with another teacher, and that worked better for me. Lots of people don’t get matched up with cooperating teachers that work with their particular style. Lots of people wind up in situations that seem unbearable. I think no matter what kind of student teaching situation you are in, these student teaching tips are going to be helpful to you!
Student Teaching Tips
- Get a notebook to keep notes during the time that you are observing. Take notes not only about what the teacher is teaching, but also how they are talking to kids, the questions they ask and their pacing. You want to see how they outline their lessons. It would be extra helpful if they could give you a copy of their lesson plan while you watch them teach. Then you can write all over them.
- Find a lesson plan template that works for you. Your college may have given you one. If that works, run with it. If not, ask your cooperating teacher what they use. The template needs to set you up for success. They need to be easy to read and to fill out. You’ll also want the template to be aligned to your observations so you can help ensure a good score. I talk a lot more about lesson plans and templates in the free masterclass.
- Get a calendar and write the lessons on it. Especially if you are likely going to teach the grade or subject that you are observing. This will help you see what other teachers do during a particular month and how they pace their curriculum. Take note of their comments of being ahead or behind, and moving fast or slow. I actually tracked all of the chemistry teachers to see how their pacing and unit length compared to each other. Most of them did the same thing, but it was interesting to see some variation and use that to plan my own stuff the following fall.
- Observe other teachers. When you get the chance to “get away” from your regular classroom, see what other teachers are doing. See how they are teaching their students, how they organize and run their classrooms. If you can, talk to these teachers and pick their brains. Ask them what seems like a dumb question. I promise, it’s not a dumb question! Teachers are helpers and 99% of people are going to be willing to help you and answer your questions with joy.
- Get a binder or two (or in my case 14… I know) and some page protectors and steal everything. Anything that a teacher is willing to share with you is gold. Even if you hate it and think you will never use it – take it. It will show you more than you think. How to write directions, how to ask questions, how many questions go on a single worksheet, how to order the answer choice for a multiple choice question. In fact, offer to make copies for not only your cooperating teacher, but the other teachers in the building and make yourself a few extra. I’m not saying you should plagiarize your whole curriculum. But having some stuff to go off of your first year will save you SO much time and frustration. Trust me.
- Create a new Google or cloud drive for your teacher exclusive materials. Don’t mix your college assignments with lesson plans. Wherever you go, these documents will follow you. There will be no need to copy all your files to a USB drive before telling your boss you are moving to a new school. They will be with you for your whole career. You also can work on them any time and from any place. You won’t have to worry about editing a lesson plan that’s saved on your school computer the night before a big observation.
- Realize that you will make mistakes. That’s why this whole portion of becoming a teacher exists. You don’t want to make MAJOR mistakes during your first year when you are the one solely responsible for the kids in the room. Get them out now, while you have the guidance of a seasoned teacher to help you.
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