What Can I Expect From Student Teaching?
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Question:
I will soon be completing my bachelor’s in elementary education. I will be doing my student teaching this semester, but haven’t been given much information about it yet. I would like to get an idea of what I can expect from it. Do I get to choose my grade level and school? What classroom duties will I have to perform? Best, Michelle
Answer:
Dear Michelle,
Student teaching can be an exciting time. For me, I remember thinking that all of my coursework had finally paid off and that during student teaching I had finally felt like a teacher.
Keep in mind that my answers are coming from a more general point of view and that each school’s student teaching placement and process may vary. If you have more specific questions, I recommend speaking with a professor or advisor at your school.
What is the placement process like?
Placement will be taken care of by your college/university. Typically when you are in your last semester of your teaching degree program, your school will work on your student teaching placement, which is often the very last part of your program. The school will most likely ask you to select from a variety of regions in your area to help get an idea about where you would like your placement to be. Often colleges/universities will send students to one or more elementary schools to observe different grade levels. After you have spent some time observing, your institution will most likely ask you for your top 3 choices of grade levels. The school will try to place you within an elementary school based on the criteria you have given.
What happens after I receive my placement?
I find that many student teachers are surprised that they do not begin their student teaching assignments at the start of a new school year. Many feel disappointed that they don’t get to see first hand what it takes to set up a classroom right from the start. I’ve also heard some student teachers express that it may be easier to get to know the students right at the beginning of the year, instead of after routines are in place and things feel more set. While a student teacher will usually go in and meet his/her class and mentor teacher prior to beginning the actual assignment, it is best for the children (and actually easier for the student teacher) if the teacher in training come in only after an experienced teacher has established the community and set clear boundaries.
What duties will be my responsibility?
The breakdown of your duties in the beginning will depend a lot on what you are comfortable doing. Many student teachers observe for one or two weeks, as well as preform smaller classroom duties like putting up a bulletin board or grading papers. However, if you are comfortable with more responsibilities, many mentor teachers will increase your involvement. As time goes on your duties will increase until you have full responsibility for the class, however, always under the supervision of your mentor teacher and university liaison. Typically you will be required to perform all classroom jobs, including the planning and implementation of all lessons in all subjects for around 4 weeks. Often times a student teacher will be required to present typed and complete lesson plans in one subject area. These plans usually require a detailed description of the lesson including objective, materials, step-by-step procedures, differentiation strategies, and closing.
Student teaching is a very valuable experience and really does give future teachers a realistic sense of what is involved in a teaching job. Good luck!
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