You volunteered to have a student teacher in your classroom this year or maybe you were assigned one without warning. Regardless, having a student teacher is a great responsibility and opportunity to help out a new generation of educators. Here are some tips to get you started!
1. Space
One of the most exciting things about being a student teacher is that you are so close to finally having your own classroom. Many future teachers have been dreaming about this since they were in elementary school themselves. Give her a space to call her own, a “teacher’s desk” if you will. It can be just a small table, but it will make her feel like a real teacher.
2. Introductions
Introduce her to your team members…the principal…the special education teachers…the secretary…everyone! This will make her feel more welcome and more apt to interact with these teachers. If you can, let her observe in a classroom at a different grade level.
3. Planning
Every week, sit down with your student teacher and plan with her. Start by showing her how you plan. She’s never done this before! It can be an overwhelming concept. Share your thoughts out loud as you write in your plan book, so that she knows what your thought process is as you plan.
Do you have a scope and sequence that you follow? Do you start with the big picture and break it down from there? Is there a teacher manual that you follow or are you creating lessons on your own? Do you go to Teachers pay Teachers for extra materials? Do you plan with a colleague or a grade-level team?
4. Meetings
If you can, invite her to the different meetings and professional developments that you attend. Let her know what she should bring to a conference with a parent and how she should plan for it ahead of time.
5. Involvement
Let her know about school events – movie night, book fair, staff basketball game. The more involved that she is, the more she will enjoy her student teaching experience {and become a better teacher}! Let her know that this is how you get to know your students on a personal level. That being a teacher is so much more than just what happens in the classroom.
Have you had a student teacher in your classroom before? What tips would you add to this list?
Have you had a student teacher in your classroom before? What tips would you add to this list?
