Question about student teaching.?

Question

When doing student teaching, do you get to pick the grade level ? I would love to do my student teaching with children in grades K-5. Please any help would be greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

If you are an elementary education student, you will be required to teach in two different grade levels. You get placed so you do not get to pick. Usually you get a mix of upper elementary and lower elementary.

Answer 2

It all depends on your degree level (elementary education, secondary education) your state, and your university.

For example, I am an elementary education major, and I had placements in Kdg, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 6th grades.  I student taught in 3rd grade.  My degree of elementary education kept me in K-6.  If you have a focus on middle school, you would most likely be placed 5-8.  My university required that we were in a pre-student teaching placement every semester we were in the program (4) prior to student teaching.  For student teaching we were in a year long placement - doing observation and assisting the first semester and then student teaching the second semester.

When it came to student teaching, my university had us choose and rank 3 grades that we were interested in teaching.

Hope this helps!