What was your student teaching experience like?

Question

Were you nervous?

Answer 1

Mine was a mix.  In the system I went through I had three master teachers.  The first two were at the same time, but one was a primary one in which I had more than one class, while the other was just a single class.  It was for Social Studies courses in high school.  

I got along better with the second and third than I did the first.  The first was OK for a while but she had a superiority streak that showed itself in the end.  The fact is that we both had an equal amount of years in education--four years--but my experience was in substitute teaching while hers was a regular class.  Some might say that gives her more experience, but I have found it gives just different experience.  Being a sub in two districts I experienced teaching at six different grade levels in a variety of environments, some in which I was with the students for weeks or months at a time.  

Anyways, this was a woman who allowed her students to eat in her classes, allowed her service workers to waste their time surfing the Internet, and had a maintenance man come in and clean some acid off of her chalkboard while my students were taking a test.  The acid had been on the board for months (it was a student prank) and she could have asked the guy to come back in her next period, her free period.  His loud noise impacted the student grades and forced them to have to finish the test in the next session.  I couldn't dismiss the man in front of her so I had to just sit back in shock at what was going on.  

The worst was when two students came into the room who shouldn't have been there well into the semester.  I wasn't used to the year round schedule and figured perhaps they were late adds so I did the roll and was helping pass out books and after asked her if these students were supposed to be there.  She said no.  She later included this in her report about my performance as some kind of evidence that I hadn't learned student names because I didn't recognize these students were not to be in the class!  Fact is I recognized they were new from the first moment and simply made the mistake of thinking they were adds so I waited 10 minutes until I approached them.  Unlike other schools, this school had no problem with imposter students like I had seen with other schools up to that point.  She was informed by the school of a complaint of mine about this error in her account and when I asked for it to be changed she got all huffy (a school administrator sided with me on this.  The teacher lied to the administrator saying she would get back to me on this but she never did.  I had to approach her).  Worse yet, on the final day before the break she had a bunch of students from other classes move stuff from her room to another room because she was moving.  She then allowed them to stay in the class for another hour and twenty minutes, allowing them to goof off and do nothing.  The grades of two of my students who owed journals to me suffered for this because they couldn't do them in that atmosphere.  So I got penalized for having two students there who shouldn't have been there for 10 minutes, while she allowed free rein for half a class of students who weren't supposed to be there to stay for the majority of the period just days later.  

Anyway, my second master teacher was good but very sloppy.  The most disorganized classroom I'd ever seen, and she had been in teaching 30 years.

My third master teacher was great.  A Vietnam War veteran.  He talked to his students about his first kill.  He said if the other guy got him then he would be in a classroom in Vietnam talking about HIS first kill.

Answer 2

Man, I gotta tell ya-it was a blast! My master teachers were there to show me all the stuff you don't get from college like district paperwork for trips or repairs, specific lesson planning and analysis prior to and after each lesson.

My middle school master teacher even took the time to show me instrument repair. There are a lot of maintenance issues with band instruments that are easy to deal with if you have the tools, parts, and skills. I can fix in 1 or 2 days what would take over a week to get done at a repair shop.

The only time I ever got nervous was when i was being observed by my university supervisor, who said I had nothing to be nervous about!

Answer 3

I was definitely a little bit nervous, but I had such a supportive and awesome cooperating teacher that much of that was resolved from the beginning.  She was always, and still is, there for me to ask advice, offer constructive criticism, and to boost me up when I'm feeling really crappy about myself or something that is happening.  I was, and still am, incredibly thankful for having had such an awesome cooperating teacher.  I knew a lot of people in my grad program who had teachers they either were just ok with, or quite literally hated.  Nerves are normal, I really do hope that you get an awesome mentor teacher.  That can make all the difference.

Answer 4

I was really scared because I knew this fine lady and wanted to learn from her but was afraid that I wouldn't measure up.  She was the kindest, most supportive, most informative, gave me the best in class and out of class tips, best places to get continuing ed. credits, etc... She gave me all I could handle and more and still allowing me as much support as I needed, just not more than I needed.  She was awesome!  I kept my mind open, my eyes open watching how she handled situations with students and with her colleagues, and my heart open to teach from my heart.  I worked hard those 12 weeks and it went by very quickly, but I will always remember it with so much fondness!  

Answer 5

I was very nervous for student teaching. I was also super cocky and was quickly put into my place. Often student teachers go in with a bunch of information/research but really try to take a step back and learn from your mentor. There are things they don't teach you in your teacher prep program like organization, parent dealings, management etc... that are essential in teaching.

Tips:

Be positive and be willing to learn. You are there are the mercy of the teacher and school and you need a good recommendation.  

Have lunch in the teacher lunch room and get to know the other teachers. Maybe they will let you observe in their classroom. Always be positive and excited. Give lots and lots of compliments and you will be loved by all.

Get to know the curriculum really well and get to know your principal. You can't expect the principal to drop everything and be there for you - you honestly are not high on their priority list however, be out there and be seen by your principal so they also have an easy time writing your recommendation letter.

I was super tired during student teaching. Save all your 5 page lesson plans so that when you are writing new ones, just keep the same formation/ don't type it all out.  Expect to put in much more work that expected. Go to the parent/teacher conferences and be an observer - not all just some unless your mentor says you have to go to all, go to all the teacher workshops if they let you, go to the staff meetings before/after school. It is essential to get to know the climate of your school.

You may not have parent or student buy in at first because you are new and young. Be friendly - if not even overly friendly but always always have excellent classroom management.