I’m excited to introduce this week’s guest blogger: Whitney from Rooted in Resource to talk all about working with a student teacher! Whitney has worked with multiple student teachers at once, so she has the best tips for you!
Working with a student teacher can be a lot of fun but also a lot of work. If you’re working with a student teacher, here is some advice I’ve learned along the way.
Be honest and provide instant feedback with your student teacher when they need feedback regarding how they’re doing. They don’t know what they don’t know so providing them feedback will help them, but it’ll also help you as well as the students. When providing feedback make sure to do it in a loving but direct way. I like to start off by asking them how they think things are doing? They’re usually honest and even harder on themselves than you would be. It then makes it easier to open the door to having those conversations. Sharing what they’re doing well and how they can improve are both important to share.
Student teachers will observe you at the beginning but then it’ll move to co-teaching quickly and soon they’ll be teaching the class on their own. It can be hard to let go of those reigns and let the student teacher have control, but it must happen but remember that it’s under your supervision. This is why it’s important to be open, direct and very clear with your expectations.
If you feel like you’ve done everything and they’re still struggling to execute the lesson correctly, then try having the student teacher practice and role play with you being the student so you can provide that instant feedback and see how they’ll do before they do the lesson with your students. Some student teachers are scared to death to jump in and work with students while others are excited and ready to hop right in and get started. Be patient with those who are hesitant. Find out what their reservations are and work through it with them. It may take a few baby steps and some encouragement to build their confidence.
I have found when I share about my experiences and am vulnerable, it allows the student teacher to also open up. It creates this trust and respect for one another. It also makes it easier to have those harder conversations. When sharing my experiences, it also becomes a learning experience for the student teacher. Often the student teacher will ask questions and want to learn from my experiences once I start sharing. It also helps them understand where you’re coming from when you later are providing feedback.
It can be easy to tell a student teacher, or anyone, what to do but it’s more important to share why you do what you do. Once the person understands the why they can start to invest more in what they’re doing. Suddenly it provides them with a greater purpose doing a given task. It’s important to have the student teacher involved and be hands on in the planning, discussing the IEPs, the lesson, the activities we are doing and share why we are doing that certain lesson, why we are handling this student’s behavior this way, why I am answering this email this way, why I am wording this in the IEP this precise way. Everything is a learning opportunity, including the thought process behind what you’re doing.
While getting to know the student teacher I like to know what made them choose education, what grade level they prefer and why, what experience they have, and what direction they want to go in the future. I remember not knowing all the different possibilities when I was a student teacher and even the start to my teaching career.
I had no idea the different type of job opportunities that were out there or what that looked like. Sharing that information and knowledge with them really helps them have a better grasp on what they might want to achieve or do and what placement would best fit them.
Can you imagine if someone would have done that for you when you were a student teacher? I’m an elementary special education resource teacher but I think it’s so important for student teachers to observe other educators (even if it’s at the junior high or high school level).
Not only does it help them see other settings, but it also helps them be knowledgeable about those settings and what that looks like, different placement options for students that are out there and the different teaching styles. I love having the student teachers observe other educators because it also allows them to see other strategies and tools teachers use.
The more tools and strategies the student teachers have under their belt the more beneficial it’ll be. They may not use that tool immediately but when they’re faced with a situation, they will be able to know what tools are available they can use. I like to pick the educator they observe based on the teachers’ strengths.
For example, if a teacher is great with behavior management, then I will have my student teacher observe them with the focus being the behavior management. When the student teacher returns, we’ll have a conversation regarding what they took away from that observation and experience. I then encourage them to implement that with the students they are working with, if applicable.
It doesn’t matter if you’ve been in education 4 years or 40 years. I try and think back to when I was a student teacher or even my first year as a teacher. Think about, what did I wish I knew back then? What have I learned along the way? What were some hard lessons I learned that I wish I could have avoided or knew beforehand?
Your experiences, good or bad, are both invaluable to a student teacher. Don’t take for granted the knowledge you have. You have so much to offer to a student teacher! Be yourself. Be open. Make sure to be approachable. You could really have a lasting impact on a student teacher by simply taking the time to invest in them and share your experiences and the knowledge you have.
To read Whitney’s other guest blog post, check it out here!
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