Helping Student Teachers Succeed

Chapter Outline 

Chapter One: Feedback is a Good Thing

            Your student teacher will look to you throughout the semester for feedback on just about everything related to teaching and the building you both now share. The best thing you can do is actually give constructive feedback to them, preferably in a verbal and written manner so they have notes to refer to. Also, give your student teacher feedback on a regular basis as they will be eager to learn from their mistakes and build upon their successes in your classroom. It is okay to be critical, as your student teacher is still learning, but do not wreck their confidence by harshly judging their undeveloped skills as a teacher. The rest of this chapter will give you more insight on how to give constructive feedback to your student teacher.

Chapter Two: Guided Tour

                If you can, remember back to your first days of student teaching and how nervous and excited you were to get to your school, your classroom and find your cooperating teacher; did you ever get lost? Make a point to meet your student teacher in the office on their first day, this will immediately calm them down and also make them feel very welcome at your school. During the first week, before or after school, give your student teacher an in-depth tour of the school and point out important places- resource room, copy room, nurse’s office, supply room, etc. that you may ask them to run an errand to. To a student teacher a new school can seem like a daunting, ever changing, confusing maze of duplicate hallways. Getting your student teacher acquainted with the building will really bolster their confidence as they will have a better understanding of their surroundings. More helpful hints to get your student teacher settled in your building will be discussed later on in this chapter.

Chapter Three: Explanation, Clarification, Destination

            As an experienced teacher you most likely have more than a good handle on the everyday things a teacher must do, get done or plan for every day. Well guess who’s not experienced-that’s right, your student teacher. Do them a favor and explain why you do the things you do, from classroom set up, student discipline, grading and especially for lesson planning. Clarify anything that might not make sense to a non-experienced teacher. Don’t just assume your student teacher understands why it is you do the things you do. Finally, explain the destination of where you want your classes to end up and how you plan to get them there. What assessments you’ll use and why- involve your student teacher as much as possible in your planning. There will be more to come in this chapter on how to breakdown the complexities of teaching for your student teacher.

Chapter Four: No Sugar Added

            Your student teacher will arrive to your classroom with a toothache from all the sugar coated spoon feedings they have received at their college concerning the profession of teaching, don’t promote any more cavities! Be honest and upfront with your student teacher about time commitments inside and outside the classroom, expectations from administrators as well as parents. It is your job to show your student teacher the ropes of teaching and you will do them a disservice if you shelter them from any of these aspects of teaching. Share your insights with them and how you handle the pressures of your profession juggling planning, teaching, bosses, parents and your own life. Further tips on how to keep it real with your student teacher will be shared throughout this chapter.

Chapter Five: Social Networking

            Perhaps one of the best things that you can do for your student teacher is to make sure that they are known within your building. Introduce them, if they haven’t already, to the principal, other administrators and the office staff within the first week. Your student teacher may not feel totally comfortable doing this alone so be a good wing teacher (wingman/woman). As you get in to the school year introduce your student teacher to other teachers in the building who you know will be good influences and offer sound advice. Also, introduce your student teacher at in-service days as these days are more relaxed and other teachers may be more receptive to talking at length with your student teacher. Helping your student teacher network and make positive connections will certainly pay dividends for them as they prepare for their job search. After all, it is sometimes about whom you know not what you know. Additional assistance on helping your student teacher network with teachers will be offered in this chapter.

Letter to Me

Dear Kyle,

Hip hip hooray! Hip hip hooray! Hip hip hooray! Congratulations Kyle on coming back to college. I know it probably wasn’t an easy transition for you, being as stubborn and mule headed as you are. Hey, maybe next time you need to do something really important, not only for yourself but your family-yeah, that’s right you have three kids now! -  let’s not wait five years to do it huh? 

Great, sounds good. Now pay attention because I have some advice for you that may help you out.

When you are out in the schools doing your observations and pre-student teaching GET INVOLVED more! Talk with teachers, administrators, office staff- hell anyone who’ll listen to you. Because as much as you may not want to realize it and believe it, much of it does come down to whom you know and not so much what you know. (Now don’t take this to mean you can slack off in class and try to coast your way through college because I will invent a time machine and sucker punch you something awful when you least expect it). Ask questions and take notes on what you ask so you can have it as a resource and keep connections alive with the teachers you work with. You will soon find out how great of a family teachers are and how willing they are to help one another (that is if you put forth the effort yourself).

Also, when you are in your placements make relationships with your students. This is what you are good at, however, remember that you are teacher/mentor/role model first and friend second. They need your guidance more than your friendship at this stage in their lives. Not to say you can’t joke around and be silly with them, but they need to know that school is for their benefit and you won’t compromise on that fact.

Listen to your professors and advisors, they have been through all of this before and they know how to help you if you need help. Don’t be embarrassed to ask, your advisor probably has heard every question possible- if it is unclear to you ASK! Also, ask your CTs for advice or suggestions on how to get more comfortable in the class or how to get more involved in teaching. Furthermore, reach out to other teachers in your building-this is a good way to build relationships and also to gain a different perspective from your CTs. (who you know)

As you progress through the CORE classes pay special attention to the lessons on how to make lesson plans and semester plans. This will help you tremendously in your preparation for becoming a teacher. You will need to know how to adapt lessons for a range of student abilities and also how to link lessons together day-to-day. It will also help you plan ahead so you won’t be buried by homework each night. Have an ‘end result’ in mind, know what you want to have the students accomplish and learn after a certain time frame.

Speaking of CORE classes, keep your assignments-they will help you by being a great resource to have to look back on when your head is swimming later on during student teaching. So much is covered during CORE classes that it is hard to keep it all in your head- not to mention you are going to be crazy busy with your kids and working as well. In addition to your assignments you’ll want to keep your text books too. They will also be a great resource for you- as you will learn you will become somewhat of a hoarder/pack rat (even more than you are now) but it is essential to have numerous resources.

In sum, Kyle you need to get involved and interact with students and teachers alike. This will help you later on feel more accustomed to being in the school setting. Make connections with the people in all of the schools you observe in, it could be of great help to you in a short amount of time. Start to compile resources, from your classes and professors at WSU as well as you CTs and other teachers within your building. Above all keep in mind you can make a difference and each day you can get better than the day before. Make the commitment each day to be a great teacher and you will reap the rewards.

Keep Calm and Teach On

I have been thoroughly enjoying the teaching experience and teaching on my own more as of late than I have previously been. It has been humbling to see my pitfalls and yet really exciting when I have the whole class hanging on my words. I am grateful for this experience because I know I will come out on the other side a better teacher and for that I am excited. With some of my pitfalls I could use some helpful hints or tips to overcome some challenges; specifically overly chatty students who do not stop no matter what the punishment or threat I throw their way. 

What can I do? We have tried seating arrangements and placing the offenders as far away from each other as possible; they talked across the room. It seems class starts and stops with the group of chatters and it is constantly a stop and go situation where their behavior always has to be kept in check. Class time is disrupted and everyone is affected by a few people’s bad choices. Does anyone feel my pain?

The things I have done are reiterate classroom behavior expectations, solo/group time work expectations and I have had individual conversations with each student about their disruptive behavior. When they start to act up badly I stop and wait and look at the clock and let their peers check them on their behavior. This has seemed to be most effective as of late; as I have refused to get upset and lose my temper and enter into a shouting match in my classroom.  The offenders have quieted faster lately, but yet refuse to acknowledge any personal wrong doing and take accountability for their behavior. How do I overcome the constant chatters!?

What methods of classroom management could I use differently? What ways do you control chatty students in your classroom? (if you have any). 

I have received good advice from my CT’s that I am implementing- I just need more time to work with the new methods to see how they turn out for me.

However, one thing that I have done lately that has had the most immediate impact on classroom management is talking in a softer voice; which I have found out is rather hard for me to do as I like to project my voice so that all students can hear. What this was doing though was allowing my students to not be totally quiet; and so they could carry on their ‘whisper’ conversations. So what I have done is when I begin class I talk in an ‘inside voice’ at a level where students are forced to be quiet in order to hear me. I have found this brings about student attention well and with the ringing of my ‘attention bell’ classes have quieted down quicker.  I am trying hard every day to use this method and keep using it throughout the class as a way of training the students to my expectations. Needless to say though I am more than eager and willing to hear any suggestions as to how I can better my classroom management. 

I wanted to end by passing on a successful lesson that I just taught over communism that the students really responded too. On Tuesday I taught a lesson covering communism and what lead up to it; feudalism, capitalism and socialism. Then on Wednesday I had my students design a CD cover for the ‘communist party’ playlist and come up with communist themed song titles. The students had to draw and color communist themes such as the hammer and sickle or Karl Marx or something that showed everyone being equal (as it is the point of communism). Then students had to come up with song titles with a communist theme such as “Red Commie Cup” by Toby Stalin (Red Solo Cup by Toby Keith) or “I’m equal and I know it” by M.A.R.X. The students had a blast creating their own songs and artwork and my CT and I had a great time too. Just wanted to pass on the idea if anyone could use it. Remember to stay positive, have fun and keep calm and teach on.

Warning! Venting Ahead

Warning! Venting of Frustration ahead, warning!

Not to worry though the venting is only going to last a short time and it I think it is vital to what I have to write about and my experience in the classroom so bear with me. Last Friday I taught a lesson that I had made, a Jeopardy review game over the Rwandan genocide, and going into the lesson I had very little doubt it would run anything but smoothly. Oh how wrong I was. First off, technology was totally against me as I was having trouble with my smart-board and airliner tablet communicating with one another. Secondly, I was unprepared for such a problem to occur. Thirdly, the students quickly grew restless and were forced to wait on me to fix the problem and get the game back on track. For the love of Jeopardy, help me Alex Trebek!!

Fortunately I was able to get the game going again, without using the airliner; unfortunately the class was out of control! Students were complaining about their buzzer not working and they were shouting out answers without buzzing in and it got to be too much and I lost it. I yelled at my class and threatened silent, individual, boring review as an alternative to my most awesome Jeopardy game if they couldn’t get themselves under control. Well, we were able to finish most of the game before the bell rang and then they were gone, out of my hair, finally.

Once the classroom was empty I vented my frustration to my CT and was thoroughly convinced my future career as a teacher was all but crushed to pieces. I was really, really down after my lesson crashed and burned but my CT was able to pick me up and dust me off and give me advice that would pull me out of the depths of my self-loathing. *End Venting of Frustration*

A few things I learned from my CT:

1.      Always look for the positive things from a lesson, no matter how bad it may have gone. Yes the students were out of control during my game but they were into it and were actually competing well to see who could give the answer first.

2.      Reflect on what didn’t work, and then tweak it for the next hour.

My initial instruction was bad; I didn’t tell them my expectations or what consequences there would be if they couldn’t control their behavior during the game.

3.      Give reminders of your expectations throughout the class period.

If I periodically gave reminders to the class they might not have got out of hand.

4.      Be firm and stick to your guns. (exceptions do occur)

I am the one in charge and my rules are the rules and if students don’t want to follow them there will be consequences.

The very next hour, after receiving this advice, I was pleasantly surprised at how the students responded to my though out, and thorough instructions. The Jeopardy game went swimmingly and we actually finished ahead of the bell and had time for an extended question and answer session. Talk about a 180, I was flying high after this class and was reassured I could resume my quest for obtaining my teaching degree. J The rest of the day went just as good and every class behaved just as I wanted to my delight. It was a day of highs and fortunately only one really low, low. Looking back on that day I am glad that my lesson crashed and burned because I learned so much about how to rebound from a bad lesson that I wouldn’t have if my lesson would have ran smoothly, the way I dreamt it would.

In sum, teaching is a journey and each day is sure to challenge us and reward us just the same. I must remind myself it is a marathon and in no way a sprint and to take my time and work things out or it is not only me but my students who will suffer from my hastiness. Furthermore, don’t be afraid of failure during this time of student teaching, after all we do have somewhat of a spotter with a safety net to watch out for us. Like I said above I am glad my lesson blew up in my face because I learned how to recover from it and make successful changes with the help of my CT. No doubt there will be many more lessons to learn from in my future journey, I’m just glad I’ve received good advice along the way.