Making the Most of Student Teaching
You’ve dreamed of being a teacher for a long time. You’ve pictured yourself in front of that classroom, all those little eyes and ears focused on you, ready to learn. You enrolled in an program and you’ve learned a lot about being a teacher. You feel ready, excited, enthusiastic...
And nervous.
The leap from coursework to doing your student teaching is a big one. You’re on the spot, often standing in front of a classroom for the first time. You’re excited to show off everything you’ve learned, but you probably have a lot of questions: How do I make sure I get it right?
WGU Teacher Success Coordinator Blake Brunson has dozens of tips in the recent Career Café webinar, “Making the Most of Student Teaching.” It’s a half-hour packed with the ABCs of making a good impression as a guest in another teacher’s classroom, from the little details to the big picture of how you present yourself.
Here are just a few of the tips that may answer some of the questions you’re nervously pondering:
- Be a teacher, not a friend. You need to be seen as an authority figure.
- Follow school rules.
- Prepare for your lesson. Practice in the mirror or in front of family – don’t let the first time you give your lesson be in front of the students.
- Be flexible.
- Learn all the students’ names the first week.
- Accept the fact that you’re going to make some mistakes. Roll with them. Learn from them.
- Dress professionally. When in doubt, err on the side of being too conservative.
- Eat lunch with your host teacher. Attend faculty meetings. Make yourself part of the team. Make it easy for teachers and staff to see you as part of their faculty.
- Smile and be enthusiastic. Always appear as if you’re exactly where you want to be, even if you’re having a bad day.
Looking for more career development resources? Check out Hey Teach! — WGU's publication for educators where you'll find a wealth of helpful insights, resources, and humor created by teachers, for teachers!
