I'm thinking about getting a student teacher for the Spring Semester this school year. What are some pros and cons of getting helping out our future teachers?
I think there are innumerable pros, and we always need good cooperating teachers. On the other hand, the only con I can think of would be if you don't like sharing or are afraid of giving up control to a stranger.
I'm okay with giving up control and sharing. I like mentoring/helping others on a similar path as me. I am scared of having someone I don't like or clash with. Since you can get credit from the university, is that portion of it a lot of work?
After just finishing up my student teaching last fall, I would just reiterate that they are a guest in your classroom and they should know that. They are required to do what you want them to and the college/university in question really emphasize that they are to respect you and your classroom. The paper work that they'll need to complete with you is kind of heavy, but it is a great learning experience and even though I didn't always agree with my cooperating teacher, I do respect her and I learned a lot from her. Just an opinion from the other side of the fence
My coop had to fill out like 6 or so evaluation forms I believe. In all honesty, it seemed to free her up and give her a lot of free time. I student taught in the fall, and she was able to plan her lessons for the spring while I was teaching. This was HS, not sure if MS would work the same
I had a bad experience with a student teacher a few years ago. She was not receptive to my feedback, and was disorganized with her materials and with student work. Because of that, she started to have classroom management issues with some of my classes, and I actually had to take one class back from her at my principal's request. If your administration asks you to take on a student teacher, have the person come in for an interview first so that you and the administration can be sure that he/she is a good fit for your school. Otherwise you may run into issues down the road that are more difficult to correct once the person is teaching.
The hardest thing is watchng someone else teach, knowing your kids are confused, and having the right explanation at your fingertips-- knowing you can't step in and use it. Sure, after the lesson, you can say "you should have tried ___." But your kids are still confused.
I have had 2 student teachers and many student teachers doing various practicums (practici?). They have mostly been good experiences. The biggest pro is that you get to help someone become a part of your profession. The joy you get when you teach a student is two-fold when you teach a student teacher, in my opinion, because you are paying it forward. Also, even though having a student teacher is a lot of work, it's different work. Most student teaching manuals will require you to leave the student teacher alone with the kids as they get more into their teaching time. This year, while I was across the hall in the planning room giving my student teacher some space, I got really great lesson plans done for my next unit and did a couple other projects that I wouldn't have been able to do if I was directly teaching the class. I don't want to make it sound like you have someone else there to do all of your work, but it is partially true, even though it also creates different work for you. The negative is that you never really know who you are going to end up with. This past year I probably had the worst experiences with a student observer and then a student teacher. The observer was just too immature for the classroom. She didn't dress appropriately and a lot of the boys flirted with her and she couldn't handle it. She didn't flirt back, but she just got all giggly and couldn't be firm with them. My student teacher was an older woman who could not use a computer to save her life, and did not interact well with the kids AT ALL. I literally had to teach her how to double click a mouse - huge problem when my classroom is almost entirely digital. I would teach her things and still have to stand over her shoulder the entire time, over and over again. Having said that, though, even though that particular student teacher probably will not (shouldn't) get a job, I still enjoyed the experience.
It all depends on the student teacher you get! I have had several--a few great, a few okay, and one who was downright terrible and shouldn't have passed. The terrible one had negative impacts on my classroom (she talked down to the students, complained about what she had to teach, couldn't teach the concepts, etc.), and it was really hard to get my class back to where it was after she left, in May. Other than her, I have really enjoyed having student teachers--the worst part is sometimes it can get boring when they are in the time frame where they have to teach everything all day long (3 weeks in my area).
Do it. You will learn, even if it doesn't turn into a dream situation, you will learn. I've only had 1 and she was fabulous. We are now colleagues, she teaches next door to me!
I've really loved mentoring my student teachers. It's a duty that we owe our profession. These students take a lot of work, but you are doing something noble. I have wonderful relationships with my former student teachers. I've had two bad teachers. My advice if you think it's not going to work, is document the problems. Speak very directly and professionally to your student teacher. Jot down what you said and what he/she did. Then call the university field supervisor and tell them that they need to move the person. Do this as early in the game as possible. It's really hard after they've been in your room for a long time. You'll be asked, Why didn't you say something earlier?
I have not worked with a student teacher, but I hope to get one eventually. We just don't get a lot of student teacher placements where I am at.
We get tons of student teachers and practicum students. I have not yet taken the course needed to mentor a student teacher, but I have hosted many practicum students. The first one was in my first year of teaching. The blind leading the blind? It should never have happened. I've had many great practicums since, and one that I outright told my principal and the professor that the person should never be allowed in a classroom! When my kids asked why this person was studying to be a teacher, the answer was that there isn't much else you can do with an English degree!!hmy: I never saw a group of students at such a loss for words. They asked no more questions and they just walked through the motions when he did his required two lessons. Usually the kids are so excited to have the practicum students. I usually am too. I learn so much from them!
