TEACHER DEVELOPMENT

What is Student Teaching?

20 July 2024/ By Zineb DJOUB

As you approach graduation with your teaching degree, there’s one final, essential phase awaiting you — your student teaching experience. This is the time to put your teaching knowledge and skills into practice. Whether you feel eager, anxious, or a bit of both, remember that you can become the teacher you’ve always aspired to be by making the most of your student teaching experience.

So, what exactly is student teaching? What are the responsibilities of student teachers, and what tips can help you learn effectively from this experience?

Definition of student teaching

Student teaching is a full-time, school-based experience provided near the conclusion of a teaching degree or teacher certification programme.

To become a student teacher, there are some requirements you need to complete before you can begin your student teaching experience, such as completing specific education and subject-area courses, with at least a minimum GPA, passing a background check, submitting an application, a resume, and possibly letters of recommendation, etc.

As a student teacher, you’re a learner and an apprentice in the teaching profession who works under the supervision of a university supervisor and a cooperating teacher who are experienced educators.

During this hands-on experience, you’ll acquire and demonstrate effective instructional strategies necessary for competence in teaching.

Student teaching emphasizes professional growth by applying theoretical knowledge to real teaching scenarios, building confidence in teaching abilities, and receiving constructive feedback and mentorship.

This full-day experience requires a number of weeks which varies depending upon the student teachers’ programme of study and the areas in which they are preparing to teach.

Student teaching process

Though student teaching programmes vary in structure and duration, they generally follow a similar pattern.

# The observation phase: During this phase, you observe their cooperating teachers interact with their colleagues and students.

This allows you to become familiar with the students, classroom environment, implementation of curriculum, and behaviour management, reflect with your cooperating teachers on practices and communicate important issues regarding expectations and responsibilities.

# The mentoring phase: With the guidance and support of the cooperating teacher and the university supervisor, you’ll assume instructional activities such as maintaining attendance records, grading student work, leading a portion of a lesson, and co-teaching.

This phase is important because it helps you develop and practice teaching knowledge and skills, receive constructive feedback from the cooperating teacher and the supervisor, share your perspectives, and learn from them.

#Transition and final reflection phase: After you’ve led the instruction for a significant period, it’s time to prepare for the transition to transfer all teaching responsibilities back to the cooperating teacher.

Therefore, you need to assume completing students’ assessment process and returning instructional resources and materials.

This is also the stage to reflect on your experience and seek input from the student teaching members. A final evaluation conference is often included in student teaching programmes where the focus is on the student teacher’s strengths and areas for continued growth.

Roles and responsibilities of student teachers

Since student teaching is a full-time learning experience, it requires full commitment and dedication from you.

Besides your full participation and engagement in instructional activities and reflection, you’re expected to participate in non-instructional duties. These include, for instance, before- and after-school meetings, bus duty, lunch duty, and other extracurricular activities that are considered appropriate by the mentor teacher and university supervisor.

Apart from those responsibilities, a teacher is in charge of (planning, delivering instruction, assessing, etc.) you also need to show commitment to your students in the classroom and your work as a student teacher.

Your commitment is visible through your preparation and responsibility. You must familiarize yourself with the expectations that you will be held to and be prepared to fulfil them, including arriving promptly at school each day and remaining until the mentor teacher is scheduled to leave the school.

Your commitment is also shown in your interest in observing carefully, actively listening, and communicating with the mentor teacher and the university supervisor. You should raise questions, seek answers, observe, and reflect continuously on your learning experience.

Your professional appearance and behaviour also matter. They help you establish credibility with students, parents, and colleagues. So, these must reflect your positive attitude toward teaching, and your intent to support your students’ learning and your professional growth.

Further, since there are many tasks, assignments, and types of paperwork associated with student teaching, you must be responsible for organizing and managing your time and workspace.

Successful student teaching tips

Here are some essential tips for a successful student teaching experience:

• Dress, act, and talk professionally.
• Familiarize yourself with the expectations that you will be held to.
• Adhere to school faculty arrival and departure times and dates and notify your cooperating teacher and university supervisor of any unavoidable absences as early as possible.
• Learn about the available facilities and resources in the school system and the community.
• Be aware of policies and procedures for behaviour management.
• Acquaint yourself with the instructional activities in which the teacher and students engage during the year, not only those you are responsible for.
• Learn about each student, using observation, consultation with the cooperating teacher, school records, and whatever other sources of information are available.
• Plan for your lessons each day and be ready for the unexpected.
• Establish positive relationships with students, colleagues, and parents.
• Never hesitate to seek others’ feedback and support when needed.
• Reflect continuously on your teaching experience and focus on streamlining.
• Participate in professional activities such as staff meetings, parent conferences, professional learning community, lunchroom and outdoor duties, etc.
• Prioritize tasks and create a schedule to manage your time efficiently.
• Maintain a well-organized and easily accessible filing system for all paperwork and assignments to complete your assignments successfully.

 

Student teaching can be a great learning experience to hone your teaching skills and gain the confidence needed to navigate the challenges of managing a classroom. It can also open the door to job opportunities after college.

Best wishes for a successful, productive, and rewarding student teaching experience.