Student teachers

[kchap]

My principal has asked me if I would like to have a student teacher for spring semester. I teach fourth grade. I am on the fence about this. I would like to have a student teacher, as I think it would be a very good experience. However, I am just so unsure. I would like to hear from anyone who has had a student teacher with some feedback. Thanking you in advance,
KChap

[Unregistered]

I have had 4 student teachers at all different times in the year. I teach third grade and 3 out of the 4 times it was a great experience for me and the kids. I would give it a shot. Meet the person first if you can. You can usually tell if it will work out or not. The best time to have one is the spring, because you have already established your routines and expectations in the room. good luck!

[Unregistered]

I'm a 1st yr uni student teacher and i have found work placement such an amazing experience. It really makes it worth while to have a mentor that really would like to have a student teacher and can make time to help them and let them teach lessons as well as give them feedback and ideas to help them in their future career. Just remember that you were once a student teacher as well and you needed a good mentor. Why not give it a try?? The students in class love to have an extra teacher in their grade!!

[kchap]

Thank you for your responses. I have decided to accept the offer, and told my principal today. I have several colleagues who have agreed to help me if I need it. She (the student teacher) will be with me in January for eight weeks. She is newly divorced, a single mom with three kids, and very serious about getting her degree, so she will probably be a great experience. I appreciate the comments, especially about how I was a student teacher once. I will always remember my experience, and hope that I can make as much of a positive influence on my student teacher.
K Chap

[Unregistered]

I am so glad you decided to have this student teacher in your classroom! I am student teaching this semester and it has only been 3 days but I love every minute of it! I think that most everyone who goes into teaching feels the same way and I'm sure your student teacher will be willing to work with you. It has been just a short time but its been so worthwhile! I hope it works out for you and your student teacher! Thank you for giving it a chance!

[kchap]

Thank you, I feel comfortable about my decision. As a student teacher, what were your first impressions of your teacher and her/his classroom? What can I do to make my student teacher feel welcome and special those first few days?
Kchap

[Unregistered]

Hi again!! I'm glad you liked my response about reminding you that you were a student teacher once yourself! hehe Anyway my first impressions of my mentor were that she was very organised and knew what she was doing in all her lessons. Although she is organsied, her classroom is a total mess and I just feel like tidying it up for her! It's good to have a mentor that conveys her enjoyment when teaching kids. It would be so bad to have a mentor that only did teaching because she had nothing better to do! Mentors need to be encouraging and give back honest feedback. When I'm teaching lessons, my mentor sits there with her laptop and straight away writes my evaluation for me. This is so good because many of my friends have to wait weeks before they get their evaluations thinking did my lesson **************** or was it good!
Anyway good luck with your student teacher! :-)

[Unregistered]

HI, I just wanted to say that I had 2 very different student teaching experiences...one was AMAZING and the other left me in tears almost every day. The biggest difference for me, was from day one, my master teacher told the kids "This is your teacher too. Respect her and treat her exactly like you treat me. This is her classroom too" And while it was a transition, the kids learned quickly that I was important....the led them to trust and confide in me as well as gave me more confidence as a teacher.....I sat down with them the first day and let them ask me questions about myself, and then took over in a gradual process. When it was time to leave, we were all in tears bc of the bonds that were created...i still talk to this master teacher (which will be helpful since I am now starting my first year teaching on my own).....the second place i worked at in student teaching, the teacher did not integrate me into the class....it took almost tripple the time to get the kids to think of ME as their teacher too... Maybe you could welcome your student teacher by getting a sign for the door that instead of just your name, it says "Mrs____ and Ms.______ Room" and prep your kids about how lucky they are to have this new teacher.....