Student teaching question?

Erin Arron: No good cooperating teacher will make you teach the first day. Here's how it usually happens: your college/university should have a schedule for you. Usually something like*observe the teacher [certain amount of time--usually at least the first full week if not longer]*by [certain date] teach 1-2 classes or parts of those classes with the cooperating teacher observing you*by [certain date] be able to teach all classes with the cooperating teacher observing youand then at some point you'll need to be able to teach several classes with your adviser observing you.Call up your education department in the school/university where you teach and ask for a schedule if they haven't mailed one to you. Keep trying to get in touch with your cooperating teacher (if you know his/her name, look them up in a phone book or call information...the internet is a wonderful tool for that too)....Show more

Toshia Metzker: I completed my student teaching in the Fall in 2008 and ! my school had a similar format to one of the previous answers. We had a few days of observation, then we would teach for 1 to 2 periods a day for a few days, move on to teaching half a day for a few days, and then jump into teaching full days around the 4th or 5th week of student teaching. However, I personally cannot sit and listen to a teacher for 8 hours at a time do the same lesson or grade level content over and over. By mid-day on day 2, I begged my cooperating teacher to let me do something..anything! That afternoon, I followed her lesson plans and taught the rest of the day, which was about 3 periods. We did that until the end of the week and then I spent the weekend reviewing her lesson plans. I taught all of her classes the following week with tremendous support from her. The next week, I hit the ground running with my own lesson plans and taught the next 6 weeks. I made such a statement to the faculty by my "go getter" attitude, that I was transferred out of my i! nternship into a position that really needed a teacher until C! hristmas break. After that, I had two principals, the county coordinator, and several teachers fighting to have me hired at their schools. In the end, you can follow the schedule given to you, or you can strive to learn the most possible and just jump in! Good luck and have a great school year!...Show more

Caterina Yeargan: Typically, there is an observation period planned so you can see how the class is conducted, get familiar with the materials used etc. You will have conferences with your cooperating teacher on the goals and objectives of the lessons or units of study. You may be ask after a period of time to work with a small group of students on some aspect of the unit with the supervision of the teacher, after all she/he has to see you in action at some point before You are given the reins of the class. Just how it will work in your situation I'm not sure. But surly no right thinking teacher would turn her/his class over to a college student without adequate ti! me to observe, be instructed and prepare for that big assignment. Don't panic you will have time. And if the worst does happen, just say respectfully, "I am not prepared to start in at this point. I would like to see more of your methodology and procedures."...Show more

Melissa Lavallie: You will not be able to teach on the first day of your student teaching because you have to do your student observing for 3 weeks to observe the operation of the teaching methods, classroom management, lessons plans,etc.during your students observing take notes, get lessons plans, ask questions, etc. The cooperating teacher which is the license classroom teacher will be observing you when you began your student teaching to help guide and give advise on where you might need improvement. hope this helps...Show more

Betsey Muehlbach: Well from what I saw in high school, all of the student teachers didn't start teaching until the second or third day at the earliest. The majority ! sat a week to observe the teacher they were replacing to get an idea wh! ere they would begin. If you do have a teacher cruel enough to make you start on the first day, you could always ask where you left off. But I doubt that would happen since you need time to prepare notes and lectures, etc. Teachers plan their lectures weeks in advance so it'd be unfair to expect you to come up with a lecture in a matter of minutes. Good Luck!...Show more