Student teaching expectations

For those of you that are getting ready to student teach here's a little insight for you.  Be prepared!  Your students will be at school ready to do what you have for them before you think.  You always have to be on your toes and be willing to switch things up if they don't work out.  As you can see in this picture, it's not a normal game of volleyball but one with four courts.  Reason being because the students got bored with regular volleyball and I still had two days left to teach it.  Students like change and a challenge.  Give them that challenge because the best reward is when they come in next class asking if they can play that game again.


Nothing will prepare you for discipline.  Fights, foul language, and kids messing around is something that you can't be prepared to handle but have to have a cool head and know the appropriate ways to handle these situations.  Just saying "stop" might not work, so you have to think.  The best way to learn how to deal with these situations is experience and it will get easier.  My first few weeks of student teaching was a handful with many fights, a constant use of foul language, and students doing what they're not supposed to, the entire class.  It is now easy for me to handle because I know what to expect and what to do because of the previous problems.

Whatever you do when student teaching, have fun!  If you can't enjoy it, then you shouldn't be teaching.  It's also not about how much you know, it's about how much you care about the students.  Building a positive relationship with your students has some of the best rewards and will make your job easier.  Whether it's coaching or teaching, know your students, be personal with them, and show them that you care about their success because they will see that and appreciate that you're their teacher/coach.  You will know that you accomplished this when they are upset that you are leaving their school and you will know that you did everything you were supposed to do. 

Andrew Snide