what do principals like to see from student teachers

mengele

when in school placement during teaching practice, what do principals like to see from student teachers. Do they expect a lot from student teachers? What looks good or makes a principal say "that student teacher we had this year would be an asset to any school"?

Missyelliot2

Only my point of view - I work in a busy City centre school, where lots of students do their teaching practice. Our principal and all the staff are very supportive, BUT, teaching practice is so removed from day-to-day teaching. TP is very structured and planned and involves huge amounts of irrelevant paperwork. I know when a student teacher arrives to my class, and if there is an inspection expected, I do take a select few out for reading/maths- just to give the student a break- as some children do play up when a new body arrives.

I think that all schools are aware of the stresses of students - but it's hard to judge a student, while they're training.

gaiscioch

mengele wrote: »

when in school placement during teaching practice, what do principals like to see from student teachers. Do they expect a lot from student teachers? What looks good or makes a principal say "that student teacher we had this year would be an asset to any school"?

Briefly:

1. that the student teacher is not bothering them too much (same for qualified teachers - most of us want an easy life and principals are no different)

2. that he/she is on time every day and doesn't let them down frequently

3. That they're dressed appropriately (this sounds really superficial but again I'm thinking of specific incidents where this became an issue)

4. Often, the principal would not want to see you at all after the start of the year. This was certainly the case in my Dip year where the school was big enough that authority was delegated. I always dealt with the deputy principal in that year, and for discipline issues I dealt with the relevant year head. Dip students in my own subjects use me, as their cooperating teacher, most of the time for resources and ideas for class management etc. There's probably a general file for resources in your subject that you can ask for and add to.

5. That he/she is available for general dogsbody work. Yes, it would be useful if you'd volunteer for this, that and the other in the school as the older teachers who used to do it are largely disillusioned with the way conditions have declined in the past 6 years and have pulled back from extra curricular. I volunteered for loads in my dip year and I'm glad I got the experience. But don't be afraid to back off when you feel under pressure from exams, etc.


More generally, some of the dippers I've worked with have been complete drama queens on the edge every day and I've learned heaps from the experience of interacting so closely with lunacy. If you have one, or loads, of those "oh my God, this is the worst day of my life", the only consolation I can give is that, yes, it definitely is. Always. More seriously, you should find great support in your staffroom and awareness that you're not alone when dealing with particular students. Just listen and try and implement advice. Remember: your focus primarily should be on teaching the kids, not primarily on teaching your subject. Your entire teaching life will be easier if you focus on the former. Feel the class environment, the mood, the tensions, etc before you start the lesson and change the lesson if it's not working out with the class that day. Be flexible.

Most of all, enjoy the year two years!

spurious

Listen to voices of experience. Believe it or not, there was a fully (and some would say better) functioning education system before whatever the latest buzzwords in education departments were thought of. Nothing worse than someone who has had a couple of lectures telling old hands how to do their job.

man_no_plan

I would add that you should, above all, have respect for your school, colleagues and students.

Every school is different. Don't rush to judgement on it or on students. Don't look down on students, be professional.

By be professional I mean don't be a gossip, mind your own business and do what you're there to do. Teach kids and care for them and about them. You can't fix their problems but you can make school as bearable as possible.