Things I Wish I Knew Before Starting Student Teaching

As the end of the school year comes closer and closer, there are celebrations as a result of finally being done with the semester, and talks about summer plans. As a graduating senior though, there’s more sadness than there are celebrations, especially being a graduating education major who’s finishing up her student teaching placement this week. 

I’ve been student teaching in my placement classroom since January, and now that it’s  May and my last day with the kiddos is fastly approaching, there’s a lot I’m reflecting on. Student teaching is not easy, and there will be a lot of bumps in the road, but there’s so much good that comes with it. I thought it would be helpful to write about the things that I wish I knew before starting student teaching for those that will be in my shoes next school year. 

1. Take any certification exams you may need BEFORE you begin student teaching

If it’s possible, depending on how your program aligns their coursework, try to take any exams that you need for your state certification requirements BEFORE beginning student teaching. You don’t realize it before you start student teaching, but you’re going to be A LOT busier than you anticipate. You’re going to be teaching full-time every day for the whole school day, plus attending other classes and any other obligations on campus that you already do. I decided that on top of all of that, I would take my certification exams as well, and while I ended up passing them all, it was just too much added stress that could’ve been avoided. So, probably my biggest tip to alleviate that stress is, if it’s applicable with the alignments of your program, take your certification exams as early as you can.

2. It’s okay to say no to plans with friends

While on the topic of how busy you’re going to be, you’ll probably have to say no to a lot of plans with your friends; plans that you used to be able to attend with no problem before starting student teaching, and that’s okay! Like I said, you’re basically working a full-time job while also juggling the other obligations that come with being a college student. When you start student teaching, you enter a different point in life than your friends because of your schedule. You might have to make earlier plans, so you can go to bed early, or make plans on the weekend. Whatever you decide, it’s also okay to say no to plans if you’re tired or need to do lesson planning. Student teaching can be a lot sometimes, and you want to make sure you give yourself breaks and don’t burn yourself out.

3. Your mentor teacher is there for a reason

Your mentor teacher wouldn’t have taken a student teacher if they didn’t want one, so use them! They are there to help! It may be easy to forget sometimes, but there was a point in life when your mentor teacher was also doing student teaching and felt the same way as you, so don’t be afraid to ask questions. It may feel like you’re overstepping sometimes since you’re in THEIR classroom, but it’s their job to help and guide you.

4.  Not every lesson is going to go as planned, and that’s totally okay

I’m such a perfectionist that I sometimes question why I’m going into a field that has many moments where things aren’t always going to go perfect. The first time a lesson didn’t go as I wanted to, I tore myself apart about it. Now, I’ve learned that it’s all part of the experience. It may be hard to think like that when your lesson observations are a part of your grade for your class, but if anything, the lesson NOT going perfect makes it seem more realistic, because that’s how it is on a daily basis in the classroom. You’re going to have technical difficulties or behaviors that you can’t manage, and it’s all a part of the job. When you’re done student teaching and have your own classroom, those things are going to happen too, so instead of beating yourself up over it, take it happening now in your student teaching and learn from it for when you have your own class.

5. You WILL become so much more confident and comfortable

It’s tough when you’re put into someone else’s classroom in the middle of the school year with children you don’t know. You may feel hesitant in certain situations, and the students may try and push their luck with you because you’re new. You’re going to make mistakes, many of them. These are all a part of the student teaching experience. However, as the weeks go on and you grow more accustomed to the children and the routines, and you begin teaching more, you will become more confident and comfortable. Things that you used to be hesitant about, you’ll start to become more stern with. Lessons will become more natural to you, and soon, you’ll be doing full takeovers of the classroom! You’ll start feeling less like a guest in the classroom and more like a part of it. It all just comes with time.

6. Cherish every moment with the students

I don’t think anything in my life has gone by faster than my student teaching placement. It feels like yesterday I was learning all their names, and now, I’m writing those same names on their goodbye gifts that I’ll be giving them. Your student teaching class is special because they really feel like your first class. You’re  going to make mistakes with them, but you’re also going to make many memories with them. Something I did with my student teaching placement is have them decorate my dress that I’ll be wearing for graduation, that way, they can walk the stage with me and I can always have a little piece of them. However you want to remember your placement class, just make sure you soak up every second with them, because the goodbyes won’t be easy. I’m not sure if saying goodbye to a class ever gets easier, but definitely not with your student teaching placement, especially if you go to school not in your home state and you know you won’t see them again. Make sure you make the most of the time you have with them; you won’t get another student teaching class.

With my last day of my placement coming up this week, I anticipate I’m going to be a crying mess on my last day. Not only have the students taught me how to become a better teacher, they helped brighten my day when I was going through things they had no idea about. I’m so grateful for the experience that I got through my student teaching placement, and it has made me fall in love with teaching even more. While I’m sad to leave, I’m excited for what the future holds, and to see how I can take what I learned through my student teaching and implement it in my future classroom. I hope that this article helped any incoming student teachers with their transition. Enjoy the experience! It goes by in the blink of an eye. 

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