10 Tips for Student Teaching & FAQs

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Stepping into the world of student teaching is an exciting and nerve-wracking experience. Whether you’re just starting to explore what being a student teacher entails or gearing up for your placement, there’s a lot to learn. From understanding the role of a student teacher and building strong relationships with your mentor teacher to navigating professional attire and more, this phase of your teaching career can be both challenging and rewarding! Check out these tips for student teaching to help it go smoothly!

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FAQs & Tips for Student Teaching

If your student teaching is ahead of you, you probably have a whole pile of questions. Let’s look at these frequently asked questions about the student teaching experience:

  1. What is a student teacher?
  2. When are you a student teacher?
  3. Do you need to student teach to get your license?
  4. How do you make money while student teaching?
  5. What do you wear while student teaching?
  6. How do you write emails as a student teacher?
  7. How do you foster a positive student teacher & mentor teacher relationship?
  8. How do you handle bad or wrong feedback or evaluations?
  9. Should I be joining any professional organizations?
  10. Do I give my mentor teacher a present?

What is a student teacher?

Student teachers are college students working on their education degree. A semester spent in practical experience is often the capstone of an education program. The student goes into a classroom environment and spends time observing before taking on the role of the teacher.

When do you student teach?

This will vary by university and coursework, but most complete their student teaching experience the final semester of their degree program. You may also be required to complete a student teaching experience if you’re adding additional specializations to your licensure.

Do you need to student teach to get your license?

While student teaching is generally considered the “traditional” route to licensure, many states are offering additional pathways to teaching licensure. Check with your state’s Department of Education or Department of Public Instruction to see the requirements in your area.

While the state might not require student teaching for licensure, it’s possible your university will require it in order to finish your degree.

How do you make money while student teaching?

This is so challenging! Some colleges require their students to sign a document stating they will not hold other jobs while student teaching, but for many, there are not other options for supporting themselves while going to school. Some take out additional loans. I made the choice to keep working my part time jobs throughout student teaching, and it was definitely an exhausting and overwhelming semester.

Some districts are beginning to offer a stipend for student teachers, so definitely look into programs for that in your area!

What do you wear while student teaching?

I’m not one to give fashion advice, so let’s break it down into this: you need to be professional and you need to be comfortable. That’s really it! If you’re not sure about an outfit, always err on the side of professionalism. You don’t want a clothing choice to be the reason you won’t get a recommendation for a teaching job!

Additionally, I highly recommend shoes you would walk a marathon in! Comfortable and supportive should be the words you use to describe your footwear. Some school flooring is basically concrete with super thin carpet over it, and a body can hurt being on that all day.

10 Tips for Student Teaching & FAQs

How do you write emails as a student teacher?

When you write an email, always include a greeting, the body, sign off, and include your name, mentor teacher, and university in your signature. Some schools have a very large staff, and it can be tough to keep track of who is who! Make it easy on everyone by being clear and professional.

As a general practice, never use reply all. Just don’t do it!

How do you foster a positive student teacher & mentor teacher relationship?

Your mentor teacher, or cooperating teacher, is your example throughout student teaching. You’re a guest in their home (classroom), so to speak, so you want to be a good visitor! Always be respectful and remember they are doing you a favor in accepting you as a student teacher. Many teachers would rather not have a student teacher and agreed to it as a favor to the university, your professor, or the teaching profession as a whole.

A few things can cause a bumpier road than others, so let’s address some of those friction points:

  • If you want to try a different strategy or method and your mentor teacher isn’t up for it, that’s okay! Try not to be too disappointed or frustrated. Remember that you’ll soon have your own space to try new things.
  • If they are way more organized than you (or way less!), keep those lines of communication open. Some teachers have been teaching the same classes for decades and they can teach plenty of lessons just by walking into the room and going with it. That can feel stressful when you’re trying to plan ahead! Take notes, communicate what you hear happening, and ask for clarification whenever you need it. Being flexible is a strength as a teacher!
  • When, or if, disagreements on grading come into play, go with their call. You can and should share your opinion, but remember that they are likely the ones who will have to answer students, guardians, and admin as the semester wraps up and you’ve graduated.

How do you handle bad or wrong feedback or evaluations?

As a student teacher, you’ll be observed by your cooperating teacher, as well as the university professor in charge of your placement, and possibly even the school’s administration or your “co-workers” in the school. It can feel like a bit of a rotating door sometimes with people coming in and out! This kind of guest appearance won’t stop when you graduate, as observations are part of the teacher evaluation process, and sometimes professional development programs within the school.

Having other teachers, admin, professors, and others watch you teach can feel scary, but the goal is always to help you improve! No one is perfect, and it is a process that many teachers even decades into their career will let you know that they’re still trying and tweaking techniques and methods.

Sometimes you’ll have someone in your room who gives you feedback that is just…wrong. It’s based on outdated research, methods that have been shown to be less effective, or (honestly) things that don’t work for your subject area. Yikes! These scenarios can be tricky to navigate. Here’s a few things to consider:

  • Having an open mind when receiving feedback is important! As mentioned above, no one is perfect. Consider what you can learn from the feedback.
  • If an outdated or poor teaching strategy is recommended, consider the battle. Will anything change by bringing research to the attention of this person? Is it vital or is it a one off conversation that doesn’t make that much of a difference to your students or your career?
  • Whenever possible, go back to the research and the data. What can you bring to the conversation to explain why you did what you did and what standards you were meeting by doing so?
  • Do your best to remain detached from the feedback. If you feel emotional when trying to respond, take some time, walk away, or take a deep breath or two before you do so.

Should I be joining any professional organizations?

Student teaching can be very overwhelming and exhausting. You might not have space for any additional professional development, but your program may require it, or you may find that you have the opportunity to go with your mentor teacher to a conference. If so, go if you can afford it! Many conferences offer a student teacher discount or free pass, so it’s worth asking.

Conferences – both online and in person – as well as professional organizations are amazing for building community, networking, and continuing to learn & grow as a teacher. I highly recommend joining your state organization to get started!

Check out this blog post for a list of state, regional, and national organizations, as well as several annual conferences!

Do I give my mentor teacher a present?

It’s not required or expected to give your mentor teacher a present, but at the very least you absolutely should write them a thank you note. Even if you ended on not the best terms, write them a note thanking them for their time, taking you into their classroom, and wishing them the best for the future.

If you choose a gift, you might grab them a fun teacher tee like this one, or even a relaxing coloring book.

Not sure what to get them? A gift card to TPT is always a safe bet!

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Tips for Student Teachers

I hope this has been helpful for you as you’re gearing up for your student teaching experience! If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to drop a comment below, or come find me on socials to chat!

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Ashley Mikkelsen

Hi, I'm Ashley. I'm so glad you're here! I love helping secondary Spanish teachers with engaging activities and ideas for their lesson plans. I can't wait to support you with no and low prep activities to help reduce your workload!

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