Overall synopsis: This user-friendly guide includes numerous tips and bits of advice for teachers who are considering having a Student Teacher or who are about to begin a semester with a Student Teacher. All advice comes from experienced Student Teachers (oxymoron?), based on their experiences with their Cooperating Teachers. Don’t forget to check out the appendixes which include self-reflection forms for both the Student Teacher and the Cooperating Teacher!
Chapter 1: Taking Interest and Welcoming
Welcome! In this chapter, you will learn about how to make your Student Teacher feel welcomed so that he/she does not feel as if he/she is intruding your classroom. You’ll learn some different strategies, which include giving your Student Teacher a tour of the school, making a desk/work area for your Student Teacher, and providing your Student Teacher with classroom materials (such as paper and lesson plan books). Also, you’ll discover some ways you can take interest in your Student Teacher’s personal life (without getting TOO personal) because your Student Teacher may have a lot on his/her plate in addition to student teaching such as working part-time to make ends meet, taking care of a family, and completing college courses.
Chapter 2: Introducing and Interacting
This chapter explains, in-depth, how you should introduce and allow your Student Teacher to introduce himself/herself to your classes as the beginning of the semester. Importantly, the way you introduce your Student Teacher affects the way the students view him/her for the entire semester. Furthermore, the chapter explains how to interact with your Student Teacher in class, including in front of students, around colleagues and administrators, and with parents present. The way you interact with your Student Teacher around other people wholly affects their opinion of him/her.
Chapter 3: Assigning Teaching Units
Sometimes your Student Teacher has not read everything you want him/her to teach to your students… and that’s okay! This chapter will explain, in detail, what resources you should provide to your Student Teacher when assigning a teaching unit, how rigorous the teaching load should be, and how to communicate expectations to your Student Teacher in regards to designing his/her own teaching units. Also, you will learn about how far in advance to assign teaching duties to your Student Teacher (so that they may plan accordingly if they have not read something you would like him/her to teach).
Chapter 4: Providing Feedback
Feedback as often as possible is the key to success in your Student Teacher’s final semester before having his/her own classroom. In this chapter, you will learn how and when to provide feedback to your Student Teacher. Specifically, you will learn the appropriate amount of feedback to give your Student Teacher and how to effectively communicate suggestions to him/her. Also, you will learn the importance of providing at least two positive comments for every criticism you make because (let’s face it) being a Student Teacher is a difficult job to undergo.
Chapter 5: Relinquishing Teaching Duties
Smile! You’ve survived having a Student Teacher! His/her placement ends very soon and he/she will have a classroom in the fall. So, how do you regain teaching duties in your classroom? This chapter answers that question and provides detailed information as to when you should relinquish teaching duties and how to let your Student Teacher relax his/her last few days in your classroom before they graduate because you appreciate all the help he/she has provided throughout the semester WITHOUT being paid!
Enjoy reading!
Sarah,
ReplyDeleteVery detailed outline of your book. From Chapter 1, I enjoyed GETTING to know your student teacher as well. I think that some of these CT's might not know that some of us have to work jobs during student teaching!
Chapter 2 and 3 are beneficial as well. I believe that your Chapter 2 can often be overlooked, so I'm glad you devoted a whole chapter to the way the CT presents the student teacher. Chapter 3 is beneficial because many cooperating teachers may not give enough of a heads up for when student teachers have to take over. This gives enough time for preperation.
Chapters 4 I feel is a more detailed explanation of what could be covered in Chapter 1. This conversation/feedback between the Student teacher and CT is straight crucial of the success of the ST. A reflective, weekly discussion between the two will make for a more reflective canidate, who will consistently improve their teaching performance.
Great job Sarah! :)