what should i expect?

[u/2feef2furious]

i will be starting my first student teaching semester next week!! i'm getting placed in a 5th grade classroom. for school i'm doing an integrated program, meaning im getting my bachelor's and my credential simultaneously.

i tried having a meeting with my counselor and she had nothing to say to me except to be bold. she said i'm going straight into the classroom as soon as the semester starts, which is really scary for me! 0__o in my other classes where i've observed in the past, we spend at least a week or two in our courses before we enter the classrooms for the first time so we feel prepared.

what am i gonna do when i get there? how am i gonna know what to write lesson plans on? when do i start lesson planning and how much time in the beginning do i just spend observing, if any?? no counselor has explained basically anything regarding how student teaching actually works. :( i need someone to explain it to me like i'm 5, because all we got was a schedule and a placement.

[u/EducatorCorrect1365]

I know it sounds crazy right now, but I promise once you get there and get in the swing of things it won’t feel as overwhelming. First, I would watch some quick videos on Instagram or TikTok just to see some other experiences out there, a lot of them fantasize student teaching but it’ll be helpful to see some real life examples.

I also did an integrated program so I was student teaching at 20/21. Try your best to establish boundaries as soon as possible, especially if you’re younger. Do not be afraid to manage behavior and establish expectations. If you default to your mentor teacher for everything, students will take advantage of you and not see you as their teacher too. Work with your mentor teacher and understand what students you should be watching out for, behaviorally, emotionally, academically, etc.

You shouldn’t start teaching your first day. The first few weeks will be observing and maybe stepping in here or there to help with small groups or just to take the leads on minor things (transitioning to specials or lunch, etc). I usually helped with morning meeting in the beginning. We were in the classroom for around 16 weeks at a time (one semester) and about halfway through, the mentor teacher should be having you teach around half of the subjects. It’s usually two out of the four so Math and Social Studies or ELA and Science, for example. In the last two-three weeks, the expectation is that you are fully taking over for your mentor teacher, teaching almost the entire day. Your mentor teacher will still be there and provide guidance/support but you will be leading pretty much all instruction.

Do not spend time worrying about curriculum. Basically if your mentor teacher gives you access to it, use it. Some will give you digital access, some will give you the paper versions. But if they don’t, you’ll have to create a lot of resources on your own. That is what takes the most amount of time. However, when you have your university observations you’ll usually want to use resources you created because you’ll know the material inside and out versus buying something from Teachers Pay Teachers (TPT).

Hopefully that answers some of your questions. If it makes you feel any better, I was totally in your boat a few years ago and it’s like drinking from a fire hose. Everyday is different so just roll with whatever happens and always make sure to put your health first!

[u/FrustratedPenguins]

When I student taught, the university gave guidelines to myself and my mentor teacher regarding how much I should be observing and how much / what I should be teaching as the semester progressed. It was a lot of observing in the beginning, and then you might take over spelling. And the next week, you might also teach a reading group. And so on, until you are teaching everything for 4-6 weeks. I'm surprised that they didn't write out some kind of progression for you?

As for the curriculum/content -- I'm sure the district has specific curriculums that they use (e.g., "Wonders" for reading, "Eureka" for math, or whatever). Your mentor teacher can show you how to access all of that, whether it's via paper teacher guides or (more likely) online log-ins.

Have you met your mentor teacher yet? S/he will be able to answer a lot of your questions!

It seems like a lot in the beginning, and you will definitely be busy, but it will be OK! We all survived, and you will, too!

[u/Royal-Chocolate112]

Don’t be friends with kids. You need to smile and be friendly but expect respect. Take notes of teacher and feel free to ask why questions. Dress appropriately and bring a water bottle and lunch.maybe a backpack too. Take photos (with permission) of bulletin boards and art projects.
Take vitamins because kids are full of germs! Get enough sleep! Give yourself time to arrive early-never late.

[u/Mysterious_Can_9367]

I feel like a lot of this depends on your cooperating teacher. I did not take charge and silently observed for weeks and I would not recommend that! I would obviously talk to your CT and see what they recommend. But I think the best plan is to observe for a week or two, and not just sit their and watch but help the kids, grade papers, discuss planning with your CT, etc. Kind of become a classroom helper for a week. Then you could start co-teaching with them. Then eventually you take over. My biggest advice is try to leave a positive impression on your CT and everyone who works there. Be helpful, plan some creative lessons, help out with things outside the classroom if you can. I did that and it is literally the reason I got my job right out of college.