Student teaching can be a challenging time of your career. You are just getting your feet wet and your skills and knowledge are being tested on a daily, minute-by-minute basis. If you are feeling overwhelmed, take heart. There are those who have successfully completed student teaching and survived. In fact, when we asked our Really Good Teachers on Facebook and Twitter what the most important thing they learned during student teaching was they shared some wonderful tips. Take a look at the 20 most important lessons that others have learned during student teaching below and be inspired.
20 Student Teaching Tips
- “Every child can learn – it’s just a matter of how they learn.” ~ Michele Evans
- “Reward the positive behaviors and ignore the negative ones as much as you can.” ~ Tara Cawley
- “Be organized.” ~ Phillip Medina
- “Don’t do for the kids what they can do for themselves.” ~ Talia Gaston
- “It’s okay if a lesson doesn’t go quite as planned. It happens to every teacher. Make a note of the issues and then go back and fix them.” ~ Christa Rice
- “Expect the unexpected.” ~ Robin Shelton
- “Teaching is amazing, but don’t forget that you are too! Take care of yourself; east correctly and get some sleep! You’ll be a better teacher for it!” ~ Laura Chytka
- “Being able to adapt in a moment’s notice is crucial!” ~ Tara Lorson
- “[I learned] to not take myself too seriously!” ~ Nettie Knabb
- “[I learned] how to pace my lessons and change a lesson at a moment’s notice.” ~ Aimee Sulit
- “Listen to the advice of veteran teachers.” ~ Don Dooley
- “Be flexible and build positive relationships with your students.” ~ Delaney Ball
- “Keep students busy! It seems like trouble starts when they have some free time if a lesson ends early. Always have the next thing ready!” ~ Apryl Lonce-Lowther
- “Give students time to talk about their ideas. Learn from them, and design your lessons for individual needs.” ~ Allison Aubrey
- “Stay out of the faculty room as much as possible.” ~ Jill Greene
- “Have a good sense of humor or you will be crying.” ~ Melissa Agner
- “[I learned] that undergrad does NOT prepare you for what actually happens in the classroom and real teaching is never as stressful as student teaching. I compare it to being a house guest that takes over the family and overstays their welcome.” ~ Mary Flanagan
- “Everything that happens in the classroom is NOT taught in the books.” ~ Carisa Ann
- “Be prepared and be flexible; there is always room for improvement.” ~ Stephanie Gale
- “[I learned] to be flexible and to stand my ground! The class I was in was very diverse in their abilities and had a few tough behavior problems and other challenges.” ~ LeAnn Watts
Have you student taught already and learned something you never expected? Are you currently student teaching? Share what you have learned while in the classroom!
Looking for free resources for your classroom or while student teaching? Be sure to check out Really Good Stuff’s Resource Page for free e-books, printables, and activity sheets.