I’ve been figuring out that student teaching is basically a 5 month long job interview, but also a 5 month long 50-60 hour work week. I found this out when I started student teaching in a 3rd grade classroom this past January, and for the past 5 and a half weeks I have found a few ways to survive it!
• I journal every day, during the day and after. I write about what worked/what didn’t work for me, I jot down questions and comments so I can reflect on my progress and ways on how I can improve. I also write about anything I need to, to help me de-stress.
• I always have a positive attitude, and leave my personal life at home so that I only focus on the tasks at hand
• I try to be over prepared, which I found helps me with my organization skills
• I find ways to relax after school, even if it is only 20 minutes of reading a good book or exercising, it helps to clear my head and organize my thoughts
• I have built relationships with all of my students, which creates a great atmosphere in the classroom
• And whenever offered, I jump on each chance to teach a lesson even if it seems daunting.
I hope these tips are helpful to all, because they have certainly helped me a great deal so far. If anyone has any other helpful tips, please share!
Alison, Being reflective is one of the best ways to improve your practice. I am really impressed by your work ethic and your positive attitudes.
ReplyDeleteAlison, thank you for your helpful tips. My mentor teacher told me that it is always better to be over prepared than to not have anything to do when there is still time left in the class.
DeleteSomething that happens to me a lot is that I tend to put a lot of pressure on myself to have a perfect lesson, which is added stress to an already overwhelming experience. I always have to remind myself that it is okay to be wrong and every lesson won't be perfect. It is all about believing in your abilities as a teacher and always trying to become better.