Tips for student teaching

Student teaching is an experience that I would never forget. There are many ups and downs but it turned out very well at the end. Some tips and advice for future students is to:

• Plan, Plan, and Plan
• Prepare all lessons with enough time in advance
• Always have a back up plan with lessons
• Take constructive criticism and use that to better yourself as a teacher and your lessons
• Try not to work if you do not have to
• Do not be intimidated and don't let the anxiety and stress get you down
• Look at everyday day as an adventure
• Look at the students as if they were truly your own
• The students will look up to you and respect you if you respect them.
• Student teaching is very stressful but that will eventually diminish the longer you are teaching.
• The anxiety will go away.
• Take the time to learn your students and who they truly are
• Listen to the advice from the outcome of your observations
• Create activities and lessons that relate to the students interests
• DO NOT GIVE UP!
• It seems like it will last forever, but it goes by very fast

ALMOST DONE

The semester is almost over. The part of this week that was the most beneficial is that the semester is almost over. It has been a very long semester with planning, lesson plans, clinical studies assignments, but we all managed to get through all the stress and work and make it to the end. I think for me the realization and relief that I have felt this week has been the most beneficial. I am so happy that I did not quit and give up when that is all that I really wanted to do in week three and four. Looking back now, it went by very fast and really was not as bad as it seemed at the time. This has passed to and now we are all ready to move on and become teachers and have our own classroom.
It has been very nice working with all of you this semester and all of us sticking together. There is not anything that I would change about this past week. I had all my lesson plans completed before the week started and I gave tests to all my classes this week. My students keep talking about how they will miss me when I am gone and that some are not looking forward to getting their teachers back. I think that the coops are ready to take their classes back. We only have THREE more days left everyone. Good luck and have fun.

Week 14

The most valuable aspect of this past week was completing the student surveys again. Reviewing the surveys and comparing them to the midterm really made me realize that I have improved and become a better teacher since the beginning. I think that the ratings that I received from the questions on my survey were a lot better this time than they were for the midterm. I even had a comment from one of my students that I improved a lot and that they think I am a good teacher. It made me feel like I am doing what I am supposed to be doing.
I think for me it was hard to get motivated to go back to school on Wednesday after having five days off. The end is so near and I feel like I am starting to get like all the students with the senioritis.
If I could change anything about the past week I don't really know what it would be. The week was short with only three days and they all went very smooth in all my classes. So, there really would not be anything that I needed to change for this week.

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Week 13

The aspect of this past week that I found most valuable was I think that it is almost the end of our semester. I feel very comfortable with all my students now and I think that it shows in my instruction and lessons with them. I am actually the most comfortable with my accounting classes which is very funny and interesting to me. I hated accounting the most when I started and now I like that the most.
I think with the Easter break coming that the students were very lazy this week and anticipating having a few days off from school. The students seemed very anxious for the end of the week to approach. I had fun activities for the students on Thursday before the break because I knew that there would be a lot of students absent and that none of them would be motivated to complete any work.
I video taped my second lesson this week for the final. I did that on Monday and I felt that my lesson was great and that it turned out very well. Then on Tuesday morning, the tech person came to our room and told me that there was a problem. The tape was stuck in the camcorder and he could not close it or get the tape out. He needs to send the camcorder away to get fixed. He told me that it would take weeks to get the tape back if he was able to salvage the tape at all. So, then I re-recorded another lesson on Tuesday. I turned out well but I don't feel that it was as good as the first lesson that I recorded. So, if I could go back and change anything about this week it would be that, that would not have happened to the video. I know there was not anything that I could do after that happened but it still gets frustrating.

Week 12

The most valuable aspect of this past week I would have to say is going to the FBLA conference and getting a little break from the classroom. I felt that March was the longest month ever with not having any breaks. I learned a lot while at the conference. It made me realize how big the organization is and how important it is to the members. I never realized how many students were involved and that there were so many schools involved in the program. There were so many activities for the students to do and to compete in while at the conference. Being at the conference gave me some time to do some work for school also.
When I returned to school on Thursday, most students were happy to have us back. It was a little crazy getting back into things having five days off, but I did that easily. I have a ton of grading to complete now that I am back.
If I could change anything about this week I think it would be with my computer applications class. Lately they have done nothing but complain about anything and everything that is given to them. I just assigned them a project to create a web page. I gave them the option that they can create it on whatever they wish they just needed to get it approved first. Some students were excited but some just did nothing but complain. I am getting so sick of it. They would complain about doing the book work so I created different activities and they are still complaining. Some students were saying they would rather do the book work because it is easier. They would not have to apply and extra effort with the book work. It is so frustrating. I also feel like they are taking forever with the work that is assigned to them.

Week 11

The aspect of week eleven that I found most valuable was that it is week eleven I believe. I think now that we have been teaching now for eleven weeks that I am really starting to get into the grove of things. I am starting to really enjoy teaching and it shows in my lessons with my students. This week seemed to go by very slow for some reason though. I think that March was a very long month for all teachers with the PSSA's and everything. I finished my payroll project with my students this week in accounting and they really enjoyed the project. In my computer applications class on Friday, I taught a lesson on computer crimes. This allowed us to move away from the textbook and the book work that they have been working on for awhile now. They all seemed to really enjoy the topic and I feel that some of the students were very excited about the topic. I created a web page for them to access to go to the links that I provided to research about computer crimes and then they were required to make comments and use the different aspects they have learned in computer applications.
If I could go back and change one aspect of this week I think it would be trying to get some of the students motivated more. I think that it being almost April, all of the seniors are really starting to shut down. It seems like it has become so hard to interest the students and get them at all motivated in anything.

Week 10

Week ten has been a good week. It started out with the PSSA's. It felt like a very long week because of that I think. The aspect of this past week that I found most beneficial is that I feel like I am finally getting into the grove with all of my classes. I feel that I am creating better lessons, which makes the students more interested into the content. It does make it easier with accounting because I am teaching payroll. I created my second bulletin board and it is based on the entire payroll chapter. I am having the students fill out time cards everyday for the time that they are in school. They seem to really like this and are getting involved. I have noticed that some students will come in even before class to fill out their time card. Some even come at the end of the day to put what time they are leaving. It will get the students away from doing the book work for the entire chapter. At the end, all the different content that was taught to them they will need to complete with the project as a group. They are all in suspense about finding out if they are married and how many withholding allowances they have. They seem to really enjoy the project so far.
If I could go back and change anything about this I think it would be slowing down some of my lessons of Friday. I felt that Friday I had a very off day. I felt like I had no clue what I was doing. I think that just came along with the very long we that we had because of the PSSA's. I also noticed that the students did not want to do anything this week. They were very lazy and not motivated. I have noticed a big change in the senioritis kicking in also. The seniors just want everything to be finished. This is the last week for the third quarter so they are seeing the end close. So are all of us!

Week 9

The aspects of week nine that I found most valuable is that the students in my accounting classes achieved much higher grades on this chapter test than pervious tests. It makes me feel like I am explaining the material and content better and in a way that the students understand. Another aspect of this week that I found most valuable is that I am getting into chapters in my business law and accounting classes that I can relate to the students better than pervious chapters. In law I am teaching about employment contracts, which seems to be a topic that they are interested in because most students have part time jobs and all are interested in jobs when they graduate or after college. That is a topic that they will use in their lives and they can see that and relate to it more than the previous chapters. In accounting I am going to be getting into payroll, which I anticipate that the students will be more interested in then the previous chapter on posting.
If I could start the week over and change anything it would be my one lesson in computer applications. I am teaching the students about PowerPoint. I used a video to introduce the third lesson which was on using visual effects in presentations and PowerPoint’s. The video was too long for the students and I lost them throughout the lesson. They lost their interest and attention. The next day I went back and showed them the same content in a different way and it worked out well. They were more receptive the second day in the way I presented the information. It was good that I learned from that mistake and went back and re-taught some of the information, so that they really do know what to do when they are completing the step-by-steps and projects for the lessons.

Week 8

This past week has been pretty chaotic. I think the aspect of this past week that was the most important was the midterm review. I received a lot of feedback about my teaching. I am going to build on the constructive criticism and work towards improving all of them before the end of the professional semester. I feel after getting this feedback, I know what I need to focus on in my lessons. I also felt that the student surveys gave me a great idea of how the students feel that I am doing as a teacher. Most of the responses were average, but I learned the areas that I need to improve for the students also. I also felt that teaching the same class twice in one day is rewarding. It gives me the ability to improve with my lesson the second time around. This is the first full week that I was able to teach accounting twice in the same day. I would change just a few things about my lessons the second time around, based on how the lesson was during the first class. I also felt that during my business law class, that incorporating case reviews, and an Internet case activity, that the students became more interested in the content that was being taught.
If I could go back to the beginning of the week, I would make sure that I have created all my lesson plans to the way I will be teaching them to my students. I also would change the way I introduced some of my lessons, and find ways to connect the lessons to my students better. I would have also tried to make my business laws tests more challenging for the students. I know that I need to improve that before the next test. This week was a shorter week for me because I took a personal day on Friday.

Week 7

The aspect of week seven that I found most valuable was on Friday when I was able to teach the same lesson twice. I picked up my fourth class on Friday which is another accounting class. I was able to teach the lesson and learn from the lesson about what worked and what I could do to improve it before the next class and make any changes if I needed to. I did make a few changes with my lesson the second time around. I pointed out a few things about the posting of the special journals that were different then what they learned in the previous chapters about posting. I also felt that I have become more comfortable with all my classes this week and that it really showed in my teaching. I was able to incorporate better introductions then I previously have.

If I could go back to the beginning of the week and change anything it would be to make sure that the students are really prepared for the tests. We review in accounting and go over the problems for four or five days before the test. When test time comes some students do very poorly and some do very well. I am going to try and think of ways to improve some test grades for accounting.

Week 6

The aspect of week six that I found most valuable was the encouragement that I have been receiving from all my fellow student teachers and our supervisor. I was really feeling very stressed at the start of the week and did not feel as if I could handle it anymore. As the week went on it became a lot better and I can tell that I am more comfortable in the classroom. My classroom management skills are also improving. I picked up my third class this week. It was the most easy class that I have so far which is computer applications. I found that planning for this class, and just the computer and technology classes in general are easier then content courses, especially accounting. I am also getting more comfortable with my accounting class now that this is the second chapter that I have taught them. It is easy to relate the material back to information that I have taught them. I think the planning is essential in all the courses that we are teaching.

If I could start the week over it would be to try and not be so stressed out. I know that there are things that I cannot control, but I would definitely try to not be so stressed out. I would also try to incorporate more activities into my lessons and relate the hard content that I am teaching to the students more than I have been.

Week 5

The aspects of week five that I found most valuable is the participation rate that my seventh period class is starting to give. When I first started teaching that class nobody wanted to participate and they all stared at me like I had ten heads. I have started to get them to participate because I have just been going around the room and everyone takes a turn solving the transactions. I think they are finally started to get used to me a little bit, and they are not as talkative as they were when I first started. The other aspect of the week that I found valuable was using a video to introduce my lesson on contracts. The students seemed to have liked the video, and enjoyed something different in the class. My business law students always participate during the class discussions. I also feel that some days I can do this and some days I feel like I am horrible and cannot do this. I know that this also has to do with the hormones in my body going wacky since I am expecting a baby, but I just get so emotional some days, not until after I leave school though. I also found that planning is everything. If you plan far enough in advance, it will only benefit you in the end. There is a lot of work and planning that goes into this student teaching experience.
I also followed a student for the day on Friday. I thought that this was a great activity for us to complete. It really gives insight on what the students do throughout the day. The girl I followed is very intelligent and is in the advanced classes at the school. I feel that most of the teachers expect a lot from the students but that is great because it makes them motivated. I think that the day is long at the district that I am at. I think that the students attending nine periods a day plus lunch is long.
If I could go back to the beginning of the week and change anything it would definitely be to try and not let things bother me. Things that are not in my control and the unexpected disturbances that occur during the class is what I wish did not bother me this week. I would also make sure that I have extra activities ready for the students if they finish early or if we finish completing the cases in the book early. I would make sure that in accounting there is enough time to get through the mastery problems at the end of the chapter also.

This week went much better than last week for me. I was very busy with my two classes and felt more comfortable and confident when teaching both my classes. I thought of a great activity for the students to do in accounting with petty cash reports. I think the students liked the activity because they were able to have a change and do something other than book work the entire class period. I think this overall week went very week for me. I am still having some problems with some of the students. I don't know if they are used to the way my coop has done things the entire year and it is just a change for them. On Friday we had an in-service day. We did not have any professional development, we just worked in the room the entire day. I was able to get a lot of my planning done so that was great.

If I were to go back to the beginning of the week I have planned some of my lessons differently so that the students had some time to do more exercises to practice the problems.

Week 3

So we have week three finished of our student teaching. This week was interesting. I started my second class this week on Friday. My first class which is business law is going really well. I conect with the students great and we have had some great lessons. Well on Friday I started to teach my first accounting lesson with my second class. I felt that for some of the class that I did not really have control because some of the boys were talking to each other. On top of it being my first time teaching that class I was also observed which made me more nervous. I think I just have not reached my comfort level with that class yet. On Monday I am going to go in and tell them exactly what I expect of them and rewards and consequences for the expectations. I know that I need to think of more creative ways of presenting the accounting information also. Overall the week was not bad but I know that I can improve and that things will get better.

If I could start the week over I would make sure that the students knew what I expect of them before I started with the class. I would also make sure that I have extra activities planned in case I finish early there is still things for the students to do. I will make sure that I have extra problems set aside. I have thought of a creative activity for one of my lessons next week so hopefully that will go better.

Week Two

During my second week of student teaching I learned many different things. I started teaching with mu first class Business law. I found that I was very nervous to start teaching so I went through the material very fast for the first two days that I taught. On the third day I started to feel more comfortable and I believe that you could see that in my teaching. I gave the students handouts and we had as activity that dealt with slogans from commercials and they had to see how many they knew. That was an activity that I did with them on Friday. My cooperating teacher was very helpful with tips on my lesson plans and with my lessons. I also observed a life skills class that I thought was very interesting. The teacher of the class is very experienced and taught the students very well. I did my middle school business observation also.

If I could back back to the beginning of the week I think that I would try to prepare myself even more for my first class of teaching. I was prepared but I think that since I was so nervous that it looked like I did not really know what I was doing. I would try to incorporate more real world examples of consumer laws also. I know that I need to relate it to the students more and use more examples throughout my lessons.

Week 1

This week during my student teaching I found that my cooperating teacher was very helpful. She made sure that I received all the materials that I need to fully prepare myself for when I start teaching her classes. I also felt that learning most of the students names, there are some that I still get mixed up was the most valuable aspect of my first week. I believe that this showed the students that I have respect for them, therefore I will receive respect in return. I also helped my coop out with all of her classes because most of them are engaging in projects that will take about two weeks for them to complete. I also learning about the stock market game that our accounting 2 class will play in starting in February. I have never had any exposure to that game and I think it will be fun.

If I had the chance to start the week over I wish I would have been able to see my coop teach a lesson. I started when she was giving her classes midterms, finals, and projects that will take them until the end of next week to finish. Therefore I have not seen her teach a lesson to the class yet.