Calling All Cooperating Teachers!

Chapter One

 Be Welcoming

            Imagine…you walk into a school building not knowing a soul. Not a student. Not a teacher. And to top it off, you don’t have much experience either. This is what a pre-service teacher feels when they walk into a school in which they’ve never been in order to gain more experience through observations, pre-student teaching, and even student teaching. You, the cooperating teacher, can make all the difference and ease some of the anxiety that a teacher-candidate experiences. Welcome your new intern and show them the ropes. Some CTs underestimate what a difference it makes just showing their interns where the restrooms are, where to go to make copies, and most importantly…introducing them to the students. All of these gestures create a welcoming atmosphere and give the teacher-candidate one less thing to worry about.

Chapter Two

 We are There to Learn, Not to Evaluate

            One of the most important things that a CT needs to understand is that pre-service teachers are not there to evaluate them and his/her teaching, but to learn and to gain experience. Please, don’t be afraid to be silly and make mistakes. It teaches us that these things are okay and sometimes necessary. We understand that every teacher has his or her own style, and that there will be things we both like and dislike about each unique approach.

Chapter Three

 Remember the 3 to 1 Ratio?

            You’ve heard a thousand times how important it is to give more positive comments to students than negative feedback. This also applies to student teachers. Sure, we don’t need to be coddled and told how great we are all the time so that our self-esteem can build, but keep track of the kind of feedback you are giving your pre-service teacher. We can get down in the dumps, too, just like any other person. Sometimes a “great job on that lesson!” can go a very long way. Don’t get me wrong; constructive criticism is imperative to a student teacher’s learning and overall experience. It would be terrible if you didn’t let a student teacher know that they were teaching material incorrectly just because you were afraid to tell them they were doing it wrong. We know we make mistakes that need to be corrected. We crave your advice; just be careful. It’s just as important for pre-service teachers to know what they are doing right as it is for them to know what they are doing incorrectly.

Chapter Four

Get Your Intern Involved

            If you’ve had WSU students who were completing observations in the past, you have probably noticed that they spend the majority of their time sitting in the back of the room, timidly taking notes while watching their surroundings. Most pre-service teachers in the beginning of their core classes have very little experience working with students and may not be quite sure how to get started. Help them get involved by inviting them to assist you in activities such as small group work and team teaching. Although observations are reserved for, well….observations, pre-service teachers can make the most of their time by gaining experience with students and the curriculum. I know the main reason why I wasn’t sure how to interact with students in the beginning core classes was because I hadn’t yet formed relationships with those students. If you help your intern form those relationships and get to know the students, you will see him/her flourish in the classroom setting.

Chapter Five

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

            One of the most helpful things a CT can do is flood his or her intern with materials that they can use in the future. Books. Lessons. Graphic organizers. Articles. And more lessons. If you’re comfortable with it, invite your teaching intern to bring a flash drive so that you can copy files onto it.  It may be true that your teaching candidate may not be able to make use of those materials at that given time. But as you well know, there will be a time when they will need creative ideas for Dante’s Inferno, and the like. Student teachers can then use these materials and adapt them to fit the activity/unit at hand. This will also help create a welcoming environment and will send the message: “here, I want to help you”.



Oh Me, Oh My.

Dear me,

            You’re tired. You want to be done. You think you are ready to have your own classroom because you’ve learned it all, right? Oh, you are so, so wrong. Your student teaching is just around the corner and I know you’re nervous. How do I know? Well, I’ve been there. This is the semester you have been waiting for for several years, and now it’s here. It seems like not long ago you had no idea what your major was going to be or what direction your life would take, but you have it all figured out now. But the work doesn’t stop here.

            I'll refrain from sugar coating. Student teaching will be the hardest semester of your life. Not only because of the nature of student teaching, but because life is going to throw some serious curve balls that you won’t know how to dodge. But, don’t fear. The experience and savvy you have gained through your tutoring experiences and observations have prepared you to do a great job, even when you feel like it’s all just too much. Entering the co-op program was one of the most beneficial decisions you made during your schooling and you have already learned so much that will stay with you during student teaching. You are intelligent. You are prepared. You will be successful.

            There are some things, however, that I would suggest doing differently now that I look back to where you are now. The biggest change I would make is not listening to all of the gossip that is ever-present in every school environment, whether it is the college or high school classroom. Those people will only discourage you, worry you, and bring you down. Stand sturdy on your own two feet but don’t forget that your colleagues are experiencing the same situation you are and they are great people to talk to. Just tread carefully.

            My next piece of advice is no less important than the first: believe in yourself and stay confident in your abilities. Keep in mind that everyone is different and that you will encounter teachers who may not like the way you do things, but that doesn’t mean you’re not good enough or that you’re wrong. In addition, seek out the advice of the teachers with whom you work. After all, you are still a student and you don’t know everything (not even close!) and asking for help is not a sign of weakness. It’s an opportunity to learn.

            Lastly, understand that there will be things required of you that you will not enjoy completing. Nonetheless, take your coursework seriously and STOP procrastinating! I would think that by now procrastination wouldn’t be a problem, but it is still one of my biggest weaknesses. Stop the cycle now and prepare for your assignments and coursework ahead of time. Harder said than done, I know.

Most importantly, always remember why you are doing what you’re doing. It will get you through the roughest of times.

Always,

Leslie

A "D" Will Get You a Diploma, but Not an Education

             I just got done teaching a unit to my seniors over Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer, and now the students are composing essays before we move into spring break, which by the way, I simply CANNOT wait for. And yes, I did just knowingly end my sentence with a preposition.
            Anywho, one student in particular has been showing concern for his grade, which I'm assuming is because his graduation is just over 2 months away. It's amazing to see how much the seniors start caring now that everything really counts. This student has had a high F for over a month but as of today, his total grade in the class is now a 61 percent. I have never seen anyone so excited to have achieved a D in my entire life. You would have thought that he won a car when he saw that little slip of paper on which "61%" was etched in purple ink. I felt happy for him, and I could tell that he was quite ecstatic, too. I communicated my excitement to him and told him that I was happy that he wasn't failing anymore. And then, I stopped and asked myself some questions. Why am I congratulating a student for getting a D when I know he can do so much better? Am I lowering the standards by making him feel that a D is okay? After I congratulated him, I added, "This is good, but you can do so much better. I have no doubt that you can get this up to a C by graduation if you try hard". It's strange for me to think about my personal feelings about the grade of D in comparison to some of my students' feelings. I remember when I was a sophomore in high school and I got a D in chemistry, which was the first and only D I have ever earned. I was absolutely horrified, embarassed, and disappointed in myself. Sometimes it's a challenge for me to understand that for some students, a D is something to celebrate.
               In our Adolescent Literacy text, Yvette Jackson and Eric J. Cooper write that in order to build success with underachieving students the teacher must first begin with setting high expectations. My question to my readers is: How can teachers raise the expectations of students, while keeping those expectations at an attainable level? What are your feelings on lower achieving students accomplishing Ds? Is this good, or can they do better? Okay, so I asked more than one question, but I'm looking forward to helpful advice from my peers.

Parent/Teacher Conferences, Also Known as "Grading Time"

Tonight was my first experience with parent/teacher conferences since I was a high school student, and it sure is a strange feeling sitting on the other side of the table. Long before conferences began, I was briefed on the low parent attendance that plagues the school where I am placed. Although I was aware that it would be a slow afternoon, I had no idea just how few parents really would come to conferences.

Only three parents showed up to talk to my CT in the first three hours. Instead of talking to parents like I thought I would be, I spent most of my time grading papers. I found myself staring at the door, searching in vain for the parents who I surely thought would walk in at any time. What can teachers do to increase the attendance at conferences? We all know how imperative it is for parents to be involved in the education of their children, but how can we help them become more involved? What's even worse is that all of the students whose parents showed up have wonderful grades. It's obvious that the lower performing students have the greatest need for their parents to communicate with their teachers, and I would love to hear advice on how we can accomplish this.

It's Nothing Personal

          My first several weeks of student teaching have been wonderful, intimidating, and unpredictable. I started the semester off by going to my first in-service, which was an interesting experience. By the end of the week, I had most...okay, several, of the students' names memorized and was thoroughly excited for the rest of the semester. Then, life threw me a curveball and I was unable to attend my placement during the second week. Thank goodness WSU classes hadn't started yet.
          My personal life aside, I absolutely LOVE my placement, CT (Ms. H), and students. I have already learned so many valuable things that I will carry with me when I'm a teacher. I am beginning to take over the classes, and have received quite a bit of constructive criticism from my CT. While I certainly appreciate and NEED criticism, this is exactly my problem. I have no doubt that I need as much as advice as I can possibly get so that I can grow and improve, but I tend to associate criticism with failure on my part. Ms. H will say something like, "You did a great job today, but next time you may want to expand on this particular point." This is what I hear: "You sucked today. Do better next time." My problem may seem silly, but I'm guessing that I am  not alone in my sensitivity. How can I accept (much needed) criticism without beating myself up about my teaching performance?