August is lurking just around the corner, and if you are student teaching this Fall Semester you are likely getting excited and maybe a bit nervous about the school year ahead. I student taught way back in the Fall of 2013 (how was that already 6 years ago??) and wanted to share a few tips and experiences with those of you embarking on that adventure soon!

• Be open-minded: Your host teacher may have a totally different teaching style, or maybe you’re student teaching in a grade level or subject that’s a little out of your comfort zone. These situations can be a challenge, but a great opportunity for growth! Work closely with your host teacher and be open-minded about their ideas and feedback. I learned so much from my host teacher and his ideas helped to shape the patterns that I have continued to follow for running my classroom.

• Reflect: Do this with your host teacher, your students, your university advisor, and yourself. During my student teaching I found it helpful to keep a blog and have loved having that resource to look back on year after year. You might consider writing down your reflections or simply have those conversations and talk things through.
• Get organized: You are going to be busy! Having a plan for staying organized from the beginning is a good idea, but also keep your systems flexible and feel free to change your processes as you learn what works best throughout your student teaching. A good place to start is by having a dedicated teacher bag or backpack with a binder, a notebook, an accordion file, and a planner.
• Try new things: Of course, a lot of things will be totally new if this is your first experience in leading a classroom. But don’t get stuck in the same routine of handing out a worksheet day after day. There are so many resources with creative ideas to engage your students – I recommend trying one new thing each week! I kind of took this idea to the extreme by spending the last half of my student teaching working in a school in the Dominican Republic, learning about another culture, history of a different country, the Spanish language, and what it’s like to work in a private school.

• Have fun: Yes, this is going to be a lot of work but remember to enjoy it! Get to know your students and colleagues and have a good time in class, at lunch, etc. I taught about the industrial revolution during my student teaching and did a fun lesson about invention and innovation. The teenagers in my class had a blast building contraptions to keep eggs safe and then dropping them from the second-story classroom window!

• Have a life outside of teaching: Remember to do things not related to teaching. It can be very hard to have work-life balance when your work is something you are so passionate about, but it is important to still spend time with friends, family, and yourself or else you may find yourself burning out. Honestly, I learned this the hard way by letting my life revolve around teaching for years. If you take care of yourself, you will probably find yourself being happier both inside and outside of the classroom!

Recently, I reflected on my student teaching experience now that I have been in my on classroom for a few years. I was lucky to have a very supportive and knowledgeable host teacher and a great university advisor, but I thought of a few things that would have helped me to get the most out of my time as a student teacher. This process led me to create a Student Teacher Binder full of organizational tools, classroom forms, reflection activities, and even more tips and tricks. (I also included 10 relaxing coloring pages because we all need a little time to zone out and make something pretty!) You can find it in my Teachers Pay Teachers store by clicking here. Of course, I 100% remember the financial strain of student teaching. Personally, I had to pay my university about $10,000 to work full-time without any pay. And Yes, I’m still paying on that student loan! That’s why I made sure to price this 75 page workbook at just $7.50 and currently have it on sale for half price for a limited time!