Normally this is something that I would post to my professional site, but, as you’ll learn in education, it’s very freeing to have a secret identity that doesn’t have to follow district policy. I just ask you to maintain that.

It’s been ten years since student teaching and the educational climate has changed quite a bit over the years (I had previously thought that RIF was what guitarists played. I like that definition a whole lot better.), but if a friend of Devin needs help, then here we are. (For my other readers – Devin messaged me on Twitter with a plea. This is the response.)

Let’s get this out of the way at the beginning: teaching is worth it. Our students really need people who will help them analyze the world around them and be world-changers, not just consumers. Here’s the kicker, though: you will hardly ever get to see your investment played out first-hand. Some students will come back to update you, and those have been encouraging, but many will move on to bigger and better things – and that’s what we want, really.

The biggest advice I can give is to jump right into any responsibilities that you can. I took over a class on the very first day of student teaching, even though it wasn’t required, and it benefited me tremendously. They were MY students to the very end of the semester. I didn’t have to worry while doing observations. 1st hour I paid attention because 5th hour I needed to know how to teach it.

I also went to all of the pre-semester meetings, the ones where teachers get trained on what to expect for the year. You’ll be just as clued in as the staff. It’s also where teachers shared about their summers. I built relationships that were supportive and much needed when mid-semester hit. If you’re student teaching in January, make sure to attend the staff meetings, especially at the beginning of the semester.

In college, I freaked out about presenting a lesson for 15 minutes. Quick hint: class periods are longer than 15 minutes. But when you have the whole scope of the unit, it makes planning the smaller chunks a lot easier. One idea, one concept, one objective, one activity flows into the next.

Lesson planning and classroom management is all about flow. It’s very “leaf on the wind”, except that you get to be the wind. Keep activities to ten-minute increments. Students can pay attention for 7-10 minutes and then they need a state change, whether it’s a body movement or a switch in activity. Push that 10-minute threshold and you’ll see the consequences.

This probably has been said before, but make sure that early on the expectations you express, both verbally and nonverbally, are the expectations you want to live with for the rest of the semester.

You are not the students’ friend. Friends don’t assign each other lunch detentions. You can be kind, consistent, and caring, but not a friend. Students need adults who are kind, consistent, and caring. They get enough buddy buddy from adults who think they’re cool but aren’t.

Introduce yourself to the principal and the office staff. Be memorable as someone who is professional. You want to be as much of an integral part of the campus as you can. It definitely gives you an edge over the random job applicants. Even if you don’t want to work at the same school you student taught at, you’d be surprised at just how connected administrators from other districts are. Ask for a screening interview at the end of the semester, if only for the practice.

Do whatever you can to help out the secretaries and the maintenance staff. You make their lives easier, they brag about it. You give them trouble, they will crush you.

Yes, there are fewer teacher openings out there than there were ten years ago when I applied. The downside is that there is a tinge of paranoia. The upside is that those that have jobs are generally pretty thankful for them. Even if you don’t get hired right out of student teaching, long-term sub. Teaching is a skill and you don’t want to get out of practice. Sure, you can read a book about teaching, but it’s the delivery of the lesson that counts.

Here’s a timeline of fear that I’ve seen play out in my experience as a district mentor (I work with every new teacher that gets hired to my school):

The Fears/Doubts
Student teaching – Did I choose the right major? Did I waste four years and thousands of dollars? Will the students like me? Will my cooperating teacher be a jerk? Can I afford to not get paid for a semester of work?

First year – Are you sure I chose the right major? This is nothing like student teaching. How can I do this the right way? My cooperating teacher never had this trouble. Are the veteran teachers making fun of me? Does the staff respect me? Will I always have to stay at school until 6pm?

Third year/fifth year/seventh year – Am I teaching what I want to teach? Are the students actually learning? Is this my career? Can I put up with one more crazy parent? Did I handle that situation the right way?

Tenth year – Am I really one of the old guys on campus? Why am I making all the decisions? Why is everyone complaining about my decisions? Can I please just worry about one more crazy parent instead?

One really cool aspect, though, is being able to recognize the spark of learning. Over time you get to see those moments add up and know that you did something with your life. If that student then grows up and positively impacts another person’s life…Exponents are crazy. You can either positively or negatively affect a whole bunch of people’s lives. It’s a lot of responsibility. And, you know, you get summers off(-ish).