Student Teacher Workshop #2

            All of the student teachers at the second workshop at UTD seemed so much more relaxed than they were at the beginning of the semester! The increased confidence was evident as peers conferred and shared what has worked for them in different situations. The workshop focused on career advice (we are beginning to apply for jobs - this is both exhilarating and terrifying!), classroom management, and formative assessments.

Faculty, advisors, and supervisors from the Teacher Development Center were all there to support the student teachers, and I have to say – I have never felt more supported by any other department during my college career. It feels great to know that your mentors are approachable, knowledgeable, and love teaching future teachers.

After some career advice, such as the benefits of networking, the importance of distributing an impressive résumé, and acquiring letters of recommendation, we met to discuss classroom management strategies. Popular solutions to talkative students varied from maintaining a close proximity to chatty kids to Harry Wong’s “Give me 5” tactic. We also met to review the variety of options for formative assessments, and the purpose for assessing students throughout the grading cycle. Formative assessments not only check for students’ understanding, but provide activities that lead to summative assessments. One type of formative assessment that I have successfully implemented a couple of times so far also serve as closure at the end of the lesson: the exit pass. With an exit pass, students write something relevant to the lesson, such as 3 things they learned about ______, or how they can improve on ______. You get the idea. This also gives me a chance to say goodbye to students as they leave the class and wish them a good morning or afternoon.

We also reviewed the importance of knowing exactly where the lesson is going, or what your learning targets are, and making sure the students know as well. See the Seinfeld video for an example of how a lesson can fall apart without a plan in place.

This semester’s student teachers have only 3 weeks left, since most are off for most or all of Thanksgiving week. I remember how scared I was at first and how I was so frustrated on some days I actually cried. Now, I imagine crying because I will miss my students. I almost feel as though I will be abandoning them when I leave, and I care about what happens to them – especially the ones with whom it was difficult to build rapport. One of the student teachers from last spring who spoke at our orientation said that we would feel like they were “our kids” by the end of the semester. She was right.

Savvy Suggestion: From your first day in the classroom, though you will be experiencing a wide range of emotions and challenges, treasure every moment you spend with the students. They are what it’s all about. Everything else will pass, but your influence in a child’s life can have far-reaching effects.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OstNuHetRG4