Planning for Success with your Student Teacher
Planning lessons with your student teacher is ideal in order to guide your student teacher toward success as an intern in your classroom. This step cannot be left out during your student teacher’s placement in your classroom.
Being a mentor for a student teacher is a very important job. You have many responsibilities when you are a mentor. If you aren’t sure where to start, you are in the right place. I have some tips and resources for you! This is the fifth in a series of posts about mentoring a student teacher. Keep checking back each month for more tips and resources.
Mentoring a Student Teacher Topics
- Part 1: Preparing for your Student Teacher
- Part 2: Introducing your Student Teacher
- Part 3: Releasing Responsibilities to your Student Teacher
- Part 4: Communicating with your Student Teacher
- Part 5: Planning with your Student Teacher
- Part 6: Observing your Student Teacher
- Part 7: Giving Feedback to your Student Teacher
- Part 8: Grading Tips for your Student Teacher
- Part 9: Reflecting with your Student Teacher
- Part 10: Thanking your Student Teacher
Planning With Your Student Teacher
I feel like I tell you how important each stage is. But, this part is a big one.
If you don’t take the time to plan with your student teacher in the beginning of the placement, you will spend more time trying to catch up later. And that is not what you need. More time needed when you already don’t have enough of it in the first place!
In the beginning, you will do all the planning with your student teacher right next to you.
- Give your student teacher access to the curriculum. Online or hard copy – it doesn’t matter. Your student teacher cannot plan without it!
- Don’t wait too long to start showing your student teacher how you plan. The sooner, the better!
- Sit down together and walk through all the steps.
- Think out loud and explain why you are doing what you’re doing.
Pick one subject and one lesson. Let your student teacher lead the planning meetings between both of you.
- What is the standard being taught?
- How will you introduce the lesson?
- What materials will you need?
- Will the students work independently, in partners, in small groups, etc?
- How will you assess the students’ understanding?
- What will you use as an extension?
- What will you use if you need to reteach?
- Will you give homework? What will you give?
Of course, you will be there to provide support and talk about the ideas, but you should ask your student teacher what he/she wants to do to teach that unit or standard. You can help guide your student teacher to what should be done, but try hard not to force him/her to do it exactly how you would.
