positive-first-impression-student-teaching

How to leave a lasting first impression when Student teaching

Whether you’re getting ready to student teach or you’re already going through your student teaching experience, this student teacher advice will surely help you make a lasting first impression and so that you get that student teacher recommendation letter. Since I’m not sure where you are in your teaching experience, we are going to take a step back and begin with what happens as soon as you find our where your placement is.

If you already know where your placement is, go online and begin looking up anything and everything that you can find about your school and district. If you’re able to find copies of the student and teacher handbooks, be sure to read every single page. Learning as much as you can about the school you’re going to be spending the next few months in will definitely make things easier and your cooperating teacher will be impressed that you took the initiative to do some research on your own. If possible, take time to print these handbooks too! You never know when a situation might arise and you’ll be wishing you had the information at your fingertips.

All university programs are different in that some programs will have your cooperating teacher reach out to you, whereas other programs will have you reach out to your cooperating teacher. Whatever the case is, this is your very first chance to make a positive first impression during your practicum experience. It’s important to remember that every single day is part of your job interview, including your initial correspondence. If your program didn’t provide you with any guidance, here are a few things that you might consider sharing when you reach out to your cooperating teacher for the first time.

Contacting your Cooperating teacher for the first time

Consider sharing:

Who you are

What program you’re going through
Your degree information
Why you want to be a teacher
What you’re looking forward to about your experience
Things you feel comfortable with
Areas you’re hoping to grow and learn more about during your experience
++ Request a time to connect in person or virtually

While you’re considering what you want to put into your correspondence, be sure to keep the questions you might have to a minimum. During this message, you’re really just trying to introduce yourself and find a time to connect. I know you probably have a million questions that you might want answered, but those would be better suited for your initial meet up, whether that’s in person, virtually, or over the phone.

When you’re gearing up to connect for the first time, it’s important to remember that you want to form a positive relationship with your mentor teacher from day one. You’re going to be working along side this person for the next few months and having a professional and positive relationship will go a long ways. When you’re comfortable with the person you’re student teaching under, you’ll be more receptive to ideas and lessons, constructive feedback, and you’ll get so much more out of your experience.

Touring your student teacher placement

If you have the chance to connect in person, this is a wonderful opportunity to get to know the school layout, possibly meet a few staff members, and maybe even meet a few kiddos. Some cooperating teachers will suggest having the student teacher visit during school hours so that they can meet their class and learn more about the classroom before beginning. If you’re student teaching mid-year and this opportunity is presented to you, make sure to accept. This is such a great time to learn a little bit more about your placement, the students you’ll be working with, and it will even help alleviate some of the anxiety you might have about your first official day.

During your time in the building, pay attention to the various locations and resources that you’ll have access to. While getting a tour, ask about supply rooms for projects, book rooms with leveled readers, math manipulatives, and more. Some schools will have a variety of resources that you can have access to, whereas other schools might not have much at all. If there aren’t many resources available for your use, don’t get discouraged, you’ll quickly learn how to be creative with your lessons.

As you’re visiting the school, this is also a phenomenal opportunity to make a lasting impression with other teachers, admin, and staff who are in the building. If you happen to see anyone in the hallways or if classroom doors are open, pop in and introduce yourself! Of course this takes courage, and you’ll surely standout for being confident and eager to meet others. If possible, take the time to have an authentic conversation that will leave them wanting to learn more about you. You never know, if you end up applying to teach at this school, the teachers you’re meeting now might be the same teachers who are on the interviewing committee later.

There are going to be so many new ideas and resources coming your way as you begin this experience. Some cooperating teachers might want to show you absolutely everything on day one. Other cooperating teachers might want to introduce a little bit to you each day. Be eager to learn and receptive to the ideas they are sharing. Show interest, ask engaging questions, and learn as much as you can. This will show them that you’re there for a reason and that you care about the work you’ll be doing over the next few months.

Beginning Your experience

I mention this in almost all of my blog posts and podcasts, but organization is going to be a key skill that you need while you’re student teaching. You can be great with kids and have an awesome personality, but at the end of the day, if you can’t keep things organized, it might risk losing the opportunity for an upcoming job. Make sure you have a student teaching binder that includes schedules, calendars, lesson planning space, routines, expectations, class lists, IEP’s, and any other important information that you’ll need access to on a regular basis. If you’d like to read more about how to use a binder for student teaching, head to this blog post.

It’s also going to be imperative that you have a calendar system that works for you. If you’re consistently forgetting when things are due, missing important dates, and showing up late, your cooperating teacher is going to not only be frustrated, but also disappointed. Missing important dates and deadlines will absolutely positively have a negative effect on your student teaching experience and put the chances of you receiving a positive letter of recommendation pretty low on the totem pole.

Let’s Reflect: Who Inspires you?

Take a minute to think of someone who inspires you:

List their qualities
What makes them special?
Why do they inspire you?

When I think of people who inspire me, I I think of people who are…

Contagious to be around
Positive people
Go Getters
People who are always kind and display grace
People who are open to new ideas
People with infectious personalities
People who are brave
People who are willing to take risks
++People who always put the needs of their students first.

While you’re thinking about your upcoming experience, I most certainly want you to be the most authentic version of yourself! However, if you’re naturally shy, reserved, or hesitant to try new things, I want you to challenge yourself to open up. I want you to be brave and bold, and to try new things. I don’t expect you to have every characteristic that I listed above, but if there are one or two items that stand out to you, step out of your comfort zone and try to work on being a better version of yourself each day.

Being a teacher is not for the weak. There are going to be days that are exhausting and it just feels like you can’t go on. I am here to remind you of your goals though! You’ve been dreaming of being a teacher for who knows how long, and I know you’re going to be an absolutely amazing educator. While you’re going though your student teaching experience, remember that every single day is truly like a job interview. If you want to make a lasting impression while you’re student teaching, here are a few more ways to standout amongst the rest to ensure that you get a rockin’ letter of recommendation at the end of your experience!

Characteristics of amazing student teachers

Builds personal relationships with each student
Puts their students needs first
Displays kindness in every conversation and interaction
Finds the positive in every situation
Is teachable
Receptive to feedback and constructive criticism
Eager to learn
Involves themself appropriately
- Planning
- Meetings IEPs
- Student concerns
Takes Risks
- Thinks outside of the box
- Tries new lesson ideas
- Is willing to fail
Is confident
Always on time
Has time management and organizational skills
Stays committed
Goes above and beyond
Is accountable
Has integrity
Asks questions
Respectful at all times
** LOVES their students!

If you can, ask to observe other teachers in the building. Take time to learn about other grades and subjects. Explore who you are as an educator. Go with your students to gym, music, art, or any other special they attend. Play with your kiddos at recess. Organize a lunch bunch and get to know your students on a personal level. Build personal relationships that show that you’re truly there for your students.

Please know that at some point during your student teaching experience, you might witness things that you would absolutely never do in your classroom. Your cooperating teacher might plan or teach in a way that you disagree with. Remember though, this is their classroom. If you’re seeing things that wouldn’t work for you as an educator, it’s still a learning experience and you still need to respect the classroom teacher. Of course, if there is a health or safety concern, consider confiding in your university supervisor. However, we need to remember that we all have different skills that we bring to the table and we always need to show kindness and respect in all situations.

The last tip I have for you today to ensure you make a lasting impression and get that letter of recommendation is to believe in yourself! You’re doing an amazing job. Stop doubting yourself and remember to give yourself grace. You are exactly who your students need you to be!

As always, if you ever have questions or need anything at all, please reach out to me on Instagram @northdakotateaching. I am always just a message away!