For all of you current teachers, how much teaching/classroom experience did you have before student teaching? The program at my school asks for a resume prior to admittance into the practicum, and I have not had a chance to work with students since I was in high school (besides field placements related to coursework). My course and work schedule makes it difficult to volunteer in after school programs, although I have applied to a volunteer program for this semester. I am worried they will not let me student teach if I don’t have enough experience.
I went to college in the 70’s. We had very little classroom time before student teaching-- I only remember one course. (And that was allowed to be a summer course, so it really accomplished so little!!)
Fortunately, things have changed. Potential teachers now need a lot more time in the classroom. And I think that’s such a great thing! Too many people think they know what it’s like to teach simply because they went to school, when the reality is often far from what they anticipate. Whether you’re going to love it or hate it, far better that you get an accurate impression of what you’re getting into before that last semester of college!
Is there any way you can take some extra courses, say, over the summer, to free up your time during the school year? That would enable you to get your hours in.
Other ideas: We routinely have college kids come in during college breaks. Lots of time in early January; elementary and high schools tend to go back immediately after New Years, while colleges tend to get an extra week or two there. Likewise, our spring breaks seldom line up.
@bjkmom thank you for your response! The program at my school starts us off in field placements for our intro course where you are in a classroom once a week (and it was SUCH an amazing experience) so I do have that under my belt, but otherwise I will just have my pre-prac (next fall, at least twice a week in the class I will be student teaching) and then my full student teaching experience. As it stands now, I am already taking summer courses AND overloading during the school year to fit all of my requirements sigh…but the observing during breaks sounds interesting. Obviously it varies based on school district, but do you know how college students typically go about getting involved in this at your school?
With us, it’s typically alumni who come back to observe, though I’m sure anyone would be welcome.
They call the AP and arrange it.
The school would not set you up for failure that way, I did one day a week throughout freshman year than it progressed,to 2x a week before student teaching.
I personally worked at a daycare which counted towards my hours, butthere is not an assumption that you have had these hours.