A month from today I start student teaching! I'm beyond exited to meet my new first graders! I will be in the same classroom and with the same mentor teacher from this past semester. I am so lucky to have been put with my mentor. She has been teaching for a long time and is an awesome teacher. Last fall was probably one of the worst semesters I have ever had for a lot of reasons however, this past semester was so much better! I do not think it was by accident that I was placed in her classroom. I'm looking forward to another great semester and this time I will be in the classroom five days a week! The only thing I am worried about is getting up at 5:45 a.m. five days in a row! : ) Most student teachers come in during the spring but I'm looking forward doing mine during the fall. I think it will be interesting to see how the first week of school goes!Any tips about the first day/week of school from any teacher bloggers out there? Or do you have any tips on student teaching in general?
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25 comments:
How exciting...My son is going into 1st grade and he is super excited. You will do great!
I'm so glad you found my blog.
Thank you for your sweet prayers for my Mamaw! She's at home and doing really good. I'm taking her to the beauty shop today! :) (that'll make any woman feel better)
I'm an education major too. (special ed) and I LOVE it!! I hope you have an awesome student teaching experience.
Your blog is adorable!
Yeah! So exciting. The whole first week is complete chaos. Know that no one really knows what they are doing. The teachers are nervous. The kids are nervous. You will all survive!
I student taught in the fall and it was the best. There is so much going on in the fall with the kiddos. I loved seeing how my mentor started the year off. I learned so much that first week of school than in all of my years in college.
Don't forget to read Anna Meagan to them. It's the Aggie Cinderella story by Cindy Boettcher. It's a great way for them to learn about you.
AND a BIG OMG, I cannot believe you have never had tijuana fries at Chicken Oil. You can't graduate until you do. Sorry one more requirement before you graduate, HA!!
I second the comment above me and 1st graders are amazing to work with! If you haven't had a chance yet, go pick up Harry's Wong's book. Good luck! You will be a fabulous student teacher!
You will do great! I know a lot of girls love student teaching in the fall because then you can see what it's like getting the classroom started in the beginning and you aren't just kind of thrown in during the middle of the year with the Spring semester.
Set the boundaries from the start, be strict but not mean, use humor (in a 1st grade silly way), and they will love you. Rules keep kids feeling secure, even though to us they seem overwhelming. Kids LOVE my class bc I stick to my guns, but I'm funny and silly with them. They know I'm there to protect them (ie: no bullying, etc)...so it works out well.
Have fun!
ps: you can do a little fun "about me" something or other...make something (a poster with pictures) or something that explains who you are...they will feel connected to you from the start.
I student taught in the fall and loved it! I was bummed because we started student teaching 2 weeks after the kiddos were back in school so I missed that! First grade will be a lot fun...but it's a lot of adjustment the first month for the kids. They aren't really used to going to school all day and some of them hit a wall after lunch. Fall is also really fun because you get to do a lot of the holidays with the kiddos!
How exciting!! You're so lucky to get to see the start of the school year! I agree with Katie, set those boundaries and remember to smile and laugh. Your tone always sets the tone of the classroom!! Can't wait to read about your experiences!
Oh, I love the first week of school! Always have! My tips?
Spend time getting organized so you are familiar with everything.
Then, keep the kids on a tight schedule, so that they learn the rules and schedule quickly. It makes them more secure.
Lastly, build in some team-building, fun, sharing activities into your first week's lessons. It helps the kids break the ice and get comfy and ready to learn.
I'm not a teacher but both of my parents were and although my degree is in Psychology, my husband and I have decided to homeschool our future children, so I do love to teach! :) The only advice I would probably give is organization and patience! But I think you will be a super cute teacher and your kids are going to LOVE you! :)
1st grade is awesome! I think student teaching in the fall will be great for all the reasons others have mentioned. Also some great suggestions too! I would also recommend the Harry Wong book too!
That's awesome and SO exciting!!!! :-) Way to go, girl!
I have taught 1st grade. It is awesome. It is such an important grade. Look for great ice breaker activities to do. The kids love the getting to know you stuff. They love to be read to. You will see them really take off and grow in this grade!
Ahhh, Emma will be in the first grade! I wish you could be her teacher! You will do great, just be yourself! I can't wait to hear how it goes.
first week of school is crazy! You basically make sure the kiddies survive, get to lunch, and get on the right bus! haha a lot of repeating yourself! haha
You will LOVE 1st grade! I student taught in the fall too--I loved it! The first week is crazy! Just make sure your students know how they get home and start establishing your expectations! Good luck! I know you will do great!
You are going to have a blast with all those 1st graders! Good luck this semester :)!
Girl, did you forget we went to the same University?! =) I LOOVVEED student teaching; and I know you will too! It seems like a lot of people have left some good advice! My advice would be to take charge and be confident! My mentor teacher was so impressed by how I didn't hesitate to do something, and that I wasn't scared to get up there, and ask for her feedback.
Since I student taught in the fall, I also asked to go to some of the workshops with the staff before school started, and that was awesome because I got to know the other staff members really well, and I was on the same page as the other teachers. Make sure you're up there a few days the week before school starts when they're getting their rooms ready, go to meet the teacher, and just get everything out of it possible. =)
Good luck!
Last semester I did my student teaching and I am beginning my first year in a few weeks! Take it all in it goes by way to fast! And remember there is no such thing as a mistake it is a lesson learned! Let me know if you need anything!
I subbed 2 years ago on the first Friday of school and it was such a great experience. Are you going to get to help set up the room and everything? I know that is the most useful thing that I have been able to help with because I know that otherwise during the first year I would be lost. I am anxiously awaiting my student teaching this spring! Do you start on their first day of school?
Very exciting...loved finding your blog...
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I agree with the blogger who mentioned the little "about me" time on the first day.. Last year when I student taught my teacher did one and then allowed me to do one. It really shows the kids you do have a life and you don't just live at school 24/7! Student teaching in a different state then the one I'm from gave my students at the time a chance to see new things.. For example the beach is important to me so I brought in seashells and many students had never seen/held them before! Passing around photos is also fun - they seem to LOVE getting to know you personally!
I also attended the teacher workshops the week before school and it really allows you to get to know the school/staff/expectations etc. so I suggest doing that if possible!
You will be GREAT and have so much fun in the classroom! :)
You are going to make one fantastic teacher!!!
Yay! Congrats! I student taught in first grade, as well. Doing it in the fall will be so much better because you will know what to expect during the first of school when you have your own class.
Tips...
Don't stress. It will be chaos the first week (or weeks of school) but it always gets better.
Use positive discipline. Be nice, but firm. Not mean. I like to give my kiddos a choice. Meaning YOU pick their choices. That way you guide them, but they still have the ability to learn independence. Praise positive behavior. Don't give all your attention to the bad behaviors. Then kids like to be bad to get the attention. (Which of course is so easy to say and hard to do in real life! Believe me!)
Consistency is SO important. Whatever you do, stick with it.
Don't make empty threats! Kids will never believe you if do. So, if you say I'm gonna do this, if you do that. Then do it.
Make copies and take notes of everything that your lead teacher does. I went through my teacher's whole filing cabinet (with permission) and made copies of everything. Also, take pics so you will remember great ideas!
Have fun! You'll love it! Can't wait to hear about it! I'm starting at a new school in Kindergarten this year, so I'm just as nervous as you! But I always get nervous, every year!
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