A Book for CTs

For All Middle School Cooperating Teachers

Chapter 1 : How to Make Your Student Teacher Comfortable in Your Classroom

           

            This chapter discusses ways you can make your student teacher comfortable in your classroom. It is important that your student teacher feel comfortable in your classroom, because they will be spending an entire semester in it with you and your students. This chapter includes special reminders (middle school student teachers go between two classrooms and cold be new to the building, and they have no claim to space within the building) and how to ensure that these things do not negatively affect your student teacher. Also included in this chapter are ideas on how to make space for your student teacher, even if it is a tiny space. Remember your student teacher will need a tiny place to call home. It will keep them from going insane over the semester. 

Chapter 2 : Five Things Your Student Teacher is Wondering but Afraid to Ask You

           

            This chapter discusses the five questions that will be weighing heavily on the mind of your student teacher in the first week. It is recommended that you consider these five questions and come up with answers in advance for your incoming student teacher. The answers to these questions will ensure the success of your student teacher. The questions discussed in this chapter are: 1. What do I do during passing periods? 2. What authority do I really have? 3. What are the steps for misbehaving behavior, and how do I complete them. 4. What days are there mandatory meetings before or after school? 5. What activities need extra supervision? In this chapter are some examples on how to answer these questions in a beneficial way for your student teacher.

Chapter 3 : Making Semester and Unit Plans with Your Student Teacher

            This chapter discusses how to make semester and unit plans with your student teacher. The most important thing to remember is that your student teacher has most likely never been expected to plan something for more than a week. This chapter gives suggestions on how to make your student teacher a great planner. In this chapter will ask you to show your student pacing guides, current systems, especially organization systems, already in place in your classroom, and how you plan out for units within a semester and plan for the semester. This chapter also heavily recommends that you help and ask your student teacher to try out different organizational systems throughout the semester to find one that suits him or her best. The chapter offers several organizational strategies.

           

Chapter 4 : Frustrations Your Student Teacher Will Have

           

            This chapter is a reminder that your student teacher has a life outside of your classroom. Above all else, this chapter asks you to never belittle your student teacher, because he or she is not as timely or as put together as you are. Remember your student teacher has outside responsibilities attached to whether or not they will graduate, that is atypical for a teacher. This chapter gives you some ideas of the frustrations your student teacher will be facing outside of your classroom and how to deal with these frustrations: not having his or her own room, writing a KPTP, taking night classes, meeting graduation and licensure requirements, and completing homework for their night classes. Please keep these things in mind for the semester with your student teacher. It will help your student teacher if you understand what is going on in his or her life.

Chapter 5 : Advice to Live By

           

            This chapter reminds you that you have a wealth of knowledge that can seem to you as everyday knowledge. Remember, your student teacher has not taught before for a consistent and long period of time. This chapter helps you understand the small things that can make a big difference in the life of your student teacher. Remember it took you years to figure out these small things, and your student teacher would appreciate and remember these small pieces of advice above all else. Things that this chapter suggests you explain to your student teacher are, why you do this or not that (for your big and small decisions), how you research for materials, good materials and sources you already have, and most importantly what have your past students struggled with the most in the past? Some of this information can only be gained after a few years of teaching, and so it truly is invaluable to your student teacher.