by Chuy Dominguez, Student Reporter
It’s surprising how many people aren’t sure of the role a student teacher has in the classroom. What precisely is it that they do? What responsibilities do they have? Do they get paid? The list continues.
Here, we look to address as many of these questions as possible, by assessing in greater depth a student teacher’s position as a staff member.
Others don’t know what a student teacher was or why they even need to do it. Being a student teacher normally indicates that you are an individual studying at college or graduate level.
Student teachers do not manage classes on their own at first, but rather under the supervision of a qualified professional. The experienced teacher normally makes notes of some description relating to the student’s performance along the way, which are submitted to their tutor at the end of the work placement.
The placement process normally allocates the student teacher to a class containing pupils who are studying the subject that they wish to teach upon their qualification.
They may also be matched to an age group they would like to work with; preschool, elementary and secondary are the main choices for this, but the final decision depends on availability and acceptance by the host school at the time of subscription.
The influences in your life can really affect anyone’s career interest. But for Katelyn Pierce, one of many student teachers for NWOSU, said that her third grade teacher, Mrs. Halderman, has influenced her greatly.
“She influenced me by being such a role model for myself and for almost every student in my class and in the school,” Pierce said. “She teaches with so much love and passion for her students. Her classroom always had a warm home-y feel to it that made you feel comfortable and ready to learn. I want my future students to feel that way in my classroom.”
It is such a wonderful feeling to have knowing your teacher is the place you can go in and de-stress.
Many don’t actually know that the student teachers don’t get paid.
“The student teaching semester is equivalent to an unpaid internship, with the emphasis on gaining experience in the classroom before someone goes out on their own,” Pierce said.
As the end of their stay continues to come closer, the student teacher’s list of responsibilities will persistently expand.
Ultimately, they will begin to plan lessons and carry them off without supervision of such a high intensity as was insisted upon in the beginning. Lesson plans will be stored as part of their records, and later marked on their detail, purpose and impact.