#20 Meeting Student Teacher's First Level of Concern

Objectives:

Students will:

1. recognize/verbalize fears/anxieties facing beginning student teachers and explain how these might affect the confidence level of student teachers; and
2. develop strategies to alleviate these fears and thus raise their level of confidence prior to the student teaching experience.

Method:

Students will:

1. use the "pair-and-share" method to generate a list of fears/anxieties they have going into the student teaching experience. Pairs will combine lists to generate a class list.
2. role play a situation in which a new student teacher arrives at the classroom of his/her cooperating teacher for the first time. Class is already in session, and the cooperating teacher plays upon the student teacher's fears (worst-case scenario).
3. discuss ways to make the transition into the classroom smoother.
4. analyze the attached handout ("Can You Tell Me?...A Question Guide for Student Teachers") and explain how it may alleviate some of the fears generated in (A).

Information:

1. Students will recognize that perhaps the biggest fear faced by student teachers stems from their need to be respected and legitimized in the classroom by the students as well as by their cooperating teacher. They will further recognize that confidence, a prerequisite of this legitimization, is difficult to achieve without a thorough knowledge of the learning situation .
2. Students will learn practical ways to obtain the necessary knowledge base to enable them to increase their level of confidence prior to making their first classroom appearance.

Evaluation:

1. Students will be able to predict specific changes which would be likely to occur in the role playing scenario if an instrument such as the question guide were employed.
2. Students will generate their own question guides or adapt the attached guide.

" Can You Tell Me...? " - A Question Guide for Student Teachers

1. Where should I park? Do I need to sign in?
2. What is your schedule? Is your class self-contained?
3. How do you take attendance? What other classroom procedures are followed in your classroom?
4. What resources/supplies are available? (Instructional materials, audio-visual equipment, vis-a-vis, overheads, project supplies, etc.) Where do I get them? What procedures do I follow to get them? Is there a copy machine available?
5. Is there a computer lab available for the students? What software is available? Is there a computer available for my use?
6. Do you have a specialized Reading/Writing/Math program in place? If so, which one?
7. What are your expectations concerning my role in your classroom?
8. What is your timetable for me to begin teaching?
9. What is your classroom management system?
10. What is your philosophy of education?

Why I'd Like to Know (A Guide to the Guide)

1. Begin with the questions which are the easiest to answer. (They are also the ones you need to know before you can get TO the classroom!)

2-3. These are questions of logistics. The more familiar you are with the environment and routine BEFORE entering the classroom the more you can feel and project a sense of confidence and authority.

4-5. These questions will give you valuable information to help you begin preparing lesson plans. They will also help you save time later on when you are actually preparing and implementing the lessons.

6-8. These are important questions concerning your active role in the classroom. Knowing your cooperating teacher's answer to #7 will help make the transition smoother. Try not to let him/her get away with "I don't know" or "I don't have any." Everyone has some sort of expectations. Getting him/her to verbalize them will help open communication from the start. While the answer to #8 is somewhat determined by the university, teachers have different ways in which they feel comfortable making the transition.

9. Although you will quickly observe this in action, knowing this before you enter the room 1) puts you at an advantage with regard to students, and 2) may help offset misunderstandings later if there is a discrepancy between what (s)he espouses and what is actually practiced in the classroom. This is also the area in which most student teachers feel most insecure.

10. This knowledge will be very helpful in helping you assess the general tone of the classroom and give you a basis on which to make decisions on questions for which you do not have information.