Mrs. Cahill and I are back for Part 2 of 5 of our series on co-teaching! If you are starting off the year with a student teacher, this series is great for you! We would especially love lots of comments and feedback about what other fabulous {and experienced!!} teachers have done when receiving or becoming a student teacher.
During these two weeks, I taught all of the lessons but would have Martina teach mini-lessons or work with kiddos one on one during independent work time. I taught her to do DRAs/ Fountais and Pinnell’s Reading Assessments and she began doing some of these during Reader’s Workshop. The students got comfortable referring to both of us when they had questions. We began to get comfortable working as a team. She was still so nervous getting up in front of the classroom! But she got better and better every time! And what better way to get comfortable than standing in front of 20-something kiddos? Slowly she gained more and more responsibility. {From leading small groups to leading morning meeting!} The kids loved her! And I loved her! She began to learn classroom routines, expectations, and create her own teaching style. She already had my trust as a friend, but she began to gain my trust as an educator as well. There’s a big difference! I don’t know how you know when it happens, but you know.
As much as I *love* and *trust* Martina, when it came time to leave the classroom altogether, it was not easy. Once she was teaching every subject, I had agreed to leave her in the classroom ALONE for two-four full weeks. Easier said than done.
Those four weeks were hard on both of us for so many different reasons. Martina was used to having another body in the classroom so management was all of a sudden more challenging. Things that were easy with two teachers {such as running to make copies real quick} was all of a sudden not an option! I had to step back. I had to learn about working with other teachers, staying away from my classroom, and trusting that Martina had it {which she did!} Martina grew and I grew as well. Don’t we all learn best when we do? Rather than just listening or watching? Well, Martina was learning. Fast! And I learned that I was much more of a control freak than I had ever known 🙂
 |
| A nice little reminder I saw this weekend 🙂 |
Mine and Martina’s struggles had gone unnoticed by our 5th graders! Martina continued to lead Morning Meeting and be a huge part of the classroom! {But more on that next week!} And I stepped back in and it was as if I had never left. I learned that sometimes it’s best to step back and allow someone else to take on some responsibility. Having Martina in our classroom allowed me to notice things that I would have been too absorbed to notice while teaching. She made me such a better teacher!
Having a student teacher is such a responsibility. It seems great but is so scary and intimidating too! I really loved and trusted Martina but still worried about handing my classroom over to someone else. But I knew I had to. How else will newbie teachers learn? We’ve all been there! And I know my classroom was better for it. I also know that Martina and I are better teachers for it.
 |
| The 5th grade way of saying, “You are awesome! You, you, are awesome!!! Yayyyy!” |
How do other teachers out there handle receiving a student teacher? How have student teachers taken responsibility in the classroom? What’s the best thing your mentor teacher or student teacher has done for you?
Go check out Martina’s thoughts on Starting off the Year on her Blog, The Hungry Teacher!
 |
| Thank you Beth for this super cute graphic!! |
