Last week’s chat with incoming student teacher Heath started me thinking about my own teacher training experience. Today, I’m chatting about my student teaching assignment (yes, all those many, many years ago) and sharing a bit of unconventional advice for our newest crop of student teachers:
Click here to read last week’s email exchange with Heath:
https://laurarandazzo.com/2018/06/16/advice-for-a-visually-impaired-teacher/
Teach on, everyone!
Laura! What a fun video! As I was watching it. I too was reflecting on my student teaching experience. I am still in contact with my mentor teacher and I love her!! This year, I am working as a student teacher mentor. (Yay!) I am so nervous. I want to do her justice and give her the best experience possible. What advice do you have for mentors…? Also, isn’t Boise beautiful in the summer? I was just there this past week and as always, I just fell in love (again!). Thanks for being so awesome! – Nikki
Thanks for checking in with me, Nikki! Indeed, Boise is gorgeous all year long, but I’m especially in love with this mild summer we’re enjoying. Now, my advice for you as a mentor could probably fill an entirely separate video (hey, you just gave me an idea!), but for now I’ll just encourage you to try to learn as much from that young teacher as you give to him/her. These kids are young (yes, they all look like kids to me) and they’re brimming with ideas but not necessarily the confidence to share them. Pull those ideas out of ’em!
One of my biggest struggles is letting go of my classes, so (after an appropriate introductory period, of course) I’ve found that it’s better for me to physically leave the room sometimes. The new teacher won’t do things the same way that you and I do them and that…okay. Really. It’s okay. That’s one of my biggest struggles, for sure.
Let me chew on this some more. I may well turn this idea seed into a full blog post in the near-future. Thanks for reading and commenting – and mentoring our newest folks! 🙂