Letter to Future Student Teachers
Hi Everyone,
As stated in the email, I would like you to make one last post to the Blog. This will give us something to share with students who are following in your footsteps or interested in learning more about overseas student teaching. Please write a letter telling the reader what you wish you had known before your got to your site, what you learned and what advise you have for anyone considering overseas student teaching.
posted by Chris @ 1:41 PM
7 comments
7 Comments:
Dear Future Student Teacher,
First of all, I would like to say that I highly advise student teaching overseas if you are at all interested. I’ve been able to teach a colorful and unique class, while working with an interesting staff and exploring Europe. Working with children of military personal has opened my eyes to a lifestyle that so many of those in our country live daily. The children have lived truly unique lives and bring perspectives that I had not encountered before, such as living part of their childhood with a parent deployed. Mention the words Iraq or Afghanistan in one of these classes and every hand will shoot up with a story to tell. All that being said, not all of the children come from the same family background. Some of the children come from families that place a priority on education, some come from families where their parents or guardians will be in the classroom frequently and some come from families where the parents are not supportive of their students learning.
There are several things I wish I’d known before student teaching, most can be learned along the way, but I think it’s helpful to hear a few up front. First, appear confident and stern from day one. Set the boundaries early. Even though you are not the primary teacher yet, you want the students to see you and respect you as one beginning the first day of school. During my first few weeks of school I took a back seat and watched my mentor teacher and did not assert myself in front of the students. By the time I took over teaching, the students had no respect for me and I spent a lot of hard weeks gaining it. After a while the students begin to show respect and I was able to show my more loving, goofy side.
Another thing I wish I’d known was to bring some of my textbooks and materials. I didn’t bring any with me in an effort to keep my bag light. I can’t tell you how many times through out the semester I wanted to use a lesson out of a textbook and spent forever online trying to find what it was. If you can spare the space, I would highly recommend finding one or two of your favorite teaching resources to bring over.
As I have student taught I have learned countless lessons. The first lesson I learned is that positive words have a better impact than negative words. I taught in a particularly rowdy class and spent several weeks trying to figure out how to make some order. I had to be strict about boundaries in my class, but I felt like I’d turned into a negative person constantly telling the students what not to do. A few of the students even became more disruptive once they were given attention for their negative behaviors. One day I decided to shower the class with positive compliments and see what happened. The class was completely different. The students love the positive attention and I felt better being a more positive attention. The students soon started testing the limits again, but management was easier and more positive once I started focusing on the right behaviors.
Another lesson I learned during my time student teaching is to take it one day at a time with the big picture in mind. I stepped in wanting to know exactly what I would teach every day from week 1 to week 16. The first unit I taught I planned out every day in detail. After the first lesson I realized the class needed to go a different direction and had to take an eraser to all my planning. This was a common occurrence in my class. Over time I learned that planning worked best if I formed a general idea of what needed to be accomplished over the course of the unit and then planned in detail a couple or few days at a time.
As far as advice goes I’d say, be confident and if you’re not, pretend like you are. Don’t be afraid of the negative things that happen because this is a rare time in teaching when you are able to watch how a teacher with experience handles the situation. Also, be positive, creative, patient and don’t worry. Student teaching may seem overwhelming, but take it one day at a time and it’s not so bad. There are wonderful days, where I’ve felt like a million bucks leaving at the end of the days and terrible days where I cried at night not wanting to go back, but don’t give up. Student teaching is a learning experience and the good times have generally outweighed the bad.
Good luck,
Kelsi
Dear Future Student Teacher,
Teaching overseas is a great opporutnity in a million different ways. Both the teaching experiences and the life experiences will come in handy as you pursue your career.
While over in Germany, I've had the opportunity to work in a solid high school that is full of school pride and is active in the community. It has provided a great example of how important it is to be active in your community. I would urge you, while you're in your placement, to get involved in the community somehow. It may be as simple as attending sporting events, school plays, and community events. It might be as complex as volunteering to help coach. Either way, it demonstrates to the students that you care about them as people, not just as students.
I would also recommend that you get out and experience everything that you can. Especially within the school, don't become too focused on what you're doing in your classroom. Go and observe other teachers, other departments, and even other grade levels!
Use your resources of your vice principal, special education teachers, and principal. All of these people are there as a support for you. It has been amazing just how supportive they've been in helping me to deal with issues, concerns, and making accomodations for my students. I for some reason knew that my mentor teacher was there to help me out, it just didn't really occur to me to be asking my vice principal for help or the special education department. However, when I would bring concerns or issues up to my mentor, my mentor was just relaying the information to those other parties. So when you're comfortable, instead of going through your mentor teacher, include your mentor in on the emails so he/she knows what is going on in the classroom but go ahead and just email the other parties directly.
Take ownership and pride in your work. If you are continually under the idea that you are in "someone else's classroom" you'll never fully get comfortable. You'll always need to respect that it is someone else's classroom. However, make it yours too! Work with your mentor about slowly changing things or incorporating things that allow you more freedom in your style and personality. I sometimes get into the mistake of calling the classes "mine" and have to correct that and inlude "and _________". It's been good though, the kids respect me for that and it is probably one of the keys to why I'm confortable.
Remember to command respect of the students. The way you do it might be different than mind. Keep in mind, it doesn't mean standing in front and saying "You will respect me." However, do command it in the way you treat them and how you expect to be treated. Be involved in their classwork, their lives, and their progress from day one. You are an adult and deserve the same respect as their school assigned teacher. Remember to respect them too.
The kids will push your buttons. They'll do it because they can. You're young and new and they know it. They'll see how much they can get away with and how far they can push you. I had one class try to get me to yell at them. I haven't given them that satisfaction. This is also the class that wants to see me go the least.
Also, the consequences on a military base are very different than they are back in the states and so in some areas, the students will push as far as they can knowing that the consequence is not that bad. Still, for other students, you will see the military discipline and they will be very well behaved. Not only is their behavior impacted by their home discipline or the strictness of consequences, it is impacted by things at home just like in the states. Keep in mind, these students are used to moving and transitioning. They are constantly meeting new people and saying goodbye to others. Some handle it better than others and you will see that impact their work and their behavior. Remember to have patience as their lives are being impacted by absent parents or parents who are returning from a assignment. However, still hold high expectations of your students. They will rise to the occasion. They just might need a bit of extra time to get there.
Take in the experience. Constantly reflect on your teaching, your style, your management and your interactions. You will be your roughest critic, but you'll also learn the most from spotting your own flaws and fixing them. Take the criticism from your mentor lightly, but try their suggestions. It may or may not work for you, but they're only offering the suggestions to help you. Even if you feel like it's a silly idea, you'll might just be amazed at how well it might work. Everything is worth a shot at least once, if not more than once.
Lastly, if you don't have a good day, pick yourself up. Dust yourself off. Try again. Just as you are going to have off days, so will your students. I don't know if there is such a thing as a perfect day. However, if you can roll with the punches and not let an "I don't like you", "you're not a good teacher" or "you should do this better" comment get you down, then you're going to be just fine.
Good luck with your placement! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Don't forget to go out and see the rest of the world while you have the chance!
Sincerely,
Talitha
Dear Future Student Teacher,
You have come to a crossroads in your preparation for becoming a teacher. You can student teach in your hometown full of family, friends, and familiarity, or you can student teach overseas full of strangers and the unknown. To me it seems obvious, stay at home and be surrounded by the things you know. Well, I decided to take a chance and go with the unknown of student teaching overseas. When the reality of my decision kicked in and it was getting closer to me leaving the comfort of everything I know, I was terrified. What had I done? This is not me, I don’t just hop on a plane and live in a foreign country for four months. Now that I have been here for those four months, however, I have realized that this is me. This experience has changed my life and is one that I would not change for anything.
Before I left home and when I arrived in Germany I had absolutely no idea what to expect. I had been given a little information on what to do and what to expect, but quite frankly it was no help. Here are some things that would have been helpful when preparing for my time here as well as when I arrived. When packing remember that you will be here for two seasons, winter and spring or fall. Winter here is cold and because you will be walking everywhere, I would recommend bringing boots and warm clothes. T-shirts will be sufficient for other weather. Also, do not over pack. There are sheets and towels at the apartment and anything you need that you have not brought can be bought at on post. As far as the apartment goes, it is an 8 bedroom apartment shared by men and women. There is a kitchen, toilet room, shower room, living/dining room, and bedrooms. Have a roommate meeting early on to establish rules. Believe me, things can go horribly wrong if this is done. You can get Internet and phone set up so don’t worry about lack of communication with family and friends.
Travel overseas is very convenient and fairly cheap. Become familiar with the train system early on as you will most likely be using it regularly. Take every opportunity to travel and take it all in. This is an amazing experience that you may not have again.
As much fun as traveling can be, keep in mind that you need to balance it with your student teaching responsibilities as well as the responsibilities coming from WSU. There is a great deal of work that goes into this experience and it is very easy to become overwhelmed quickly. The most important thing to do is plan ahead and make sure you have sufficient time for everything.
Student teaching for DODOS is a unique experience. The students who will be in your classroom are going through something that most kids never have to go through. They move every couple of years and for the majority of their childhood, one or both of their parents are deployed and put into a life-threatening situation. Be prepared to have a wide range of behavioral and emotional problems and be ready and willing to do what you can for these students.
This will be the hardest thing you have ever done, but also the most rewarding. My advice to you is to take in and enjoy every moment of this experience. You are going to go through a lot while you are here, personally and professionally. Whether you know it or not this experience will change you. Be flexible, reasonable, loving, and patient…that goes for your time at school and time with your roommates. J Plan ahead, work hard, and have fun. This is your time to find out who you are as a teacher, and believe me, you will find out! Enjoy every moment of this experience because it goes by too quickly.
Sincerely,
Fiona
Hello Student Teacher,
You are about to embark on the most amazing experience of your life, and you are so lucky to be coming over here and being immersed in this culture. What are some things I would have liked to know before I got here? Well…sensing that I really had no information besides the name of a teacher that I would be teaching with and a plane ticket, I wanted to know pretty much everything. Me, not being from a military family, I didn’t quite understand that they really don't give you a lot of information until you arrive. All I wanted to know was where am I living, and how much is it going to cost? I think I prepared well for the trip over here. Everything that you don't have you can buy on base, or most of the DODDS teachers are willing to supply you with. The teachers have made this experience for me without a doubt. They have served as my supports system when mine was at home. They gave me a Thanksgiving dinner, many laughs, and strong friendships.
If there was one thing I learned from this whole experience and all my trials and errors was have an open mind. Don't ever go into this experience with a closed mind, try to be positive about the experience you are having. Because I guarantee in a few years you will look back and remember how great of experience this was, and not the fact that you were sharing a four bedroom apartment with eight individuals.
Pack light! That is my biggest words of advice for you. I know it may be hard for some of you girls, but let me tell you I never ran out of clothes to wear, or deodorant. America is a lot like Germany, you can buy clothes and other important things easily. The one thing I have not been able to find, for those of you germ freaks like myself, is airborne. Might be a good idea to stock up on that before you leave. If I could prepare you for the differences in Germany I would say enjoy tap water at restaurants because you are not getting it over in Deutschland. Also, those of you that like to eat fast will have to slow down and take a breathe. Usually dinners in Germany last 2-3 hours depending on the evening. If you don't have the time don't go into a nice sit down restaurant.
About student teaching... don't expect to have any sort of life when you are student teaching, I didn't. Between grading, preparing lessons, and coaching, I was so busy that I worked from about 8am-8pm most days. Also, I would say to jump into teaching the classroom as soon as possible. I taught the second day and was very pleased with my progress as a teacher, I came a long ways. I think by taking the classroom over right away I benefited greatly. I think if you wait too long to take this authority in the classroom that it is difficult to accomplish. I had a full semester with my students and I loved every minute of it.
Good luck all! I am jealous that you are just getting ready to have this experience, what I wouldn't give to have this same experience again, minus the not getting paid part.
Respectfully,
Ms. Amber Keith
Before coming overseas for student teaching, I wish I’d known just how modest the housing situation would be. Although sharing a four bedroom room , 1.5 bathroom apartment with 7 other people was actually enjoyable for me (I never had roommates prior), it might be too crowded and chaotic for some people. Luckily, roommates were mostly supportive of one another’s lifestyles and were respectful with regards to cleanliness, “the shower schedule” and being quiet at a reasonable hour. I also wish I’d known just how close I would live to my students. I had one student live across the hall and another living directly above me. Whenever I went to the store, the gym, or anywhere on base (and even off) I would typically see at least one student. I usually enjoyed seeing my students outside the classroom (and letting them see me, too) but it requires a lot of maturity and wise decision making on the part of the student teacher. Finally, it would have been interesting to know that much of the community is surprisingly liberal and that many of my students are not even affiliated with the military in any way.
What I learned most from this experience is that student teaching doesn’t have to be a scary or miserable rite of passage. I also learned that it’s important to have the kids “buy into” your class and you as a teacher. The more invested the students are in your class, the more they will cooperate with you and make teaching less challenging and more fun. In the classes where students did not see as much of the “fun” side of my teaching (often because they abused privileges), students don’t volunteer answers or laugh at my jokes as much. Students who could have been leaders in the class either “check out” or use their leadership negatively. I also learned how much of a difference it can make if you have a great relationship with your mentor teacher. My mentor teachers is actually one of the best friend’s I’ve ever had, which I never would have expected. Because of this, I was better able to absorb her teaching advice and work collaboratively with her. Because we often think in very similar ways, we were very supportive of one another.
My advice to people who are considering student teaching overseas is to do it, even if they are afraid (but they shouldn’t be). The kids come to the class with unique life experiences, most of them have traveled extensively and there is a wide range of SES and racial diversity that is not found in many districts in WA. Also, the teachers and the community are outstandingly supportive and hospitable. I think that this is mainly due to the fact that they, too, remember what it is like to be in a strange new place, so they will do almost anything to make sure you are comfortable and welcome. It is also really wonderful to live with other teachers because they help you stay motivated and they inspire you to work your hardest—and they can give you advice and ideas for your own teaching. Finally, the travel and personal growth opportunities are un-matched. Never again in your life can you be a 60 minute plane ride away from major cities like Rome, Paris, and London. You also grow a lot as a person because being a foreigner who is not fluent in the language and cultural customs requires you to be hyper-aware of your surroundings and extremely respectful and pleasant to the locals. Basically, many of the things you typically do with ease at home are a little bit more difficult in a new country because you are not always familiar with things like currency, language, transportation, and other cultural stuff.
Hi Student Teacher!
You are in for a treat! This WILL be the most amazing, challenging and rewarding experience of your life to date. Until this trip, I had never been out of the United States and yes, that includes Mexico and Canada. I actually haven’t even been east of the Mississippi either. So coming to Germany was such a culture shock! However this is something that I and soon you, will never regret.
Coming here, I really did not know much. But, you learn quickly, kind of like survival of the fittest. First off, get to know your culture. Germany is in many ways like the United States but also very different. For example, don’t expect a quick get in there and go dinner. This process is meant to be relaxing and can take 2 to 4 hours. Also note that you won’t get tap water at the start of a meal. In fact, you will most likely pay 3 to 4 Euros for a water. It’s literally cheaper to get a beer.
One pass that I really recommend you looking into is a bus pass. It’s €2.10 and can add up. There is a free shuttle that takes you from base to base if needed, but those times are often not convenient and waling the 20-30 minutes to the bus stop is well worth it. We never got a pass or looked into one, but it is one regret we all had.
There are several great resources you should know if you plan on traveling at all. One is bahn.de, this is the German railway website and you can purchase tickets as well as look up pricing on this site. Although most people fly from destination to destination, the train is often cheaper and more scenic despite the length of time traveled. Also, if you want to make a short trip with a group of people (up to 5) try looking up the Happy Weekend Pass. This pass enables you travel within a 24 hour period to a nearby town in your region and its only €35 total!
Ryanair.com is another great website. This airline can get you to where you want to go pretty cheaply. However, beware of hidden charges. Checked bags cost, transportation to and from the airport cost (the airports are often not near the city) and there are often high taxes. Regardless, you can find some pretty amazing deals that get you to your destination quickly, saving time.
Lastly, when you are trying to find lodging in the city you are traveling to, try hostelworld.com. Don’t get a hotel, they’re too expensive. Just deal and get a hostel. If you have a large group you can all get in the same room or you can even get a single or double room for a little more. If you hate the idea of a hostel, try IBIS, they are a basic hotel chain that is in every city. Not too expensive but more so than a hostel.
Now to student teaching itself; you will never have a more rewarding experience. It has the power to help you determine that big question “Do I really want to be a teacher?” With a good cooperating teacher, you have the ability to answer this burning question and find who you really are in the teaching world. Take advantage of your teacher’s knowledge. You can learn so much from them, soak in everything!
Be organized. Especially when you are wanting to start completing your assignments for WSU. Keep a notebook full of everything you want to take with as well as save anything you can online. It would be better to save computer copies since they are easier to transport than hard copies. Keep your computer files organized too. Keep a folder for Math, Science, etc.
Start your assignments early! Plan ahead! If you leave it for the last minute, it will bite you. Get your student samples early, you won’t believe how hard they are to get back once they’ve gone home. If you have a general idea of how you want to accomplish all of your required work you will be fine. Also, ASK QUESTIONS! No, they are not annoyed with you, I already asked. If you don’t understand, keep asking. Get as much information as you can handle!
Last but not least, enjoy yourself. Ignore the exchange rate; it will only make you worry. Don’t pass up a chance to travel, even if it’s a local festival 5 minutes away. This is a once in a lifetime experience. Don’t stay at home on the weekends worrying about school. Get it done during the week and enjoy your weekends. Plan ahead and you’ll be fine.
Enjoy your time in Germany, I know you will.
Kacie (Ms.Bingham)
Dear Student teacher,
The first and formost thing that i would say to you is that this will be one of the best expereinces of your life, you will be challenged,some times discourages, but in the end you will grow imesureably. You have made the right decision to do your student teaching overseas and it is something that you will love.
On the academic side i would offer you the same advice in the overseas teaching as i would in any other, stick to what you know. The students over here are very similar to students in America, they do have differnt expereinces and pressures but at heart they are just kids. So stick to your educational philosphpy. In my case i always try to reemmber three things. Know your stuff, be an advocate to your students, and enjoy yourself. The knowledge thing is pretty clear. If you do not know you stuff at this point you are in the wrong profession but when the time comes, your solid understanding of the material should carry you. Do not be afriad to tell a student you do not know something, but always be willing to find the answer. Being an advocate for your students can be tricky. It also goes along with mnowing your students. In order to teach them you have to have some sort of credability. This is something that you have to develope over a couple weeks. It can be done in many differnt ways, bnut for me it came from talking to them. During homebase or seminar talk to the students, ask them about themselves and be willing to share things about yourself. THis can be tough to do but it will bring out the best in them. On the flip side you have to remember that students are students and they are first and foremost there to learn, so do not allow yourself to be overwhelmed with being their friends. The main thing is to be fair with all of the students. it is ok to have a great relationship with them, even a loose relationship where you joke, but before this can happen you must estabolish certain boundaris. This like other things will be done naturally over time.
A last note from the school perspective is to be flexible. You will be asked to do alot of things some of which may be wierd to you. Do them, and do them wtih a smile. The schools are looking for team players so take every opportunity to show that you are a team player. It is also a good opportunity to really jump into the communirty. Many of these schools are centered around the school and the teachers are very close. Showing them that you are willing to help makes it more likely that they will be willing to help you when the time comes.
LAstly remember to have fun. Of courese your work comes first b ut when that is done kick back and take every opportunity. Travel with your fellow student teachers and try to do everything that comes in front of you. That is the essece of this expereince. If you are coming here to talk on the phone and hang out in your dorm room there is no point in coming. The expereincce of student teaching abrouad is one of self discovery and this happens through new expereincces.
Well i hope these words help you in some way. The thing to remember is that you are ready for this. Simply the fact that you are willing to student teach thousands of miles away from home says something about you. Welcome the challenges and the opportunitis and savor the moments. It is gone before you know it but the memories are forever.
Best of Luck
Colin Donovan
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