Practical Suggestions For Successful Cooperating Teachers
Provide space for student teacher, preferably not directly in front of the students.
Acquaint them with administrative regulations; emphasize those which they are responsible for following. (e.g. school beginning-ending times, duties, forms)
Assign immediate responsibilities as morning routine paper work.
Work out a schedule together with the student teacher and college supervisor that shows progression for assuming the teaching load.
Establish reasonable expectations and clearly state the kind of assistance you expect from the student teacher.
Give criticism in a positive manner. Confer regularly with the college supervisor regarding the student teacher's progress.
Permit the student teacher the opportunity to make honest mistakes and learn from them.
Allow the student teacher to attempt instructional strategies and procedures which may differ from your own.
Leave the classroom occasionally for brief periods of time to permit the student teacher to learn whether independence and authority in the classroom are being achieved.
Do not "get the class ready" when the student teacher is going to teach a lesson. Permit the student teaher to initiate the necessary awareness, direction and role as the institutional leader.
Try not to interrupt student teacher once instruction/activities has been started. Perhaps their directions, procedures, techniques are not the same as yours, but it would be best to permit them to work through the experience, then discuss their reasoning and your views. Sometimes, they can work out situations. If not, coach the student teacher to ensure better success in the future.
The only time a cooperating teacher must step in is when a class is so out of control so there is no positive learning climate and/or someone may be harmed. Try to do this without destroying the leadership role of the student teacher, if possible.
Plan at least one or two regular conference times per week. (Many other times will be spent in informal discussion.) Use this planned time for lesson plan review, evaluation of previous lessons, and problem areas which need attention.
Establish a co-teacher atmosphere with the student teacher. Assist them in exercising initiative so they do not have to ask your permission to do everything, especially in front of the pupils.
The college supervisor should be introduced to the class as another teacher from the College. Warning the pupils to be "good" for this visitor may hamper the effectiveness of the student teacher's role and give the supervisor a false sense of the student teacher's abilities.
Report unusual problems or serious deficiencies to the college supervisor as soon as possible. Write a full, consistent and candid recommendation and evaluation of your student teacher.
