Teaching Practice: Reflections Of A Cooperating Teacher

By Author: carling
Total Articles: 129

I finally had the opportunity that I had wanted for some time. After several years of experience in the classroom, I was offered the chance to work with a student teacher. My principal approached me midyear with a potential candidate from my alma mater, during a rare time when I was truly enjoying my work with every student. The chemistry I had with my classes was invigorating for me and for them, my supervisor had put several new titles that I had wanted to teach on our list of books, and I collaborated with a highly motivated, highly talented team of teachers. Despite these perfectly aligned factors, I felt that I could not pass up the opportunity I was being given.

I wanted to work with a student teacher for several reasons. I had just passed my ten-year anniversary as a teacher and recently completed certification for supervisory and administrative work. Having little experience supervising teachers, I thought it would be a great opportunity for me to work for an extended period with someone new to the field. In addition to the observations, I would be able to teach teaching, something I have felt more prepared to do in the past few years as my methods and pedagogy have matured. There were more selfish reasons, too. Locked into the classroom schedule, I never feel I have the time to write about, let alone think about, what I am doing. From speaking with other cooperating teachers, I expected that the experience would afford me the luxury of time for reflection. I would have a break from lesson planning, from grading stacks of papers, from the daily exhaustion that comes with harnessing the attention of restless eighth graders.

However, almost immediately after I agreed to the pairing, I began to question not only my decision but also the entire induction system that we have in place for new teachers. I considered, for instance, how random the matching of teachers and student teachers can be. Many times, administrators who are responsible for setting up the placement of student teachers know nothing more than what a transcript can tell. And while an administrator might know whether a cooperating teacher in the building has a decent track record, being a cooperating teacher requires a unique set of skills (as I later discovered), some of which are different from those of teaching a classroom of students. I thought back to my own student teaching and realized how lucky I was to have been placed with a woman who both taught me a great deal and gave me enough space to let me find myself as a teacher.When you meet hard-won treasure, would you leave no stone unturned to get it? For instance, Cartier Roadster Replica is known as made only for real man!The shortest answer is doing. Hurry to plunder these perfect Replica Cartier Roadster Stainless Steel White Dial SS Band.