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Dress is a big thing in helping you look (and feel) more like a teacher. I was told by a friend (also a teacher) to dress at least "one step up" from the students you'll be teaching. For example, we have casual Fridays at my school, but then we always wear a nice shirt or blazer with it to still look professional.
If your student teaching program was anything like mine, you'll probably spend at least the first week observing how the teacher runs the classroom. It's insane to expect you to arrive and jump in feet first! With our programs, it was observe for a week, then pick up one class, then another, until after a couple weeks, you're teaching the entire day. (I teach music, so when I was student teaching, I started teaching all the 3rd grade classes one week. The next week I taught the 3rd grades and the 1st grades. The next week I picked up another grade, and then another, until I taught the full class load.)
Don't be afraid to ask your cooperating teacher questions! The teachers I worked with were *very* willing to answer any questions I had, no matter how dumb I thought the questions were. Your cooperating teacher was once in your shoes, so s/he understands how you're feeling. Take advantage of the fact that s/he has years of experience and ideas. I "stole" so many ideas from my cooperating teacher, and even though she's been teaching 30 years, she's gotten ideas from me now as well. That exchange is so beneficial for both parties.
Good luck!
carry a messenger bag! i can't stress that enough. it looks so much more professional than a backpack. dress a little formal. nice pants suits or ensembles. when i started teaching 2 years ago (age 26) i got mistaken for a student all the time. other teachers were always stopping me as i went into the breakroom or mail room because i dressed very casual.
Remember that you are going to be their teacher, not their friend. This does not mean that you cannot be friendly with them, just that you should always bear in mind that your first goal is to teach them, not to be their buddy. If a student wants to talk, ask him or her to stop by at lunch. Do not give out your telephone number!
Secondly, make sure you set very clear guidelines and rules...and then STICK TO THEM! If they find that they can get you to change your mind, they will try to do it all the time. Make sure you work closely with your cooperating teacher on your rules/guidelines.
Finally, remember that it is okay to say "I don't know." When you do so, find out the answer as quickly as you can, and then come back to class with it. Students sense very quickly when a teacher is BS'ing them.
Don't get discouraged! Student teaching is a very difficult and trying time for most student teachers. You will have ups and downs, great days and horrible days...by the end of the assignment you will have a good idea if teaching is for you.
Good luck! I hope you have a good coopertaing teacher, one who will work with you closely without smothering you.
Speak with your cooperating teacher now. See if you can help set up the classroom, and ask about her/his classroom management style. Ask to see lesson plans from previous classes, so you'll have a feel for what the teacher will expect. Get a copy of the math texts and read them. Ask for a staff handbook and read the policies of the school. Also read the district policies. Find out how soon you will be in the lead teaching role. Take the time beforehand to observe the teacher and help students.
I would also join a professional organization that offers members prof. liability insurance as a benefit. If something were to happen, this will be your personal lifeline.
I also would like to stress the importance of dressing nicely and conservatively. If you don't want the wrong type of attention, you must project a confident teacher personallity.
I know it is a lot to take in, but learn all you can! When you get your first job, you will be given a key, shown where your room is, and then the rubber will meet the road.
P.S. If your coop. teacher isn't great, ask your college advisor for a change, or you will pay for it by picking up bad habits.
I am on my eleventh year of teaching and 8 years of it have been spent at the high school level. Here are a few skills you will need:
1. Take the time to talk to your master teacher and speak about classroom philosophies. Ask about the reasons for certain rules and observe closely how effective they are in the classroom. Don't hesitate to observe other classrooms when you have some downtime. Look for teachers that have good classroom management, no matter the subject they teach.
2. Listen to your students; they usually can give you insight on what works and what doesn't. If you have a good rapport with them, you will learn a lot about what really does work in a classroom. Don't try to be one them- you have to maintain the role of adult and show them how much you care by having boundaries. Set fair rules and stick to them for all- no exceptions.
3. Have a bag of tricks- you will have free time if you misplan or if a lesson doesn't take a whole period as planned. You must have many extra little activities that will enrich the learning and will fill the time, or you will run into unruly students.
4. Dress professionally. If you are comfortable in slacks and skirts, you are in good shape. Many schools have Friday school spirit days and you should invest in some appropriate school clothing. Wear comfortable shoes. You will be on your feet a lot and should constantly be moving about the room to monitor the kids. If they see you sitting still because you are wearing bad shoes, they will find ways to get into trouble.
5. Go to the school meetings. Pay attention to what policies are being adopted into the district. You will need to learn about the ways it will affect your life. You should also learn the jargon used in these meetings.
6. Go into your room with a positive outlook and do make sure you appear to mean business. Do not try to be too kind or overly cool. You will get caught in the trap of student teacher that is hated by old teachers and just another kid to the students. It is important to be the adult and come across as professional to the teachers, staff and the students.
7. Enjoy the experience. It is wonderful to be a teacher and the students are great. Good luck!
I'd say don't get so caught up in the wishy washy stuff like be professional. Try and break down your day and see what things you'll need. Be prepared for a lot of logistics. For example:
1. Are you going to give homework, from a book or worksheets? Do you have enough paper and where will you get the worksheets?
2. Are you going to do notes, how, how do you want the students to write them down?
3. Can kids go to the bathroom during class? When? Do they need a pass?
4. Are you going to have kids do math problems on the board? How many do each problem? How are you going to pick the kids? Will you always pick the smart ones or will you have a system of drawing names?
5. How are you goign to grade homework? Tests? Quizzes?
If you have prep time before starting, it helps to make your tests and quizzes first. How often will you test/quiz, how much notice do your students need?
6. What are you going to do on your first day? Will you do a fun lesson with candy or try to be really strict an overbearing? Will you hand out a syllabus? Will you talk about rules? What are your rules? Will you demonstrate things like Harry Wong does or will you assume high schoolers can figure out how to sharpen a pencil?
7. Since you're student teaching, what does your teacher require you to do? Do you need lesson plans? How detailed? When do you need assignments/test dates ready?
8. What do I do if a student acts up, what do I consider acting up? Is swearing ok? Can I hold detentions? What does my cooperating teacher do? How will I quiet down a noisy classroom?
You really have to go through a lot of those things beforehand, if you don't, then when you're making up your mind about letting a kid go to the bathroom, that's when you can start to look like a student. Teachers face like 1000 choices a day, the more you decide ahead of time, the better you will look. It's always a good idea to mimic your teacher at first in my opinion. Even if you don't like it, chances are it'll make you feel more comfortable at first and you'll have seen her/him make decisions already. Then when you get the hang of things you can throw in your own philosophies and ideas. Chances are that right now you probably don't know enough to predict all of the decisions you'll have to make, so it'll be hard for you to start from scratch.
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