Working with a student-teacher this fall?

You are in luck. Today, I have Elizabeth Soslau, who co-wrote a book titled The Comprehensive Guide to Working With Student Teachers: Tools and Templates to Support Reflective Professional Growth with Monique Alexander. It is so much more than a book. It is a guide complete with templates, tools, and protocols! You will learn a lot from this impactful and empowering interview for student teachers, co-ops, and college supervisors. After Elizabeth shares her teaching story with us, we dive into the world of working with student teachers. We agree that working with student teachers is a great experience because of their passion and drive to impact students.

Tips for student teachers

• Ensure you understand WHY you should mimic your co-op, not just what s/he/they do. Explore the invisible reasoning behind a teacher's use of a strategy, tool, or technique, and ask questions!

• Take time to get to know the community you will be teaching in.

• What resources are available to you?

• You can go beyond textbooks! Choose strategies and resources that are appropriate for your learners.

• The best teachers aren't born. They're trained.

• Experience doesn't make you better! We've all had teachers in the field for a while, so we know this myth isn't true. A systematic approach to reflection helps you become a better and more effective teacher.

• Build relationships with your students by learning about them

• Lesson planning resources based on culturally relevant pedagogies

Tips for teacher educators, co-ops, and supervisor

• Analyze student work to determine if the class was successful

• Observe and assess the success of the lesson through the work of the students

• Make your student teacher feel welcome and part of the classroom community.

• Ask questions and provide support to teacher candidates frequently and informally.

• Discuss grading teacher candidates - scores are not grades—they are for learning and practice.

• Co-ops let go - let the candidate find their voice, style, and strategy in the classroom.

Resources mentioned in the show.

• https://www.aera.net/

• Learning for justice - https://www.learningforjustice.org/

• Facing ourselves facing history - https://www.facinghistory.org/

Grab the student teacher digital binder here

Connect with Elizabeth

esoslau@udel.edu

https://twitter.com/elizabethsoslau