Spring Break
Loads of work, little pay: student teacher make the grade
Manuella Rogers, Contributing Writer
Issue date: 6/9/09 Section: NEWS
Student teachers learn how to deal with common day-to-day classroom situations, such as classroom management, lesson planning and emphasizing discipline.
It usually doesn't take long for an experienced teacher to see whether a student teacher is going to be a good teacher, Barrera said.
"Some student teachers are very natural teachers," she said. "They feel completely comfortable in front of the class, they have no problems being a disciplinarian, and they are very organized and efficient."
Others, of course, have to learn to be that way, and the job is not easy.
But the need for new teachers is great, Texas education officials said. Each year, thousands of teachers leave the profession or retire, while at the same time a growing school-age population means even more teachers are needed, according to research by Ed Fuller, co-director of research of the State Board for Educator Certification.
In 2002, for example, 37,000 Texas educators - about 13 percent - left the classroom, Fuller said. Each year, an additional 5,000 teachers are needed, according to a report by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts.
During student teaching, the potential teachers learn to design plans and to find out whether the plans work. They also learn about the rewarding and frustrating aspects of teaching, including how to manage a classroom.
"I believe the hardest thing for a student teacher to learn is how to effectively manage a classroom," Barrera said.
"Sometimes it's hard for student teachers to be up in front of middle school kids, especially if they're not used to being in front of others," she said. "Sometimes it's difficult trying to actively engage them in what you're doing."
Showing the ropes
Mentor teachers play a big role on the student teaching process. Through them, student teachers learn teaching tools useful when they are hired as a full-time teacher.
"My role is to be a model," said Jacqueline San Miguel, a Spanish teacher at John H. Guyer High School in Denton. She has taught for six years and now mentors a student teacher.
It usually doesn't take long for an experienced teacher to see whether a student teacher is going to be a good teacher, Barrera said.
"Some student teachers are very natural teachers," she said. "They feel completely comfortable in front of the class, they have no problems being a disciplinarian, and they are very organized and efficient."
Others, of course, have to learn to be that way, and the job is not easy.
But the need for new teachers is great, Texas education officials said. Each year, thousands of teachers leave the profession or retire, while at the same time a growing school-age population means even more teachers are needed, according to research by Ed Fuller, co-director of research of the State Board for Educator Certification.
In 2002, for example, 37,000 Texas educators - about 13 percent - left the classroom, Fuller said. Each year, an additional 5,000 teachers are needed, according to a report by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts.
During student teaching, the potential teachers learn to design plans and to find out whether the plans work. They also learn about the rewarding and frustrating aspects of teaching, including how to manage a classroom.
"I believe the hardest thing for a student teacher to learn is how to effectively manage a classroom," Barrera said.
"Sometimes it's hard for student teachers to be up in front of middle school kids, especially if they're not used to being in front of others," she said. "Sometimes it's difficult trying to actively engage them in what you're doing."
Showing the ropes
Mentor teachers play a big role on the student teaching process. Through them, student teachers learn teaching tools useful when they are hired as a full-time teacher.
"My role is to be a model," said Jacqueline San Miguel, a Spanish teacher at John H. Guyer High School in Denton. She has taught for six years and now mentors a student teacher.
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