Way back in the dark ages when I was student teaching, working towards a K-12 vocal music education degree, I was expected to do 8 weeks at the secondary level and 8 weeks at the elementary level.  I was convinced that I wanted to do secondary and I was thrilled when I was placed in the one of the best school districts in the area, knowing they had an amazing music/theater department.  The dreams were shattered when the director wouldn’t let me do anything of substance.  Oh sure, I got to warm up the group with rhythm reading and I did all of his paperwork, but I only conducted one piece with his middle school group and I’m pretty sure he was disappointed that I didn’t play piano well enough to be his accompanist.  It was a miserable 8 weeks.  Then I moved on to the elementary school.

The school was off the beaten path and the building was old but the teacher was warm and welcoming as was the itinerant band director.  We had lunches together, got to know each other, but the best part was that I was expected to do my own lesson planning, my own teaching and my own assessment.  She even left me alone with them.  She wasn’t concerned that I would ruin her kids (I don’t think I did) and she allowed me to experiment, make mistakes and then she gave me constructive criticism.  A completely different experience and I think that’s why I settled in with teaching general music.

Great supervising teachers are so needed for these students as they end their undergraduate journey.  These future educators are wanting to get an experience that will help them feel more secure when they begin their own teaching career.  The only way they can do that is if the supervising teacher is willing to let go of a good amount of control and allow the student to try things and, well, make mistakes.  We tell our elementary students this all the time, that it’s okay to make mistakes because that means they’re trying.  And yet, when it comes to student teachers, a lot of supervising teachers are afraid to let go.

Sure, I know that we have essential learning outcomes to cover, the pacing won’t be the same and they may not cover as much material.  And I know that any classroom management difficulties can lead to less engagement from my students.  But this is all part of the learning process for everyone.  Young students can certainly be included in the process of helping the student teacher, it encourages my students to assist and have patience with things that will be different and this is good for them as it teaches them kindness and flexibility.  It’s certainly a learning process for the student teacher when the “real deal” doesn’t behave or catch on nearly as well as their peers whom they’ve been practicing on for a couple of years.  And as the supervising teacher, it’s my job to watch, step in when necessary, but to also to step back and let them figure it out.  What happens when you don’t plan enough to do and you’ve got 10 minutes left of class?  What happens when the technology doesn’t work?  What happens when the kids all start singing jingle bells at the top of their lungs in the middle of a lesson – in March?  Stepping in doesn’t always help.  It may take longer, but letting the student teacher try to figure it out will be better for them in the long run.

So what if the student teacher is really struggling, or, as I’ve experienced, doesn’t need to be teaching at all?  Well, that’s the tough part of being a supervising teacher.  Sure, it’s wonderful when you get someone who just walks in like they were made for the job.  I don’t always feel very useful when this happens, but it’s nice. However, when you have a student teacher who is having a difficult time, it’s easy for the teacher to want to step in so the student doesn’t “ruin their program”.  I’ve always figured that I wouldn’t be much of a teacher if I couldn’t get my kids back on track after having a student teacher so while a struggling student teacher is a ton more work, it’s still my classroom and I will be able to take care of my kids.

One of the things I’ve always heard from my student teachers is that they appreciate the closer to “real life” experience I allow them.  Sure, I’m still sitting in the corner working on things, but it’s their class.  I’ve been fortunate to have a part in working with a lot of practicum students and student teachers and I’ve seen the majority of them become excellent educators, most of them still in the profession. I really believe that giving guidance but allowing them freedom to become their own teacher with their own personality and style is the key.  I certainly don’t want a bunch of mini-me’s running around because those are the teachers that haven’t discovered who they are or what they can do, and unfortunately the ones who I believe, leave the profession.  I hope that my former students will far exceed things I’ve been able to do in the classroom.  And as for my kids, they’ve never really suffered.  Kids bounce back quickly if their teacher has built a solid foundation for their classroom.  And I’m always happy when they bounce back to me as my student teacher goes on to fulfill their own teaching dreams.