I'm Baaaaaaack!

This Friday was my ST's last day.  While he was fun to have around, and the kids enjoyed him, I'm so happy to have my kids back!

via.

In total, my ST spent about 5 weeks with us.  In those 5 weeks I think he got a very real trial at teaching art at the high school level.  I was so happy with how well my kids transitioned from my teaching style to his, also with how polite, cooperative and enthusiastic they were through it all.  As big a change it was for me, it was even bigger for my kids, and I couldn't e more proud of how they handled the change.

I think I was most surprised with how much I  learned through this process:

1. It can be is difficult to give up control.

I wrote a little about this a few weeks ago, but it still remains.  What I found to be most difficult about hosting a student teacher was letting go of my kids, my plans, and my "way" of teaching.  I've become so comfortable in my classrooms with my students that not being in charge actually made me rather uncomfortable most of the time.  Having to turn students with questions away, redirecting them to ask the student teacher, telling them, "I can't help you right now, I'm not your teacher," was so hard!

2. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink.

Ain't that the truth!  Trough out my ST's experience with us, I noticed several times where my ST would ask for my input on how to go about a certain lesson, or grading a project, and after I gave my advice, he decided to do something different instead.  Sometimes it worked, an other times it didn't.  In some cases I felt bad, even frustrated, because his decisions ended up taking up more time, or making a relatively simple idea more complicated.  When this happened, I had to remind myself that he's an individual trying to find his style of teaching, and while I feel my ways of teaching are efficient and successful, they might not be for someone else.  Also, so much learning comes from trying ideas that don't work out.  That period of reassessing your choices and trying new things is vital to becoming a good teacher.

3. The kids will be all right.

I think I underestimated my students adaptability when my ST first joined us.  Some students, even through to the end of his stay, were still very much attached to me and the procedures I had set up.  I could see in their actions and hear in their words that they were a little tired of all this new teaching, and wanted to go back to how I do things.  However, most of the kids were really happy to take direction from someone new.  It was interesting to watch them test the ST in the first few weeks, the same way they had tested me int he first few weeks of school.  The tough guys rebuilt the walls I had managed to break down, and the goofy girls became all the more goofy, but toward the end of his stay, they all had managed to level out to the same way (or at least close to the same way) they are with me.  While I definitely would have used my time and materials differently than the ST, I know that the kids have survived this trial period, and I'll be able to get them back on track relatively easily.  Some of them will be happy to get back in the groove, and others will find it a little tougher, but in the end they'll be all right.

4. Being in school and not teaching sucks!

The days got s o  m u c h  l o n g e r when I found myself clocking in and just watching someone else do my job.  I felt like the clocks were wrong all of the time.  Like time itself stood still.  Watching someone else do something you love and want to do so badly is really draining!  While having someone else teach my classes freed me up to do a lot of extra things, like straightening out my supplies, framing works for future shows, making name tags- you know, all the "extra" stuff that usually eats up so much of our time, a few weeks into giving up control, I found that no matter how many little jobs I did to keep myself busy, time still dragged on and on and on.  I can't wait to get back in the saddle and have a normal school day!

5. Hosting a Student Teacher is one of the most important ways I can give back to my profession.

As explained above, hosting an ST can be more work than you expect, but it's important.  Whether you have a great or a not-so-great experience with your ST, all of it- the good, the bad, and yes, even the ugly- is essential for creating successful teachers.  While you can do a lot for your kids, their parents, and even your community to educate them in the ways of the teaching world, there's no better way to give back to the profession of teaching than providing a newbie with a well-rounded, challenging experience to help make them a great teacher, who will hopefully, one day, continue the cycle.

As a parting gift to him, I gave my ST a copy of all my lesson plans, power points, and student examples on a thumb drive.  We all know how much I love my beloved thumb drive, so I'm hoping it will help him get started wherever he ends up.

Would I host another ST?  Absolutely!  Will I host one right away? Maybe not so much. I'm thinking possibly the fall '13 or spring of '14 I'll be ready to host again.  I'd like to focus right now on getting my kids back in step with the ways I like to teach, and on ways I could help another ST, when the time is right.

Has anyone else hosted an ST recently?  Do you agree or disagree with me on any of these points?  Do you have new ideas to add all together?