Student Teaching experiences/finding a job?

I will start my semester of student teaching this upcoming January... I'm nervous, but very excited. My question is this: How do you balance everything? I will be working on Saturday's and Sundays (This is not optional for me... I would love to be able to not work, but I must) However, weekdays will be mine to devote entirely to student teaching. My question is.. while doing all of what student teaching entails... how do you start the job search for that upcoming contract that you'd really like to get?? I have to take my final exams during this time as well... I know I can balance it all, but some techniques would be greatly appreciated!!!!

Student Teaching experiences/finding a job?
Good luck to you :-) How exciting to embark on this journey.





Although I had a horrible student teaching experience in 1996, I have since grown and developed over the years as a professional. I also worked throughout my student teaching as well-mainly evenings %26amp; Saturdays.





Take the time to build up and establish a working rapport with your mentor teacher. He/she is given a student teacher based on master teaching experiences. Learn from this person. How does this person manage all the paperwork, lessons, differentiated instruction, executing the lesson to meet the needs of all learners. Try NOT to be a super teacher! It takes time. Years to effectively balance the professional aspect without interfering with your personal life. Try to avoid taking too much work home. You'll get burnt out. Set a time on the clock-let's say everyday by 5:00 you're outta there!! Attend all the required staff meetings, IEPs, and make it a point to visit the building principal. In addition to your mentor teacher, ask if you can observe other classrooms for an hour here, or an hour there.





Throughout the semester, take pictures and document what you are doing. (Be careful with taking pics of student faces without parental consent) Create a short portfolio to embrace and show off your student teaching. But keep it short with sample lessons and memorabilia because during an interview, a principal does not have all afternoon to flip through your portfolio. I'd say 6-8 pages worth of sample lessons %26amp; pics; maybe an additional 2-3 pages to enclose your letters of reccommendations and extra copies of your resume.





Building up your resume is a task your mentor teacher can also guide you with in order to point out your positive contributions to the classroom. In your cover letter with your resume, it should be a simple 3 paragrpah format: Introduction, position you seek and why you are the best candidate, and a closing paragraph to summarize YOU! It should be enough to open the door for an interview. During your interview then you can disclose that you are currently taking exams for your teacher certifications. If you are set on a certain school district, all I would suggest is to not have your heart set so high. Open yourself to a variety of possible teaching positions to challenge your teaching abilities.





All the best to you! You are certainly welcome to contact me if you want to chat more about teaching.
Reply:It is natural to be nervous but the beautiful thing is that you are excited. Don't pre-plan to balance everything dear. Learn to take things as they come. For this you need to build up will -power and determination.





While you dedicate your whole attention to student teaching try to make every encounter with the students an enriching one. Get to know the students name and call each by name, be calm, disciplined and communicate your lessons with clarity. Allow students possiblity to raise questions in class. Give them smart answers. In your interaction with students make sure that you respect each chilld.


Don't loose yourself only in student teaching. Become an expert in time management. Organize your personal timetable for study and prepare for your final exam.


The job search can be done by contacting schools personally or by following the ads on News Papers. Who knows may be the same school in which you are going to do the student teaching may spot you as an excellant teacher and employ you...


Wish you plenty of work and good luck.