Intern
Teacher Advice
I
have been both a teacher education student and a teacher intern.
There were a lot of things I wished somebody had shared with me
before I got my first job. For one thing, there is a big difference
between what you think will happen and what does happen sometimes.
You may feel unsupported - and you may have a lot of help from
other teachers. It all depends.
WHAT
I HAVE FOUND OUT SINCE MY TEACHING CLASSES
I
was told in a teacher education class that during your first,
intern year, there is a lot a new teacher has to learn.So I already
knew that it would be a difficult time that first year, of course.
Everyone
knows that interns in a hospital have a difficult time, and don't
get a lot of sleep. What I didn't know at first is that new teachers
can have the same kind of experience. In some schools, it's "sink
or swim." Period.
Of
course, it helps to have a good mentor who helps you at the very
beginning of your teaching career, and shows you in person how
to maintain good classroom managment techniques.
It is important that this teaching be done at the beginning of
the new teacher's class, when he or she is just starting the class,
in order to have a good framework for the semester.
To
find out more, go to the Classroom Management
page.
SOME
WARNING SIGNS OF A SCHOOL SYSTEM UNSUITABLE FOR INTERN TEACHERS
Some
school systems require a lot of extra duties from new, intern
teachers. This should be a warning sign to you that the school
is not new teacher-friendly, since being a new teacher already
requires a greater amount of time, because of many reasons.
You
must not only teach your class, but must come up with standards-ready
lessons and plans, as well as a filing system.
You
must also keep track of all your learning experiences, and (at
least in Kentucky) must complete a New Teacher Portfolio, which
has many requirements. This is much like taking a college class,
which must be completed by the deadline given by the college.
Plus,
you must also keep up with grading and report cards, both of which
you will be doing for the first time ever, which (of course) takes
more time as you are learning. This all means that you may be
having to do the equivalent of two full-time jobs at the same
time.
Extra duties piled on top of your intern responsibilities can
make it difficult to complete your assignments for college AND
teach at the same time.
WHAT
DO GOOD SCHOOLS HELP YOU WITH?
Good
schools help new teachers with pre-made, quality lesson plans
and BOOKS for class. If you learn that there are no books or lesson
plans for you, you should not accept the job. Period.
It
does not matter much if you are told the books "are on the
way." It may take months for you to be given your books,
and in the meantime, you will be at a huge disadvantage compared
to other new and even experienced teachers.
It
will also be very hard to you to make all of your own class materials
from scratch, because there is a limited amount of time you will
have to do this, especially if you are expected to do it all by
yourself.
Such
a school system that requires you to "reinvent the wheel"
is not the kind of school you want to teach in. You may not get
much sleep, and may be required to do lots of extra paperwork,
besides, and help after school with clubs or organizing.
As
noted before, it will be very difficult to do your required other
work like your daily reflections and teacher folder if you are
continually doing extra jobs above and beyond your already overwhelming
responsibilities.
Something
will have to give - whether it is your health, your lesson plans,
or required grading, tutoring, or conference responsibilities.
Continued
- find out more about a new teachers' intern year, and get some
practical advice on what to look for in a good school system.
|
