How does student teaching work? Understanding the process and responsibilities

Student teaching is a critical component of many teacher preparation programs that provides prospective educators with an opportunity to gain practical classroom experience under the guidance of experienced mentors.

It is a culminating experience that enables teacher candidates to apply the knowledge, skills, and strategies learned in their college or university classes to real-life situations. Some may also call these future teachers “pre-service teachers.”

In this article, we will answer the question “how does student teaching work?” as we explore the process and responsibilities involved in student teaching, including the role of cooperating and mentoring teachers, classroom management strategies, lesson planning, student learning, and other key aspects of the experience.

1. What is student teaching?

Student teaching is a supervised teaching experience that occurs during the final semesters of a teacher preparation program. At the University of Toronto, we had two in our second year and one longer placement in the second.

Essentially, student-teacher opportunities provide teacher candidates with a chance to apply what they have learned in their college courses to a real classroom environment as they student-teach.

During student teaching, candidates work closely with a cooperating teacher who is an experienced classroom teacher (or an “associate teacher”) and a mentor teacher (or a “faculty advisor”) who is a faculty member of the college or university. The cooperating teacher serves as a model teacher, while the mentor teacher provides guidance, feedback, and support.

For advice on how to be the best student teacher you can, read my article Achieving success in student teaching: strategies and tips.

2. Why is student teaching important?

Student teaching is essential because it offers teacher candidates a chance to gain practical experience in a real classroom setting. It provides opportunities for student teachers to develop their teaching skills and strategies, as well as their ability to manage and engage students.

Moreover, student teaching is a culminating experience that enables candidates to apply their theoretical knowledge to real-life situations. It also helps them to develop their professional identities and prepare for their future teaching careers.

3. How to begin student teaching

The process of beginning student teaching varies depending on the college or university program. However, it typically involves the following steps:

1. Meet the eligibility requirements for student teaching, including passing required exams and coursework.
2. Submit an application for student teaching to the college or university. Or, for us, we had to complete our virtual profile to find out which school districts best suited our location.
3. Some universities may require you to attend a pre-student teaching seminar to learn about the expectations and requirements of the program. Ours provided us with a “Practicum Handbook” that outlined what to expect.
4. Meet with a faculty advisor to discuss placement options and preferences. Basically, this person is your university supervisor. Or, if you’re in a teacher’s college, you may have college supervisors.
5. Complete a criminal background check and any other necessary paperwork.
6. Receive an assignment to a cooperating teacher and a mentor teacher.

The next step will then be to look up your school and the school district, to contact your teacher and thank them for inviting you to his or her classroom, and start planning for your first day (which is by far my favorite part!).

If you’d like a fun first-day activity for older elementary grades, get my printable Meet the teacher template for the first day of school.

4. Student teaching requirements and responsibilities

During student teaching, candidates are expected to fulfill a range of requirements and responsibilities. As a student teacher, you will have several opportunities to work closely with experienced teachers in the classroom. These opportunities will allow you to gain invaluable insights into the world of education and build your teaching skills.

Honestly, it’s a full–time commitment.

Here are some student teaching responsibilities that most student teachers will need to follow:

Cooperating teacher (or “associate teacher”)

The cooperating teacher is an experienced teacher who hosts the student teacher in their classroom. The student teacher is expected to observe, assist, and eventually take over the teaching responsibilities of the cooperating teacher.

You will need to pay attention to how they manage student behavior, their instructional strategies, and attend any faculty meetings or things like parent-teacher conferences that happen while you’re there. But, don’t forget how valuable your unique perspective is!

The cooperating teacher’s role is to provide feedback, guidance, and support to the student teacher. They will be the ones assessing you throughout your placement, so be sure to seek regular feedback on your lessons. This not only helps ensure you are meeting expectations but is helpful for you to become an effective teacher when you have your own classroom.

Mentor teacher (or “faculty advisor”)

In addition to your cooperating teacher, you may also have a mentor teacher. This teacher will provide additional support and guidance throughout your student teaching experience. They will help you develop your teaching skills and offer suggestions for improving your performance.

In our program, they had to sit in on one of our lessons to assess our general instruction and interaction with the students. During COVID we had to video record the classes, but after that it was an in-person lesson.

Classroom management strategies

One of the most important skills you will need to develop as a student teacher is classroom management. You will need to learn how to create a safe, positive learning environment for your students. Your cooperating teacher and mentor teacher can provide you with guidance and strategies for managing the classroom effectively.

Part of classroom management is offering equitably differentiated instruction. When your student’s needs are being met, their learning experience is more positive and they can easier absorb your lessons.

Lesson plans

During your student teaching experience, you will be responsible for creating lesson plans that align with the curriculum and meet the needs of your students. Your cooperating teacher and mentor teacher can provide feedback and suggestions for improving your lesson plans, but be sure to submit them early.

I would suggest teaching as many subjects as you can while you are still in a learning position. My teachers taught me so much about instruction for a broad range of subjects and it helped me be more confident as I neared the end of the program.

Student learning

Ultimately, your student teaching experience is about helping your students learn and grow. You will need to learn how to assess your student’s learning needs and provide them with the support and resources they need to succeed.

It is your responsibility to create a positive and safe learning environment. Part of this is explicitly teaching social-emotional regulation skills so that students have the knowledge to listen to their own needs.

Student teaching experience and benefits

Your student teaching experience will be a valuable opportunity to learn and grow as a teacher.

Here are some of the benefits you can expect to gain during your field experience:

• Practical classroom experience
• Opportunities to observe experienced teachers in action
• Opportunities to develop your teaching skills
• Opportunities to build relationships with students and other teachers
• Opportunities to receive feedback and support from experienced educators
• A potential future job as a substitute teacher (or full-time teacher)
  • Most school districts have a unique hiring process, meaning you can’t necessarily get a job right away. But, you can get a great reference and establish professional rapport with schools

Read more at 10 Tips for success in your teaching practicum.

What to expect as a student teacher?

As a student teacher, you can expect to spend a significant amount of time in the classroom, observing and teaching. You will need to be prepared to work hard and be flexible, as the needs of the classroom can change quickly. You can also expect to receive feedback and support from your cooperating teacher and mentor teacher.

Tips for successful student teaching

Here are some tips for making the most of your student teaching experience:

• Be prepared to work hard and be flexible
• Communicate openly and frequently with your cooperating teacher and mentor teacher
• Seek out opportunities to observe and learn from experienced teachers
• Be willing to take risks and try new teaching strategies
• Reflect regularly on your teaching practice and seek feedback from your cooperating teacher and mentor teacher

You get to assess your students all the time. Why not give them a chance to assess you at the end of your placement? Get my last day of school teacher evaluation activity here.

Congrats on getting to this point in your program! Before you know it, you’ll be teaching in your own classroom.

FAQs About student teaching