Teachers....should I...????

student teach in the fall (and give up my job to do it?) or studnet teach in the spring? I am torn - I hate my job and could take one class this summer (June) and then student teach in the fall, or take the course in the fall (althought I hate taking 1 course at a time!) and studnet teach in the spring. One part of me says just go for it and hope to get a replacement mid yr position or even sub for experience but the other half says wait....any help you can offer would be great! (including when you student taught and/or if you thought it was better or worse than another time of yr!) thanks so much in advance!

ps- I will still have health insurance either way as I am covered under my dh, so I am lucky not to have to worry about that!

i student taught in the pring and it was great because while i was student teaching, i was able to sign up to teach summer school with the district, for money over the summer.
also, i think it might be more difficult to find a position mid-year in many districts....they generally start looking in the spring

Hi Deirdre,

I would suggest doing it in the spring... because as others said it's not easy getting a job mid -year, or quite honestly, at all!! I've been stuck in the same Catholic school for four years ago and have barely gotten any nudges the last few years with districts cuz of budget cuts... I student taught in the Spring, and was held on for the end of the year as a permanant sub but that was it. Had to take a years position as a teacher assistant (cuz I needed benefits, you could sub since you have Mike's insurance)... but it's rough... Finding a job on Long Island is not very easy!!

Good luck and let me know how it goes... we should get together again soon!!!

Jennie

I personally think fall is best...

it could never hurt having your certification sooner than later because you never know what might happen and what positions may open.

you get to see how the opening of the school year goes

i student taught in the fall, then subbed in the spring...i think my subbing experience was invaluable...

also job interivews start to take place in the spring...if your student teaching is finished and you are subbing, you will have more experiences to talk about on your interviews, also, loosing a day of subbing to go on an interview is a lot easier than loosing a day of student teaching...

and another thing...when you student teach you have an opportunity to show that school district just how great you are... so when interviews come around in the spring, you have already proven yourself to them and shown them things that not all applicants can show them... if you student taught in the spring, the district still might not have gotten a chance to know you yet...

alot of teachers expect to find a job immediatly once they graduate... that doesnt always happen... alot of schools like to see that you have a bit more experience that just student teaching... subbing for a half a year might give you that push above the rest!

hope this helps!

eta: i also got on the sub list of the district i was student teaching in before i started student teaching, that way the day i was finished with my placement I was able to start subbing right away! this was SO helpful, because sometimes it take forever to get on a sub list!

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Posted by belle31125

I student taught in the fall and I thought it was very beneficial because I got to see things on the first few weeks of school. It gave me an idea as to what to do during the first few weeks of school when setting the tone for the school year is very important. I know that we just got a ton of new subs in the district because they graduated from school in December, so you shouldn't have a problem getting sub. jobs in the middle of the year. I know my district is always looking.. good luck!

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thats what i had heard too....thanks!!

(ps - what district are you in?)

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Posted by cjb88

I personally think fall is best...

it could never hurt having your certification sooner than later because you never know what might happen and what positions may open.

you get to see how the opening of the school year goes

i student taught in the fall, then subbed in the spring...i think my subbing experience was invaluable...

also job interivews start to take place in the spring...if your student teaching is finished and you are subbing, you will have more experiences to talk about on your interviews, also, loosing a day of subbing to go on an interview is a lot easier than loosing a day of student teaching...

and another thing...when you student teach you have an opportunity to show that school district just how great you are... so when interviews come around in the spring, you have already proven yourself to them and shown them things that not all applicants can show them... if you student taught in the spring, the district still might not have gotten a chance to know you yet...

alot of teachers expect to find a job immediatly once they graduate... that doesnt always happen... alot of schools like to see that you have a bit more experience that just student teaching... subbing for a half a year might give you that push above the rest!

hope this helps!

eta: i also got on the sub list of the district i was student teaching in before i started student teaching, that way the day i was finished with my placement I was able to start subbing right away! this was SO helpful, because sometimes it take forever to get on a sub list!

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good idea - thanks!

(and thanks to everyone else too!)

tough call....in the fall students are just getting used to teachers, so you are there to help/witness the classroom just starting to function.

In the spring, the class is in a routine, they know the rules, etc.....

from experience (in a preschool) it depends on the teacher...I had one that ignored me and I have one that accepted me and threw me into teaching....needless to say, now my students respect me and listen to my lessons (as best a 4 yr old can)

Yeah I think the Fall too...you start when the kids start.

Also you get to see how the teacher sets up her room. I called my cooperating teacher and offered to help her set up in August. It helped me when I was setting up my room this year.

I did the fall last year ...then when I was finished I subbed in the district and then got a permanent position in the city in April. Its quite possible that something will open up while you are student teaching...stranger things have happened

GOOD LUCK!

If you need any help let me know!

If I could do it over, I would have done it in the fall instead of the spring. I had a very tiring semester because of ST, and the classes, and once mid-Feb rolled around (and I'd only been at my ST position for two or three weeks) I was spending the better part of Sunday answering ads from the Times for September openings.

I know the application process is different (and likely more streamlined and easier) because of the 'net (I did mine in '96 when everything had to be mailed) but I think looking for a job, especially on LI, requires SO much time and effort. Since you don't have to worry about insurance, you can ST in the fall and spend the spring subbing and applying. Good luck!

I did my student teaching this past fall. I thought it was great because I did get to see how the teacher set up her room. Also, you can always sub in the spring and it is a lot less stressful looking for jobs while subbing.

I'll give an example. I went on an interview this past week and the next candidate was waiting there with me. He was in the midst of his student teaching(about 4 weeks in so he is in the middle school). He said how he really wanted to teach high school and in my opinion you cannot know where you really want to teach until you have had both student teaching experiences. When I went into the interview they asked me if I would rather a high school or a middle school position and I cannot see how one could honestly answer a question like that without having experienced both.

I would student teach in the fall. It was great overall and then when you go on interviews you have a better grasp of where you want to teach.

DEFINATELY THE FALL!

When youre done sign up to be a sub in the district. Then you have all spring for them ot get to know you and summer if anythings available... I think thats the best way to go. Get your foot in the door ASAP! Getting a teaching job is very competitive on long island!! Dont underestimate the others out there :) Do whatever you can to get an in, in the district. Make friends. Brown nose, volunteer LOL