Masks of colour (N.Lemon, 2012)
Recently in a discussion with first year undergraduate Pre-Service Teachers’ (PSTs) the situation of placement came up. In particular we discussed the things they wished they had known prior to going on placement in a school or educational setting. In retrospect reflecting on these things was easier now, as at the beginning of the year the nerves and excitement mixed with not knowing what they didn’t now came into play.
One student, let’s call her Kimberly shared her list of 50 Things a PST should know:
- children learn in different ways
- children don’t all mature at the same time
- children don’t always get it the first time
- sometimes less is more
- students need time to think/sort through information
- being liked doesn’t make one effective
- students learn from example
- let students have a voice
- know your content
- don’t be afraid to admit that you don’t know
- follow through
- follow up
- be consistent
- take an interest in your students beyond the classroom
- learn to use ones voice effectively
- don’t complain – act
- find a mentor
- be prepared to take a risk/move out of ones comfort zone
- when preparing lessons go for quality over quantity – keep in simple
- be creative in your approach
- keep calm
- embrace parents/carers in the classroom
- learn to work as a team
- practise mindfulness
- incorporate some relaxation into each day
- be broad in your approach
- be organised
- talk to all staff members
- ask for advice/direction/help
- be prepared to sing regardless of ones voice
- be reflective
- stay positive
- frame requests positively
- trust your gut
- don’t try to reinvent the wheel….every lesson
- be respectful toward students
- continue to learn-PD/colleagues/external experts
- embrace ICT
- remember to ask who, what, why, where, when questions, not questions that require yes or no answers
- don’t take ‘failures’ to heart
- expect the unexpected
- smile with the students
- laugh with the students
- remember that they’re children and not small adults
- make the room exciting/interesting/inspiring
- remember that one can’t fix everything/everyone
- get involved
- ‘think’ about teaching
- be proud of your chosen profession and acknowledge its value to society
- engage wholeheartedly with the ‘job’
What would you add to this list?
What do you now know that you didn’t prior to becoming a teacher and wished you had been told?
What would your list be?
Chat with Rellypops 
– know your curriculum documents well. Ask for clarification if necessary. A lot of thought has gone into these things and they are the final word on what gets taught.
– listen carefully to what your students tell you.
– observe carefully
– when things don’t go well DO NOT jump to conclusions. Find out what’s gone wrong before devising the solution.
– pay attention to what other teachers do and adapt your practice accordingly (maybe you mentioned this one)
BTW–great list!
Thanks for the additions Maurice. These are great, I really like not jumping to conclusions…I always say there is a reason for something going wrong and you just have to find out what this/these are.