Are you hosting any student teachers in your classroom this year? Having a student teacher is an exciting opportunity to inform and inspire the next generation of educators. A positive student teaching experience can lay the foundation for an amazing teaching career! Make your classroom a warm and welcoming place for your student teacher with this list of advice from our community of teachers!

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Here are a few ways to set your student teacher you’re hosting up for success this year:

Set up a space for your student teacher

Make your student teacher feel welcome in the classroom. Provide them with a desk or space that is all their own! A personalized desk plate is a special touch. Keep the space stocked just as you would your own desk. What teacher supplies can’t you live without?

• Sticky notes (all shapes and sizes)
• Fresh pens and pencils (Flair pens are a teacher favorite!)
• Smelly Markers
• Stickers
• Tissues
• Stapler
• Tape
• Paper clips
• Notecards
• Bonus if your teacher can have a school laptop or tablet, as well as printing and copy machine access! This will come in handy when they start doing the bulk of the classroom instruction and prep.

Keep your student teacher informed

Help your student teacher learn more about the school environment and procedures. Give your student teacher a binder filled with class information, the school handbook, the teacher handbook, and any other important documents (like school drill procedures) and tips they may need. Consider this the go-to “cheat sheet” with all the information the student teacher needs, in one easy-to-find binder. 

A welcoming gift for the student teacher

Looking to give your student teacher a welcoming gift? Our Facebook community had tons of amazing suggestions for gifts that your student teacher is sure to appreciate. You can join in the conversation at Lucky 1st Grade Teachers and  Lucky 2nd Grade Teachers!

• Clipboard
• Planner
• Lanyard or ID Holder

• Your favorite read-aloud (learn more about our favorite class read-alouds!)
• “From the desk of” personalized stationery
• School spirit shirt
• Snacks, candy, and mints
• Hand sanitizer and mask

Prepare your class for a student teacher

There is no doubt your students will be thrilled to have a student teacher in the classroom! Young learners will have many questions for the new student teacher. Help satisfy their curiosity about your new classroom helper by doing a “Get-to-Know-You” game. Have each student write down a question for the student teacher on a piece of paper. Put the questions in a jar, and each day have the student teacher choose a few questions to answer. Students will develop connections as they get to know more about the student teacher. The student teacher could also make their own All About Me Poster from the Back to School Bonus Pack.

Get to know your student teacher

If possible, invite your student teacher out for coffee or lunch before their first day. Chances are, the student teacher might have a case of first-day jitters! Sit down to talk about needs and expectations, and just get to know them as a person! You will be spending a lot of time together, and having a working professional relationship will make the year a success for everyone involved.

Being a role model when hosting student teachers might seem overwhelming, but you’ve got this! Your student teacher will gain hands-on practical experience to be the best teacher they can be. How exciting that you get to be a part of their teaching journey!

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Share this with your student teacher – not everything can be learned from a college textbook!

27 Things They Didn’t Teach Teachers in College

We’re all about working smarter, not harder! Share these teaching hacks with your student teacher (you might just learn something new, too!).

25 Teacher Hacks for a Successful Classroom

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