Suggestions for Teacher Candidates
- Arrive early and stay late. Good teaching takes time and preparation.
- Always carry telephone numbers for the school, the Classroom Mentor Teacher (CMT), and the University Mentor (UM). It is the teacher candidate’s responsibility to make contacts in cases of emergency.
- Do not wait until someone tells you what to do–TAKE INITIATIVE! Look for things to do and do them, with your CMT’s permission.
- Be friendly and courteous to administrators, teachers, office personnel, and maintenance staff.
- Observe and ask questions–you are not expected to know everything.
- Observe the similarities and differences between what has been suggested in your education classes and what the CMT is doing. Don’t assume that your instructors and/or CMT are right/wrong. The realization that not all people do things in the same way should be comforting to you. But, do ask permission to do things that are unusual or drastically different from the CMT established procedures.
- Do not be afraid to fail; sometimes you learn more when a lesson goes poorly than you do when it is successful. In either case, you should analyze each lesson to determine what worked and why or what did not work and why. The ability to analyze what is not working and change strategies is a good skill to develop.
- Ask for suggestions and feedback about ways you can do things better. Criticism, suggestions, and feedback are NOT personal attacks. You are not going to improve if you don’t find out what you need to improve upon.
- Always do what you have been asked to do and do it on time. Better yet, always do more than you have been asked, and do it early.
- Before you leave for the day, make sure that you have everything prepared for the next day. You are still responsible for having the lesson plans and materials prepared even though you may not be at school (due to emergencies).
- Participate in school activities, conferences, or other functions whenever possible–it is part of teaching.
- Remember that you represent Bowling Green State University and act accordingly.
- Maintain a professional demeanor. If you have criticisms, ONLY share them with your CMT, UM, or program coordinator.
- Personal information about students and faculty is personal and confidential and is not to be shared with others.
- Be mindful of word and deed. Be careful that what you say and do cannot be misinterpreted as sexual harassment.
- Do not give to or receive from students’ personal telephone numbers or email addresses.
- Be sure to come prepared for parent conferences. Have with you your grade book, work samples, and any student behavior records. For difficult conferences, you should have another person present.
Updated: 12/12/2023 09:37AM