10 Tips for Surviving Your Short and Long Practicum

1) BE PREPARED AND ORGANIZED

This is the most important point, which is why it’s number one. During my first long practicum in 2014, I withdrew halfway through because I had lost control of my English 9 class. In retrospect, it was because I wasn’t confident when I started and I did not have a classroom management plan. Don’t focus too much on your unit and lesson plans and forget to prepare a plan for how you want to run your classroom! Also, make sure you have all your materials organized way ahead of time and stay on top of assignments that you assign to your students.

2) Write things down

To-do lists and your school agenda are your best friends. I used my agenda to keep track of meetings and days when my school advisors and faculty advisor were coming in to observe me. I kept a to-do list of things I needed to do every day after classes such as photocopying, printing worksheets, marking, etc. If you are really absent minded like me, writing things down is a great way of keeping on top of things.

3) Folders are super useful

I bought packs of folders to keep students’ homework and assignments in. This way it was easier for me to organize the piles of papers and minimize the risk of losing things. I also had a case with compartments where I kept students’ marked assignments in alphabetical order by last names and left it up to them to check the folder for their marked work.

4) Be ready to adapt your plans on the fly

As much as you plan, things don’t always go your way. Technology can fail on you, there could be a fire-drill that isn’t shown in your school calendar, or school field trips that you forgot about. This last one happened to me! My faculty advisor came to observe my lesson, but only three female students came to class! Apparently there was a History 12 field trip that I forgot to write down in my day plans (this goes back to number 2!) and most of my students were on that trip. I had to think on the spot and adapt my lesson plan to keep the three students engaged. It worked out in the end and my advisors said I handled the situation fairly well.

5) Have some de-stress methods ready

The long practicum can be insanely stressful. You’re always on the go teaching lessons, preparing materials, and marking assignments. Tea was my best friend during the long practicum. A friend of mine gave me a giant mug for Christmas and I stored it in a drawer in my Mandarin classroom. My school advisor kept a hot water kettle near her desk so we had a supply of hot water every day and made tea every morning. I also did deep breathing exercises whenever I felt overwhelmed. Simply breathe in through your nose, hold your breath for 5 seconds, and exhale through your mouth, making sure to expel all the air in your lungs. Don’t think about anything else while you’re doing this for a minute, just focus on your breathing. I found that this really helped to clear my head and re-focus my attention.

6) Be humble

Don’t take what your advisors say about your teaching personally. They are only trying to help you improve. In fact, proactively seek advice from your advisors. I had many heart-to-heart talks with my advisors whenever I felt like I was completely lost. You might find that they are more than happy to share their experiences as a new teacher with you.

7) Make friends with counselors and administrators

In any given class, you may have students with Individualized Education Plans as well as some trouble-makers. Knowing which counselor is in charge of each grade is very helpful for getting insight on students with special needs. The counselors and administrators also know the students well and they most likely already have experience dealing with students who cause trouble, and they can come to your aid if necessary.

8) Get involved outside of the classroom

Participate in some events in the school community. As my Mandarin school advisor’s student teacher, I had to help coordinate the lunar new year celebration at Templeton Secondary. It was a great opportunity to practice my event planning skills and work with my fellow teachers. Extracurricular events are also excellent for bonding with your students outside of class. I made an effort to chat with my students when I chaperoned field trips. I also made sure to attend any school events that my students invited me to.

9) Stagger your assignments

Don’t make everything into an assignment that the students have to hand in for marking! You WILL kill yourself! At one point I was so backed up with Mandarin assignments from my three classes that I could hardly keep up. My school advisor reminded me that there are other types of assessment than written assignments. Try assigning some presentations! Again, use a school calendar to plot out when you give out major assignments so you don’t overload yourself with a ton of marking.

10) Take it all in stride

A teacher I met during my long practicum told me, “Whatever happens in your classroom, it’s never worth crying over!” There will be days that seem like everything is going all wrong, but just take some deep breathes, get yourself together, and move on. Crying at school is very unprofessional, and from personal experience, if you allow students to see that you are vulnerable, they will take advantage of that! Take a small break if you are feeling completely overwhelmed, and re-focus. There will be times when your lessons don’t work out as you planned, and days when you mess up horribly in front of your faculty advisor, but it’s all part of the learning process.

My secret Santa gifts from my friend Ms. Jessica Lowe! The big huge mug was my savior. The students in my grade 12 English class also really appreciated the graphic novel version of Hamlet!