14 Things Student Teachers Shouldn't Do or Say

When I was a student teacher, I obsessed over making a good impression on the faculty where I did my placement and doing the best job I could. Unfortunately, there are some who view student teaching differently. I have heard stories from other teachers about their personal student teaching experiences when they were in college and also what it was like to have someone else come into their room to complete their student teaching placement. For any future teachers reading this, take notes. Here are some things a student teacher should not do or say.

1. Telling your cooperating teacher the excuse for your inapporpriate behavior is because your coop doesn't have a sense of humor.
2. Sitting on top of a student desk with your feet propped up on a student's seat.
3. Sitting on top of the teacher's desk with your feet on his/her chair.
4. When your coop asks what you would have changed about your lessons for the day after discussing what hadn't gone well, you shouldn't say "I wouldn't work Fridays. At my last job it was great because I could make my own hours and I didn't usually work on Fridays."
5. When your coop tells you to not sit on top of desks and to act professionally and be on time, don't respond, "I'll try but I can't promise. Sitting on desks is a mannerism I have and like other habits, it will be hard to break."
6. If your coop asks that your lesson plans are to be turned in by the start of the prep pd. when you meet, don't email them to him/her at 10:30 pm the night after they are due.
7. Don't walk into the classroom 10 minutes past when you should have arrived and when your coop asks why you were late, don't respond, "I was late?"
8. When your coop is out sick and calls for your lesson plans don't say, "I got it. I'll roll with it. Don't worry the roof won't fall in without you."
9. When your coop tells you three times to sign in in the office in the morning for security purposes, this isn't optional.
10. Having students do a presentation and a one page paper, and when your coop asks if you read the papers, "Nah. I didn't bother. They were only worth a small percentage of the total presentation."
11. After your coop has told you twice to dress professionally, don't respond, "I don't think I should be held to higher standards than the rest of the faculty."
12. Hand your coop a worksheet with questions on it and when she asks how this is different from other worksheets you've given, say "Oh, that, that's a graphic organizer."
13. When grades are due, don't hand your coop a blank gradebook with no grades filled in after she's reminded you seven times and respond, "Oh, I didn't get to it."
14. Asking your cooperating teacher or a sub to make copies for you because you "forgot".