Year-long student teaching was one of the best decisions I made in my college career. After the first semester, I was so grateful to have the rest of the year to continue learning and gaining more experiences. I felt like I was part of the school staff, rather than just a student teacher, and was accepted as such. I had several more opportunities by being in the school for a whole year, and was able to see how every aspect of the school year was handled (first day, holidays, conferences, grade cards, meetings, discipline, and so much more). Also, the remarks I received from other educators and administration about how much more advanced and experienced the year-long student teachers were compared to the single-semester student teachers gave me a boost in confidence, especially in such a tight and competitive job market. I would recommend every education student to consider the benefits of doing year-long student teaching. I certainly do not regret the experience!
Shari Nihart BA ’10Special education (K-12) teacher in Accra, Ghana
