Student Teaching Success Guide | Road to Teaching

Excel at Student Teaching

Transform your practicum into a launching pad for your teaching career with proven strategies from Road to Teaching.

The Student Teaching Success Framework

From Road to Teaching: Building Your Professional Foundation

Student teaching is where everything comes together—or falls apart. Here's how to ensure you thrive:

1. Develop Your Philosophy Early

Create a clear educational philosophy that guides every decision you make in the classroom.

2. Set Measurable Goals

Establish specific, time-bound objectives that help you track growth and celebrate success.

3. Build Strategic Relationships

Network intentionally with administrators, colleagues, and community members who can support your career.

Get all 18 comprehensive student teaching strategies in Road to Teaching.

Master These Three Critical Areas

Classroom Excellence

Move beyond survival mode to become a teacher who truly impacts student learning.

Master classroom management from day one
Create engaging, differentiated lessons
Build positive relationships with all students
Use assessment to drive instruction
Implement evidence-based teaching strategies

Professional Growth

Develop the habits and mindsets that distinguish outstanding educators.

Tackle the edTPA™ with confidence
Build your professional network strategically
Document your impact on student learning
Seek feedback and reflect meaningfully
Maintain work-life balance and self-care

Career Positioning

Use student teaching to create job opportunities and build your reputation.

Make yourself indispensable to your school
Create a portfolio of student successes
Connect with administrators and staff
Volunteer for high-visibility projects
Build references who will advocate for you

Learn from the Experts

"Consider the entire student teaching experience as an extended job interview: dress professionally, listen more than you speak, and remember that it is acceptable to be friendly with students but not to be their friends."

— Leah Krippner, Cooperating Teacher

"Read your whole edTPA™ handbook, pay particular attention to videoing requirements, and map out each video so you get exactly what you want within the time limit. Film additional videos on different days so you can select the best one."

— Judy Longstreth, University Field Supervisor

"Growth comes from imperfection. Teaching is messy, and whether you are two months or twenty years in, it's never going to be perfect—ever. Embrace your imperfections because they are what make you a unique and invaluable educator."

— Leann Schumacher, Novice Teacher

"You can see passion in their eyes, you can hear it in their words, in their stories, and it casts an aura around them. Passion is the key to resilience, the antidote for burnout, and the fire that makes this job the best in the world."

— Cris Welch, Elementary School Principal

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