How To Create A Positive Impression In Your Placement School

1.Have A Positive Interview

Odds are, if you have already landed your placement school and you are about to start, you have had a good interview. However, there is no harm mentioning and discussing this here.

For first year student teachers searching for placement, your interview is not going to last very long. They conduct interviews more so to get a feel for the person, i.e., you, and meet you for the first time. They will probably ask you a few general questions about what university/college you hope to get into, if you have ever taught before, and why you want to be a teacher. My interview for my first school placement lasted 5 minutes and the Deputy Principal offered me the placement on the spot.

For second year student teachers your interview may last a little longer (although not by much) and you will most likely be asked a few questions that are more in-depth and specific. For example, what years you have taught in your previous placement, what topics you have taught, and your placement hours/lesson requirements.

2.Regularly Check-In If Your Co-Operating Teacher Needs Help With Anything

Regularly checking in and touching in with you co-operating teacher is one of the first steps in making a positive first impression in your placement school. They are probably the first person anyone will go to see to see how you are getting on teaching with your class. So, checking in with your co-op to see if they need any extra help will go a long way to developing a positive relationship with them which will filter through to other staff and principals in your school creating a positive and conscientious impression. This can be something as simple as grading exam papers.

3.Volunteer To Help Any Teachers If They Need Help

Following on from my previous point, it can also be good to offer and help out other teachers in the school if given the opportunity. This does not have to be anything major, just the small things. For example, I helped fix and download Microsoft office for one teacher in my first placement school and offered to help distribute exam papers in the exam hall. The small things count a lot more than you can imagine at creating a positive impression of you.

4.Volunteer To Do After School Activities

Volunteering to do school activities in your placement school is really important. This can be after school clubs or lunch time clubs in your school. This shows initiative and that you are willing to get involved in school life. This also allows you create and develop a relationship with your students much quicker which encourages students to see you as a ‘real teacher’, i.e., a qualified and experienced teacher. Additionally, this is a bonus talking point for when you go for interviews for teaching positions when you are qualified.

5.Be Social In The Staffroom

Another good tip for developing a positive impression in your placement school is being present in the staffroom. Getting to know other staff members and being social in the staff room allows you to develop a relationship with staff members and most importantly, allows staff members to get to know you and see what type of person you are.

6.Learn To Say No And Prevent Burnout

This is arguably my most important point. While offering to help out and doing extra activities in the school is important, learning and knowing your limits is paramount. Trying to do too much during an intense year or two years (depending on your degree and location) is a bad idea. You will burnout very quick and will be unable to sustain your work ethic to an appropriate and diligent level. There are ways you can avoid bluntly saying no to your placement school in hopes of avoiding sounding like you are ‘difficult’. You can say, your placement requirements will only allow “x, y, and z’.

If you have a good relationship with your placement school and the person you liaise with for your placement requirements, you may be able to say no without sounding difficult. However, please do be careful with your judgement here. If you do have this type of relationship and respectfully explain why you are unable to do ‘x’, they will respect the fact that you are pacing yourself and know your limits. They will understand that burnout is a real issue in the teaching profession and knowing your limits will create a positive impression in relation to your work ethic.

Elise-Teaches.com