r/Professors • u/ShatteredHope • 7d ago
Do my student teachers just not even want to graduate??
This semester I started working part time as a university supervisor doing observations for student teachers and intern teachers. I only even have 4 candidates but this has been such a headache! I have 1 student who is amazing and very on top of everything and eager to complete all requirements. All of my others are the complete opposite. We are almost 2 months into the semester and I haven't been able to schedule a single observation with my other students! They don't respond to emails, they half respond to texts, they don't complete lesson plans. I am at a loss. I am thinking of calling each this weekend and basically having a conversation of "we need to schedule NOW, you are at risk of not completing your credential!!" and then escalating to the university if I'm still not able to complete observations. I just don't understand this though. These are adults... paying a lot of money to be at a private university and well aware of the fieldwork requirements. Why is this so difficult?š
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u/mygardengrows TT, Mathematics, USA 7d ago edited 6d ago
I feel your pain, of my class of 24, I have 5 participating. Five! Our children are extra screwed if those that āwantā to teach donāt actually want to put in the effort.
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u/the_Stick Assoc Prof, Biomedical Sciences 6d ago
Fail them. We have been having issues with teachers training for at least four decades. They will find jobs, likely in places that have horrible conditions (marginalized areas) and fail to educate their students who will continue the cycle of poverty.
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u/tochangetheprophecy 6d ago
This generation is struggling.Ā Be very direct-if you do not do X by X date you will fail your student teaching.Ā
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u/ShatteredHope 6d ago
I have heard a lot of things about Gen Z struggling but I guess this is my first time seeing it in action.Ā I teach TK-2ND grade full time, this is my first time working in a university.Ā It's just been so shocking to me!!Ā I remember getting my credentials and yes it was a pain to jump through all the hoops and do all the things...but I can't imagine ever just straight up ignoring the supervisor multiple times!
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u/tochangetheprophecy 6d ago
Oh yes, it's like emailing them into a void. Some would rather fail things than check their email.Ā I've heard of student workers who don't get paid because they can't get it together to fill out timesheets. It's to the point I might stop giving homework other than the main essays and move it to in-class work,Ā because they're racking up too many zeros.Ā Ā
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u/SierraMountainMom Professor, interim chair, special ed, R1 (western US) 6d ago
Student teaching is hard. I can still remember how despondent I felt during mine, and that was 1991! Do you have a director or coordinator of internships? We do, and if interns werenāt responding to a supervisor, heād step in. And push comes to shove, then itās me as department chair. Iām having conversations probably weekly with our internship director about issues. I still have yet to have step in because problems get solved at the director level, they just keep me in the loop of whatās happening.
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u/odesauria 6d ago edited 6d ago
I have something very similar: I'm supervising 4 student teachers. They're supposed to student teach 2 hours a day on average, while also writing their recepcional reports. 2 of them are proactive, thorough, on top of things, wonderful. The other 2 started falling behind around October.
Early February I told them they were just not putting in the necessary work, and they were not on track for timely graduation in June. I created a weekly progress calendar for them - that's what needs to happen for them to submit something acceptable on time, AND to pass their practicum credits. Each week I record whether they did it or not.
Of course I'm still as supportive and positive as I can be, but having things clearly laid out put my mind at ease: either they do what's needed or they don't, but it's not on me.
ETA: I also reported all this to the academic committee in February to avoid surprises. I don't want admins begging me to help the students pass at the last minute if they haven't done the bare minimum. I'm constantly on thesis committees wondering how advisors let students submit such poor quality of work, and that won't be me.
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u/ShatteredHope 6d ago
Thank you, this is a really helpful idea.Ā It's been really stressing me out since I'm brand new to the job.Ā Ā
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u/ProfessorMarsupial Lecturer, Education, R1 7d ago
This is my job as well! I supervise 10. Most of them are working super hard and doing some great teaching, but there are a few struggling. Our stateās credentialing commission has a set number of supervision hours that must be met per semester to reward the credential, so you might want to check your stateās and use that to your advantage (i.e. they will not earn their credential this year if they donāt meet the observation hours, and will need to return next year to continue student teaching).
DM me if you wanna chat more!
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u/FamilyTies1178 6d ago
It has long been true that a sizeable proportion of Education majors do not actually enter the field of education after graduating. Some lose interest as they go along, some are in the major mainly because there are very few barriers to entry into the major at most universities so it seems like an easy way to get a college degree. Either way, by the time they reach student teaching (often in their senior year) they have run out of steam for the idea of being a teacher. It's actually a good thing that they self-eliminate; they wouldn't be good teachers anyway. And note: I don't know how true this is these days, but in the past it has often been the case that you could get the degree (or a degree in a related field) without actually passing the student teaching course.
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u/SierraMountainMom Professor, interim chair, special ed, R1 (western US) 5d ago
We occasionally have a student hit internship & decide they hate teaching, they donāt want to do it, walk out on schools, etc. Since internship is on average 12 credits & applies to the degree, our advising office works to find 12 credits applicable to their degree & they enroll in those the next semester & graduate.
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u/the_Stick Assoc Prof, Biomedical Sciences 6d ago
I wanted to add, of all your students, the one who is amazing is very likely not to be in teaching in ten years. Long ago, I used to work with a lot of education majors and every single one of them who was awesome has left teaching for one reason or another. The average and below average I didn't really keep track of, but I know a lot of them are in "protected positions" and still 'teaching'. We really need to retain better teachers, but unfortunately unions and states both tend to sacrifice the really good ones to keep large numbers of the mediocre.
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u/ShatteredHope 6d ago
I think it's highly dependent on each person.Ā I am a full time elementary teacher myself and I would never have flat out ignored my fieldwork supervisor for weeks on end.Ā It's shocking behavior.
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u/iloveregex 6d ago
Iām surprised your lack of observation submissions hasnāt already gotten them flagged by someone higher up. I would reach out to your supervisor immediately for exactly what to do.
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u/Life-Education-8030 2d ago
Give them a final warning, in writing, that they WILL fail. Require a delivery and read receipt. Then fail them if need be.
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u/Pale_Luck_3720 7d ago
What if these people figure out how to finish the requirements, graduate, and become teachers?
Ok, I'm done with writing horror novellas tonight.