Stressed during teaching practicum. Is this normal?
I recently started my first teaching practicum for literacy and social studies. I overall love my mentor and enjoy the students. The practicum takes place Mondays and Wednesdays from 8am-4pm every week. My mentor teacher asked me to come in at 7:30 since classes start at 7:55. My friends in the practicum are doing way less work. I am about to start week 4 and some of them are still observing like they're supposed to. My mentor was having me do a math lesson on the first day and it's not part of my practicum. I am also grading papers and staying late to sharpen pencils and help clean. I have done math lessons for weeks now as well as literacy. She knows i'm social studies/literacy. She also knows I am not supposed to be doing lessons until half way through the semester. I feel burnt out already and I am taking 20 credits at the college which I can't drop. Idk what to do and all my friends just help out in small ways and I feel like I have taken over the class. I even went and bought supplies for her lessons for me to teach. I am so stressed and I have to do this next semester with a different mentor for science and math. I had to quit my job to do the practicums and I am working more than I was before but for free. I kind of just want to drop out and forget it and go back to working as a waitress. Hello again. Thank you to those who have given advice. I wanted to clarify that my practicum is 16 weeks. My program set it up where the first 8 weeks are supposed to be full-time observation and the next 8 is observation and teaching. I am only required to do 4 lesson plans.2 for social studies and 2 for literacy. I was a transfer student so my adviser passed me for the 20 credits to graduate only 1 year late instead of 2 years late since some classes are only offered during certain semesters.
Answers
Laurie
You say, "like they're supposed to". What makes you think that is true?
One of the purposes of a practicum is to give you an idea about what teaching is really like. A practicum is like a part-time job.
Did you not know you were taking 20 credit hours before you signed up for the practicum? Perhaps you should have waited until you were taking fewer credit hours.
Have you discussed this with the professor who is supervising your practicum?
The ONLY way to deal with this is to talk with whomever is supervising you, and with the teacher to whom you are assigned.
?
Perhaps you should talk to your mentor; explain to her that while you don't mind doing some extra work, you are not properly certified to be doing some of the work she is requiring of you.
Also mention that it's affecting your course load.
On the bright side, you are getting a lot of practical experience that most student teachers don't get.
Was this article helpful?
Thank you! Your feedback will help us improve the support experience.
Related questions
What are your thoughts of teacher pay rates?
Do feel that they should stay the same, be lower, or even raised? If so why do you feel that way and should there be stipulations applied?...