How I’m Staying Alive During My First Semester of Student Teaching

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Lasell chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

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I’ve officially made it to my senior year of college, which means things are starting to get real. In previous years, I’ve gone to my student teaching placement only once a week and for four hours. However, this semester, I’m teaching full-day twice a week. It’s been incredibly rewarding so far, and I’m very grateful that my education program prepares us for when we get to our senior student teaching. But, it also means I’ve started going to bed earlier, and I’ve adopted some new habits to make getting out the door easier in the morning. 

The first item that I’ve come to live and breathe by is my student teaching binder. This binder goes everywhere with me now, because it contains so much information and resources. I’ve sectioned it to make finding what I need easier, such as my copy of the bell schedule and my lesson planning materials. I also keep every handout from my class that goes along with my student teaching experience, so I can refer back to the information as needed. Having everything I could need organized in one place has been so helpful these first few weeks, and I know it’s going to be a big help once I’m full-time teaching in the spring.  Since I’ve been going to bed early to make sure I get enough sleep, I’ve been prepping items the night before. I pack my lunch and keep it in my fridge, so all I have to do in the morning is grab it and add an ice pack. I also made sure to start buying easy foods for my lunch that don’t require much preparation beforehand. I’m not usually hungry right away in the morning, so Fairlife protein shakes have been a game-changer because I can drink them before the first period even begins. I’ve also been laying my clothes out the night before, right down to my socks. This way, I can throw my clothes on in the morning and not have to worry about digging through my drawers to find what I need. It also removes the time I would usually spend being indecisive about what to wear. Finally, I’ve been packing my bag the night before, so I only have to double-check that I have everything before I head out the door. These three habits have saved me so much time getting ready, and have made it a less stressful process.