This August I will start my student teaching for K-8 with an emphasis in Early Childhood Education. I haven't told any of my clients yet I'm waiting for placement first. I plan on hiring an assistant to help out for the 4 months. Has anyone done anything similar to this and stayed open? I'm not sure i want to tell parents I'm student teaching. They will know that I will be gone daily, but I haven't decided on what to tell them. Any suggestions, I'm hoping to keep most since I will be done before Christmas Holiday.

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im interested to know as well!!! I have been playing with the idea of finishing school and wondered about having a sub for 3 days a week or so..

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I would be honest. I'm sure they will support you!

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That's what I hate about the AA for CD is that student teaching is required (for 2 semesters). I am supposed to take it next semester but apparently the 1 cd class I didn't take last semester is a new prerequisite for it (But I might be able to get by with catalog rights). Which means if I don't get it this semester I will have to wait another year. to take it and to graduate with an AA in CD (this up coming year is already going to be my third year in school and I am on financial aid close to 90 units). and what sucks is that with student teaching (3 credits on every Thursday night) they want you to do field work (at least 2 credits; 60 volunteer hours= 1 credit; 75 work hours= 1 credit) at a center at least 3 days a week for 3 continuous hours each shift. Also my school requires that you are taking at least 7 units when enrolled in student teaching and financial aid requires me to be a full time student to get aid. My teacher said that the 2 year requirement for CD is unrealistic and it takes most students 4 years to complete mostly because of the requirements of student teaching (might as well be getting a bachelors for how long it takes) also most AAs only require 18 major units but CD totals to over 24 major credits (including core classes, student teaching and electives). Its no wonder why not many people want to get an AA in CD, it's too much work. Though I still want to go for it if I can incase they ever change the requirements for home daycare (keep hearing rumors that they might eventually), I'm meeting with my councilor today; but even if I don't I can still get 3 Language Arts AA's (in elementary education, multiple subject and behavior social science) and an ECE certificate, possibly a FCC/Foster care certificate (if they decide to offer it again).

I know one woman who does home daycare for only infants and she was trying to get an AA in CD too and is doing student teaching but I never asked her what she did with daycare kids while she did field work. Anyway Good luck!

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Where are you located? I may be able to connect you with a Mentor Teacher that can come to you if it is an area that I am familiar with. Or, if you are going to hire a sub anyway, see if you can find one with a Master Teacher Permit, then, as long as your environment is up to par, you can do practicum at your place. That is what I did.

I am a Mentor Teacher now and the students come to my program.

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Hi Crystal,

I am located about an hour north of San Diego in Orange County. The mentor program you are talking about sounds awesome, but I have to do my student teaching for K-3 the first 8 weeks and 4th-8th the second 8 weeks semester. For this Degree I had to take 24 Early Childhood units. I wish I could do student teaching in a preschool as I've had to observe in preschools and enjoyed that more than my k-8 practicum requirements. Your post did give an idea, maybe I can do my first 8 weeks in a private school from preschool through 3rd grade.

Thanks

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I would have to close for student teaching.

Can you use an assistant for that many hours w/o you being present? My home daycare license stipulates that the max hours of a substitute is like...25 hrs per month. An assistant with me on site, is an unlimited # of hours. Now, if you are a center, my comments do not matter.

Good Luck!

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I closed completely when I did student teaching, but we were also moving, so I knew I wouldn't be opening back up. Had we not moved, I would've just told parents what I was doing and maybe look for some providers that could take them for the duration of my student teaching until I opened back up. Some parents may not come back, some may, but starting from scratch is a possibility. If you planned on making any changes to your program it would be a good time though!

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Here, per licensing, we can only have an assistant for 20 full days per year. You might want to check into your state's rules regarding that.

Good luck with your student teaching - it's a lot of work, but a lot of fun!

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I did all my student teaching through our local Early Childhood Family Education department.

All the classes I student taught at were in the evenings or on weekends.

Even though my actual Teacher's license is for birth through grade 3, I wanted to focus on pre-k since I knew I would never be teaching anything but pre-k students.

I did do a few weeks in a Kindergarten class but had a sub come in for those days. I was receiving a T.E.A.C.H. grant through the local CCR&R and the grant covered the costs of hiring the sub and travel time too.

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