Anyone ever taken time off from student teaching for a WDW vacation?

[MommyBryn]

Just wondering how it went for you. I know it'll just depend on DH's specific situation (the school he's in, the requirements, etc), but I was curious how things worked out in general with missing out on student teaching. We're hoping to go back in Jan/Feb 2009 and it'll be the first month or two of DH's student teaching, so we're hoping it'll work out.

Update in post #5.

 

[LaurenMic]

I really think it will depend on the school and their requirements. I myself start student teaching the first week of February, so I booked my next Disney trip for January to be on the safe side since I didn't know what school I would be at yet/if they would let me have that much time off. But I have friends who took time off during their student teaching without a problem. One of them took a whole week for a cheerleading competition....it all comes down to whether you get permission from the school.

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

I agree with the previous poster about how it can depend on the school and program you are in if you will be able to take time off.

I was not able to take any days off during student teaching. If we were out sick for a day we had to make it up, but the way the schedule was it was very difficult to do even that.

Student teaching can be very difficult and time consuming. It's best not to miss any days, even if your program allows it, and it's also best to try to keep your commitments to a minimum.

 

[Melissa_E]

I agree with the previous posters, I wouldn't plan for any trips during student teaching. At my school, even during the college's spring break, I was expected to continue going to to the high school where I student taught. I had to follow their schedule.

I would check the college's schedule to see if student teaching starts directly at the beginning of the semester or a little later. I believe we had about a week or two before we started student teaching. Frankly, if I was a cooperating teacher (and I am trained as one), I would not look very favorably towards a student teacher that planned their vacation while they were supposed to be learning the teaching trade.

This may sound harsh, but it would tell me a lot about their dependability while they had a teaching job. I probably wouldn't be a good source for a recommendation just based on that fact. Most school districts will want to contact the cooperating teacher to find out about the student teaching experience.

Good luck with your plans!

 

[MommyBryn]

Well this no longer even applies! I totally forgot that DH's semester starts LATE in Jan so that gives us pretty much the entire month to go.

 

[ImagineerM]

Awesome news...I am student teaching this semester, but I start on Jan 2...they won't let us take time off at all for vacation.

 

[blondinkaya]

I don't mean to barge in and it's totally OT, but how are you all liking student teaching? Did your education classes prepare you for it?

I just transferred to my fourth college (ouch! Dh is military and we keep moving--I told him we're staying put this time until I graduate!), and I keep having to repeat core classes because of transferability issues. I did take a couple of basic education classes at my last school (math foundations, etc), but those didn't transfer, either. Hopefully, by this fall, I'll have those core classes redone/completed in order to start the upper level classes. I hope, anyway!

I don't know anyone who was able to tell me about their student teaching experience. I'm majoring in early childhood education (K-5 here, at my last school my major was elementary education, which covered 2-6) with a certification in special education. Anyone currently in or finish a similar program?

 

[graygables]

chiming in late with my experience...I was in the midst of my last semester of student teaching when my supervising teacher delivered her baby early. The school got permission from the state for me to be a paid substitute and resume my student teaching later in the summer. I had already booked my DDs and I on a graduation trip to WDW, so the school hired a substitute for the substitute (me!) so I could take my trip. I finished out my student teaching during the first semester of summer school and they hired me to stay on and teach the 2nd semester.

As far as classes preparing me, no, I don't believe they did. There was a LOT of politics, backstabbing, and kissing up that I was ill-prepared for and it only got worse once I was hired. My 2 regular years of teaching were more about playing a game, trying to not get caught up in the political maneuverings, but I failed miserably and wound up resigning. You are very lucky if you get into a school that doesn't have all the "behind the scenes" that my 2 schools had. Lord, have mercy, I could have written a novel!

 

[hematite153]

I agree with the previous poster...it depends a LOT on school, school board, etc.

When I was student teaching, I had peers who were sick enough to be vomiting 2-3 times per class but still teaching because missing a day, even to be sick, wasn't an option. (I had one peer who missed 3 days because her grandfather died and she ended up getting disciplined for it.)

So, I wouldn't count on being able to travel.