Today I am sharing with you all my 5 must know tips for when you are on your teaching internship. If I knew these when I was going on my internship or even just my final pracs, I swear life at a beginning teacher would have been a lot easier. 

NUMBER ONE:

In this article I am going to be talking a lot about how teachers are a community of sharers, and that it is okay to borrow information, ideas and resources or even just been inspired by other teachers and how they teach. In fact, I really do suggest that even as a beginning teacher you aim to observe at least 3 other teachers in action per term in order to add to your own teaching toolkit. 

This leads me to the first major tip for you when you're on your internship. USE PINTEREST on a daily basis. Pinterest will be your guiding light through your internship and through teaching. It is full of ideas, and resources and I just find other amazing teachers and their blogs on there which I am so inspired by. A lot of teachers in Australia don't use pinterest and/or have never even heard about it. So your ideas and creativity are bound to stand out to the school you are at and your mentoring teacher. 

NUMBER TWO: 

Photocopy everything you can find and add it to your teaching resources folder (with your mentors permission of course). Photocopy how they organise their reading groups, their timetable, their homework, how they do maths warm-ups.. the whole shebang! One thing I regret not taking advantage of, was the fact that my mentor teacher told me 'go through all my folders and take whatever you want' and I didn't because I felt bad. Now I wish I could remember how she structured her reading groups and phonics lessons. These are two things I am currently struggling with (organisation wise). 

NUMBER THREE:

This tip may or may not get you a job at your internship school so listen up! I did this, and was told the only reason I didn't get offered a job was simply because there were no positions to be filled (thinking back at it I am glad because I love the school I am at now and couldn't love my job anymore than I do) but I know a lot of you will be stressing about finding a job after your internship. 

Hold a 'culminating afternoon' or day.  This is where you can showcase to your mentor, your students parents, other teachers and even possibly the principal of the school what you have done on your entire internship and the journey you have taken with the students. I filmed the excursion we went on and edited it into a cool movie and then played that for parents and family with popcorn, treats and students work displayed. It was super fun and very rewarding. 

My mentor told me that an old pre-service student of hers held a whole cultural day for the school and was offered permanency on the spot! So it does work. 

There you have it, my secrets and MUST DO tips!

Leave your burning questions and comments below as always.

Maddie x