Week 2 - Trouble with a Cooperating Teacher

Week 2 – Trouble with a Cooperating Teacher

For the second week of discussion, I chose a post from the teacher.net Student Teacher Chatboard. The conversation ranged from 10/23/09 until 10/31/09.

The first post in the thread is from a student teacher identified as Trouble. In the post, Trouble describes her relationship with her cooperating teacher as tumultuous. They got started on the wrong foot over a miscommunication over a starting date. Other student teachers from different universities started the week before Trouble did. The cooperating teacher took this to mean that Trouble was being irresponsible, and was subsequently berated on her first day. Trouble states that the cooperating teacher is not available, and that they do not communicate freely. The cooperating teacher has not informed Trouble of school procedures or activities. She does not offer any advice about Trouble’s teaching, in fact Trouble states the only time the teacher speaks to her is when it is expected in front of other teachers. If Trouble approaches her with questions, or disagrees with a method that has been presented by the cooperating teacher, the teacher becomes defensive and yells at Trouble. Trouble goes as far as to question if this is a normal relationship between student and cooperating teachers.

The response posts center around common advice. They go on to tell Trouble that this is not how the relationship should be, but from the tone of most of the posts, it is how many relationships exist. Many, including myself, retold horror stories of working with uncooperative teachers. These shared stories aid in building the bonds that exist between those in common situations. The most common phrase of advice is to discuss the matter with a university advisor. The advisor can act as a mediator between the cooperating teacher and Trouble. The advisor can help guide a more productive relationship out of the two.

Other advice given was to have an honest conversation in a non-confrontational manner. The issue needs to be addressed, and since Trouble had made mention that any conversation between the two usually ends with the teacher becoming defensive, Trouble will need to work harder to keep the tone level. One poster said to remind the cooperating teacher that a student teacher is there to learn from her, so she should be setting a better example.

Questions you posed with responses

My post on the thread started as most of those before me had. I retold my own personal horror story of my experience with my cooperating teacher from my middle school student teaching placement. My teacher was all over the place, completely unorganized and quite ill-prepared to have a student teacher. She had been teaching for 15 years, but her experience did not come through in her advice to me. The stress was compounded with the fact that my placement ended the same day as the State Math Exam so the last few weeks were especially difficult. I felt as if retelling my experience would help show Trouble that she is not alone when it comes to the issue of having trouble with a cooperating teacher.

My question posed to Trouble was if she would have the chance to have a second placement. Some colleges give one 16 week placement in one school, other colleges, like mine, give two 8 week placements where one is at a middle school and the other is at a high school. For those in the elementary program, they spend 8 weeks in the lower grades (1^st – 3^rd) and 8 weeks in the higher grades (4^th – 6^th). In my case, my second cooperating teacher gave me excellent advice and an overall amazing experience student teaching. I chose to pose this question because I wanted to know if Trouble would have the chance to know what it is like to work with a stronger teacher. At this point, Trouble has not posted back on the thread in response to any questions or advice.

Responses to others' questions

My advice to Trouble was to continue to be helpful and kind to the cooperating teacher. Maybe the teacher will get the hint and start to treat Trouble the same way. I also suggested inviting the teacher to have lunch with her so they could find common ground to bond over, specifically something outside of school. Through this, the cooperating teacher begins to see Trouble as more of an equal as opposed to a subordinate.

Considering I have just completed my student teaching this past Spring, I thought I would have some good advice to new student teachers. I came across a post titled, “co-teacher trouble” and knew this would be the discussion I followed for the week. As stated above, I had a very difficult relationship with my first cooperating teacher and thought I had sound advice to give. Also as stated above, Trouble has not yet posted back to the other responders.

Useful information for your teaching in the future

After answering Trouble’s post, I took time to reflect on my own student teaching. I thought about how I would love to have the chance to work with a student teacher once I was in the field for a few years. I would love to have the chance to help confirm and develop another person's passion for teaching. It also went to confirm that many student teachers have troublesome relationships with their cooperating teachers and made a mental note to myself that when I work with a student teacher, I will not act in a demeaning or cruel way. The cooperating teacher’s job is to help the student teacher hone their skills as a teacher, not to make them feel threatened in a harsh environment which might put them off to teaching. I say this because it is exactly how I felt after my first placement during my student teaching. Luckily my skills were confirmed and passion reignited after working in a high school with a much better cooperating teacher.