The Challenge of Student Teaching/Practicum

Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash.

October 11, 2023

Isabella LaFrance, Contributing Writer

For years UMF has molded an outstanding teaching program. Many have graduated from UMF to become teachers and now are prospering. 

Student teaching takes up a ton of your time as a college student. Practicum doesn’t take up as much time, and still allows you to be present in your college experience. 

Taylor Veilleux, a current practicum student states, “I definitely still feel like a college student while in my practicum because I am only in my placement for two days a week. I spend a lot of my free time with my friends. I also still have classes five days a week which still gives me the feeling of being a college student and having the college experience.” 

Many student teachers and practicum students also play a sport on campus, and they are still able to manage their time. 

Abby Landry, a current student that is student teaching states, “ I do Rugby for fun and because I enjoy it, it’s nice to be able to just let loose, be myself, and blow off steam for a couple hours. The practice schedule for rugby is flexible too, so I usually go to 2-3 practices a week.” 

It is possible to play a club sport/varsity sport and still be a full time college student who is student teaching and/or in their practicum. 

Student teaching and practicum experiences not only prepare future educators for their careers but also serve as networking opportunities.

College students involved in these programs often find themselves navigating a demanding schedule, as they juggle lesson planning, classroom instruction, and grading with their own coursework, exams, and assignments.

Time management is the key to everything regarding student teaching/practicum. To say it’s not stressful would be a lie. Stress is the enemy and it’s inevitable, but manageable.

Landry says, “Student teaching is stressful but ultimately so rewarding. I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything, which I feel holds true in any sort of field/internship experience people will have on campus. Anybody who’s doing something similar and feels stressed or wonders what they’re doing/why they’re doing this is definitely not alone. At the end of the day this is all worth it and makes us better people.”