7.16.2014

Let's talk about STUDENT TEACHERS! Giveaway!

Ladies and gentlemen, I have come here today to admit that I have a problem. They say that admitting you have a problem is the first step to moving forward. Ready for it? I, Khrys Bosland, am a total control freak. Seriously, I have issues. If they locked people in tiny padded rooms for being OCD Type A perfectionists who cannot give up control for even a moment, then MAN I would have been thrown in that hole years ago. I overanalyze every situation and focus on the most minuscule details possible. Everything. Must. Be. Perfect. Sweet jesus. Now you are all picturing me rocking back and forth in a straight jacked with my hair all whacked out and my eyes all twitchy. Let me be clear, I am not a crazy. Ok, maybe a little, but who isn't?!

All of this being said, you can see my hesitation when it comes to having an intern or student teacher. I ALWAYS said to myself, there is no way on this great green Earth that I would ever be able to relinquish control long enough to assist a new teacher in their journey. Especially when my pay depends on how well my students score on the end of the year test (let's not even think about opening that can of worms right now). Talk about stress.

Well I am here to tell you that YES pigs can fly, and  hell has frozen over, and the bright sun has risen in the west, and yes, even the cows have come home because this year, I had an intern! Hooray! And I am a much better teacher because of it :) I gave up control and it almost pains me to admit this out loud, so I think I will whisper it, **I actually ENJOYED it** GASP! SHOCK! {somebody just passed out} Yes my lovely ones, I enjoyed it. It was amazing. And I'm not sure I will ever do it again. HA!

So let's talk about student teachers. More specifically, let's talk about MY student teacher. She was an angel sent from heaven, a true little treasure in this world. And she looked like a supermodel.


Is she not adorable?! Let me tell you, the moment we began working together, I knew that it would be a perfect fit. She actually understood my OCD and she thought just like me! She could literally tell me exactly what I was going to say. Plus she was super creative, organized, and helpful and a total go-getter. I wanted to start her off on the right track so on her very first day, I gave her a little gift basket full of fun goodies from Target! I added treats and office supplies, a planner, and a picture frame that she could put on her desk in our room!

 I also made her a super organized and informative (ahem, there's that ocd shining through) Internship Binder packed with everything she would need to know to have a successful internship!

Here are pictures of SOME of the pages I included:


She absolutely LOVED it! I was so happy that she found it helpful.
You can grab this EDITABLE binder pack for your new intern or student teacher from my TPT store by clicking HERE or clicking the picture below!


After that first day, we were linked. She was an awesome teacher to begin with, which was super helpful. As I watched her teach and helped her grow, I was amazed at how great she was doing. I felt excited about her future and all of the incredible things that she was destined for.


When it was finally time for my intern to leave us, I literally cried and cried. I was so sad to see her go. After spending months together, relying on each other constantly, it was sad (and truly a bit scary) to see her go. I found myself thinking, how do I do this on my own?! There is nothing like having a second person in the room when you teach kindergarten. How often I would say "can you grab that..." or "can you run her to the..." or "where is that.." So on that last day, I did it up Bosland style!


Did you know that Publix can make picture cakes?! I created a powerpoint slide and added all the pictures and graphics. Then printed it out and brought the page to Publix. They make an editable version and print it right on the cake. It was about $50, which is a bit steep, but the end result was definitely worth it in my opinion. Super cool right?!


Most of these little gifts I bought from Hobby Lobby! The pencil with her name on it was from Etsy and it was only $15! You can find it at the Etsy shop "WonderfullyWordy05".

The template for the little thumbprint tree gift is included in my Student Teacher Binder Pack mentioned above!


I HAD to include the Frozen soundtrack in her bucket. We must have listened to it every single day during snack time for like weeks. The kids were completely obsessed and honestly, so were we in the end. I'm not gonna lie, we may have had a Frozen sing-off one day after the kids left. Just sayin' - it's catchy.

One of my favorite things that I included in her gift was a book from every unit that she taught the little ones during her time with us. It was a great memory for her to remember her experience with us as well as a fantastic way to begin her own classroom library! The books I included were all books that we had read from the following units:



The kids did NOT want to see her go, and neither did I. It was so sad!

In the end, the kids had an amazing year with two fun teachers in the room! I had an amazing year with the help of my awesome intern. And Ms. Chase had an amazing year learning and growing with our crazy little kinder-krew!

So I survived my very first experience with a student teacher and I loved it! Hooray! I'm not sure if I will be having another intern any time soon. I think I want to take a year off and be on my own. This year has been totally bonkers and I'm ready for a normal, relaxed year. But I'll never say never, so who knows!

FLASH GIVEAWAY!!
Leave a comment below telling me about your intern experience or if you would/wouldn't want an intern (please include your name and email)!
I will choose one winner on Thursday at 5 pm and send them the Student Teacher Binder Pack for free!!

Good luck :) Love ya tons! XO

10 comments:

  1. I have had two student teachers and they were both stellar! In fact, I was just a bridesmaid in my first student teacher's wedding last weekend! Glad you had an awesome experience and I know she learned so much from you and your littles.
    -Andrea
    alwayskindergarten@gmail.com

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  2. I would want an intern/student teacher BUT it would need to be someone who truly loved kids. I have seen some folks who really didn't care- and for some reason were getting their degree in something that didn't matter to them...so that would NOT fare well with me! I am the OCD/Type A kind as well.
    Amy
    chevalier.amy@gmail.com

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  3. I wish I had a Master Teacher like you when I was going through the student teaching process! I had a less than ideal time in a sixth grade classroom. The teacher was about to retire, and just didn't care anymore. The way you made that student teacher feel welcome in your class, and set her up for success is what all Master Teachers should aspire to!
    Mrs. B's Beehive

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  4. That sounds like a scary situation for the both of you turned into a wonderful, learning experience! I'm positive she loved that binder, who wouldn't? You're not alone in having a hard time sharing your room with others, I mean, what if they were absolutely awful?!?! It's a scary situation at first but is so rewarding for all involved, the teacher, student teacher/intern, and the kiddos! Thank you for sharing this binder and good luck to all of us trying to win it! ☺️
    Rachel
    Lantayr@gmail.com

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  5. I would love to have a student teacher a few years down the road, just not quite yet. I am about to start my fourth year teaching, my second as a kindergarten teacher. I need a few more years to get my mind wrapped around everything before I start teaching someone else how to be a teacher!
    Katie N.
    katienussbaum87@gmail.com

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  6. I had my first student teacher last spring and loved it! She did a really nice job engaging the kids and was always prepared--especially to transition from a fifth grade placement! I'd love to win your binder because I attempted one of my own (yours is by far cuter) and plan to have another student teacher at some point. Thanks for a great giveaway!

    Christin Shiftingteacherk2@gmail.com
    Shifting Teacher K-2

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  7. I'm glad it ended up being a good experience! I'm sure she learned a ton working with you! I've had 2 student teachers and countless practicum students. It can be very fun, but it is also a lot of work! Sometimes I think I'd rather just do it myself! But, I try to remember that I had fantastic experiences when I was in college and I want to offer the best possible experience to the college students who work in my room, whether for several weeks or a whole semester. :) I love how organized your binder is and would love to win a copy!

    Cathy VerSteeg
    cathy@missversteeg.com
    www.missversteeg.com

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  8. It's great to hear positive experiences with student interns. My experiences with the two student interns I have had were not quite what I had hoped for, but I'm always willing to try it again! They just weren't quite ready to be where they were. However, I did have what they call a "block student" who was in her very first classroom situation, and she was outstanding! A natural. I would have loved to have had her as an intern. I'm sure she made some teacher happy somewhere!! I would love to win the binder, thanks for the chance!

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