A Day in the Life of an NYU Student Teacher

After a short meeting and some classroom prep with my amazing mentor teacher, my students show up! I’m currently teaching in a Pre-Kindergarten classroom at a public school in Williamsburg. The morning goes by quickly as I help students unpack and begin morning activities. We have a fun class meeting in which we greet each other, celebrate a birthday, and sing a few songs, before breaking into small groups where I oversee an art activity. Soon it’s time to walk my students to physical education and use the short break to prepare for a read-aloud.

Next, the students return from a short recess and I read them the book “Signs of Spring”. I’ve created a lesson plan for this activity for one of my classes, Foundations of Literacy Development. It’s awesome that so many of my academic assignments relate directly to student teaching. The read-aloud goes well and the students have independent center time before their lunch.

Now, the rest of the school day passes in a blur of rest time, my lunch break, small group work, and an exciting trip to the playground. I teach at my placement twice a week, so I’m very familiar with the routine. Before I know it, it’s time to head home.

I log on to a Discord shift for Admissions Ambassadors. It’s so fun to chat with admitted students in the class of 2027 and answer their questions!

It’s time for a zoom meeting for “Student Teaching in Early Childhood Education.” I have this class with my fellow cohort members once a week to discuss our placements. Today we’re talking about things that surprised us at our schools and combating ableism in the classroom. I eat a quick dinner and start to walk to the Paulson Center for my last class.

It’s time for one of my favorite classes: University Singers! I auditioned for this choir on a whim this semester, and love having a musical outlet in my pretty rigorous schedule this semester. We’re currently preparing for a concert in May, so we spend the two-hour rehearsal going over our repertoire and learning new music!