I had such a wonderful time at my local placement, that I almost didn’t want to leave. I taught in a 6th grade classroom and loved every minute of it. The 6th grade team was wonderful and they felt like one big family; I felt so comfortable being there and asking for help. I cannot believe that I learned so much, in such a short amount of time.

Speaking of short amount of time… If you are considering studying abroad for the second half of your student teaching, be prepared to be stressed! The stress is definitely manageable and so worth it, but at times it feels impossible. My biggest suggestion is to start early with everything. After you finish the block, start planning your trip and expenses. Make sure that you understand exactly what you need to do to get ready! Secondly, I would contact your local teacher/school as soon as you can. I was able to start on the elementary school’s first day of school, even though BSU didn’t start until a week later. This was so helpful, getting to know my teacher and class, without the stress of the CAP/student teaching assignments. It also gives you a chance to ease into the environment.

Ask as many questions as you can and as soon as possible. One mistake that I made, was not reading the STA and CAP assignment packets fully, before starting to do everything. So, when I was wrapping up my local placement, I was finding that a lot of the assignments I could have done way earlier, if I had read through the syllabus more thoroughly, when I got it. Also, make sure that your supervising practitioner knows you are studying abroad, so they know that you will need to get everything done within the two months that you are given!

Most of all, once you have your final three-way meeting, you will feel the weight of the world off your shoulders! So, keep that in mind, when you are feeling stressed out. I am done with everything and now I get to cherish this new and exciting experience!

Good luck!