Practicum Teachers

There is another side of taking practicum teachers - the side where the teacher instructors benefit.  A good practicum teacher is worth their weight in gold.  Some of the reasons for taking a practicum student:

• They are the bees of education, cross pollinating ideas from one school to another and from their own educational background
• They bring enthusiasm into the classroom
• They are an extra pair of eyes, ears and hands
• They lack pre-conceived notions and challenge the status quo
• They bring fresh ideas, a level of innocence and hope
• They lack some of our cynicism and crustiness
• It forces us to re-evaluate our own teaching practices
• They bring youthfulness into teaching staff
• It provides some longevity to our own learning when seen in their teaching

Most of all they can be a lot of fun. Once in your fourth or fifth year, I'd heartily recommend taking one for a term.