I’m a pre-service teacher and I’m starting a placement next week where I’ll just be observing the class, no teaching yet. My mentor teacher said that taking notes should be enough for this phase, and I totally respect that.
But I’m keen to soak up as much as possible while I’m in the room. I don’t want to be passive or get in the way, but I also don’t want to miss opportunities to actually learn.
For current teachers: What did your best PSTs do during observation days that actually helped them later? What annoyed you or crossed a boundary?
For other pre-service teachers: What do you wish you’d done differently during observation weeks? Any systems for notes, questions, or reflections that actually helped when you started teaching?
I’m in Victoria, Australia if that matters for context. Thanks heaps in advance — trying to make the most of it without overstepping.