Support for New Aspiring Educators

Welcome to the Aspiring Educator family! We are here to guide you through every step of your journey to become an educator. Check out our resources below to learn more about the ins-and-outs of our program, a layout of the typical steps of an aspiring educator, and how to get more involved with your union.

Resources for New Aspiring Educators

Aspiring Educator 101

• Benefits of Membership
• Frequently Asked Questions

How to Get Involved 

• Attend the Aspiring Educator Conference
• Build and Grow Your Aspiring Educator Chapter
• Become a National Aspiring Educator Leader

Helpful Resources

• Jack Kinnaman Scholarship for Aspiring Educators
• How to Become a Teacher Podcast Mini-Series

Student Teaching and Residencies

Your time as a student teacher is your best and last chance to get real classroom experience before you take control of your very own classroom, so it’s one of the most important parts of your teacher training. Everyone’s experience is unique, but we want to give you an idea of what to expect: green flags, red flags, and tips to help make the most of your internship time.

In addition to the resources below, Aspiring Educators join all NEA members in advocating for paid educator preparation program. Expanding the Federal Work-Study program would help to pay some of the cost for residency programs and enable more aspiring educators, principals, and school leaders to participate in them.

Advocate for Paid Residencies

Make the Most of Your Experience

To help you make the most of the student teaching experience, we gathered advice from current student teachers, early career educators, cooperating teachers, EPP faculty, school district hiring personnel, experts who track who is hired and how well they succeed in their career.

• Choose the Right Program: They may call student teaching “clinical practice,” “residency,” or a variety of other names.  Regardless of what it’s called, here are a few desired features that you should discuss with your program advisor. 
• Build Positive Professional Relationships: Principals, district personnel directors, cooperating teachers, and university supervisors all agree there are some very basic habits that are essential for success as a student teacher. They also agree that demonstrating a commitment to these basic actions determines whether a teacher candidate will be considered for employment when seeking that first job. 
• Engage Beyond the Classroom: A list of activities we recommend invaluable list of learning experiences that will truly help you become a better teacher for each of your students and a key to leadership development to advance your professional career for years to come.  

Addressing Common Challenges 

• Advocating for Bullied Students
• Helping with Grief and Loss
• How to Avoid Burnout
• Preparing Substitute Teachers
• Reduce Noise and Chatter
• Supporting Students with Trauma
• Understanding Disruptive Students

Suggested Activities and Lesson Plans

• Better Lessons: NEA has partnered with the Master Teacher Project to build a database of free, comprehensive lessons and effective strategies created by high-performing teachers across the country.
• Read Across America: NEA’s Read Across America is the nation’s largest celebration of reading. This year-round program focuses on motivating children and teens to read through events, partnerships, and reading resources that are about everyone, for everyone.
• Build Just and Equitable Schools: NEA's Center for Social Justice has created a professional development program designed to help educators identify and correct explicit and implicit discrimination in their classrooms.

More Lesson Plans:

• Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
• Black History Month
• Climate Change
• Earth Day
• Elections
• Jewish American Heritage Month
• Hispanic Heritage Month
• Teaching Juneteenth
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
• Memorial Day
• Native and Alaska Native Heritage Month
• Teaching Financial Literacy
• Thanksgiving
• Women's History Month
• Veterans Day