As I’m sitting here during my last week of student teaching, I keep coming back to one thought: how is it that student teachers don’t get paid?
Technically, I knew what I was signing up for. Everyone tells you early on that student teaching is a full-time commitment. You’re in the classroom all day, planning lessons, working with students, meeting with your supervisor and cooperating teacher, and trying to stay on top of everything that is required for your certification.
What no one really prepares you for is how unrealistic it feels to do all of that for free.
There’s also this expectation that you shouldn’t be working while student teaching. In theory, that makes sense because of how demanding it is. But in reality, not everyone has the financial stability or security to just stop working. Some of us don’t have that option. Bills don’t pause just because you’re in a classroom all day. Groceries still need to be bought, and basic needs don’t go away. It creates a situation where student teachers are expected to choose between fully committing to their placement and being able to support themselves.
Yes, there is a stipend or grant you can apply for, like the Pennsylvania Student Teacher Support Program. On paper, it sounds like exactly what student teachers need. It offers a few thousand dollars to help offset the fact that you are essentially working a full-time job without getting paid. For a lot of us, that money could go toward groceries, transportation, or just basic living expenses during those few months.
But once you actually start looking into it, it is not that simple. The program is not guaranteed, which means you can go through the entire application process and still not receive anything. So even that support is uncertain.
Then there are the requirements that come with it. In order to receive the funding, you have to commit to working in Pennsylvania for a certain number of years after you graduate. If you do not meet that requirement, the grant can turn into something you have to pay back. That adds a level of pressure that not everyone is ready for, especially when you are just starting out and still figuring out where you want to work.
On the surface, that sounds helpful. But once you actually look into it, it gets complicated. For a lot of students at Moravian University, especially those from New Jersey or New York, that money comes with strings attached. You have to commit to working in Pennsylvania for a certain amount of time. That might be fine at first, but it limits your options before you even get started in your career.
Then, it gets even more frustrating. Some school districts are hesitant to take student teachers who qualify for that stipend because the cooperating teacher receives part of the funding. It turns into this strange situation where something that is supposed to support future educators actually makes placements more complicated.
On top of all of that, there are the everyday costs that no one really talks about. My situation is a little different because I don’t have a car, which has been a challenge in itself. I’ve walked 40 minutes just to get to my field placement before, and I’ve taken the bus when I could. Both options still cost money or time that I honestly don’t have. It adds up quickly.
Even something as simple as food becomes another thing to think about. You’re expected to be there all day, which means packing a lunch every single day or buying food when you forget. Groceries are not cheap, and neither is grabbing something quick between lessons. It sounds small, but when you’re not getting paid at all, every single expense matters.
It’s hard not to feel like student teachers are expected to just figure it out. We’re doing the work of a full-time job while also paying for tuition, transportation, groceries, and everything else that comes with being a college student. At the same time, we’re constantly being told how important teachers are and how much the field needs us.
Those two ideas don’t really line up.
If we truly value future educators, there needs to be more support during student teaching. That could mean consistent financial compensation, fewer restrictions tied to stipends, or, at the very least, more transparency about what students are getting into before they reach this point.
I’ve learned a lot during my student teaching experience, and I wouldn’t trade the time I’ve spent in the classroom. But it’s hard to ignore the bigger picture. For something that is required to enter the profession, student teaching feels like a system that hasn’t caught up with reality.
At the end of the day, we’re not just learning how to teach. We’re already doing it. And that work deserves to be recognized in more ways than just a line on a resume.
