Most teachers have only one student teaching experience. At the end of the semester, I had student teachers I supervised create a storyboard. Our last meeting was a celebration of the highs and lows of their student teaching experience. The storyboard is a creative way for student teachers to reflect on this time in their life. It’s a story unlike anyone else’s they are sure to remember for years to come.

I created the Storyboard Activity for my student teachers after a trip to Walt Disney World. There was an attraction called The Art of Animation at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Orlando, Florida. I saw how the Disney Company and Imagineers created storyboards and thought, “We could do that!”

Student teachers complete the storyboard draft before our lastmeeting. This gives them time to think about each prompt instead of being put on the spot. They can illustrate or create a collage to accompany each cell of their storyboard. Each student teacher presents his or her storyboard during the final meeting. Student teachers can add or modify this list of prompts as needed:

Title
Actor or actress you would cast to play you
Cast of characters (may include a protagonist and a nemesis)
Actors to play your cooperating professional and students
Theme song
Develop a soundtrack of sounds and songs that help tell your student teaching story
Plot
Highpoint
Resolution
What are three important things you learned from your student teaching that you will remember many years from now?