student teacher

American  

noun

1. a student who is studying to be a teacher and who, as part of the training, observes classroom instruction or does closely supervised teaching in an elementary or secondary school.

---

student teacher British  

noun

1. a person who is teaching in a school for a limited period under supervision as part of a course to qualify as a teacher

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• student teaching
  noun

Etymology

Origin of student teacher

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

"I was a student teacher during Meg's time here," says Harries.

From BBC • Apr. 25, 2026

Guillory makes about $900 a month as a graduate student teacher — $800 of which pays for the room he rents in a converted garage.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 13, 2023

Wright, then a student teacher at a Charleston elementary school, led the child out to the hallway for a chat.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 23, 2022

Thirteen months ago, the Supreme Court held in her case that K-12 schools cannot police off-campus speech not directed at any student, teacher or administrator.

From Washington Post • Jul. 27, 2022

Since I was just a student teacher, I had no budget for my schemes.

From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers