OVERVIEW: THE INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE. College of Education

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1 OVERVIEW: THE INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE College of Education In the process of developing knowledge, skills and dispositions that prepare teacher candidates to become teaching professionals, they participate in various levels of university course work and field experiences. The Office of Clinical Experiences at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg is keenly aware of the significant contribution made by the school system in the internship program. The sharing of this joint responsibility in teacher preparation is deeply appreciated. The efforts and cooperation of numerous persons in the school systems and the College of Education who work behind the scenes must also be recognized. The major participants in the internship program are: USFSP COE faculty and staff, the university supervisor, the school principal, the cooperating teacher, and the teacher candidate participating in the internship. This Collaborative Team is vital to the success of the school-based experience at all levels of the internship. Our continued efforts and partnerships will provide quality experiences that contribute to the development of quality teachers. Thank you for working in partnership with the College of Education at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg. 1

2 THE INTERNSHIP COLLABORATIVE TEAM Office of Clinical Experiences The Office of Clinical Experiences collaborates directly with the designated representative of the school or school system in interpreting the program and in assigning the intern. The Coordinator of Clinical Experiences and the administrative assistant coordinate all aspects of the program and serve as liaisons between the various school districts and the College of Education at USFSP. Any changes in placement, expectations, and assignments must receive prior approval from this office. Principal The principal or administrative designee works closely with the designated representative of the school system and the university in placing interns with teachers meeting the state eligibility requirements. The principal encourages outstanding classroom teachers to become cooperating teachers, but are urged to place interns only with teachers, or teams of teachers, who request such an experience. The principal is also instrumental in facilitating a learning environment in which the intern can learn and grow. Intern The intern becomes a part of a learning community in the process of the internship, and collaborates with the cooperating teacher, the university supervisor and the school principal/administrative designee in the process of becoming a teaching professional. The intern is expected to follow the guidance of the collaborative team, meet the expectations of the internship and the academic program requirements. University Supervisor The university supervisor works closely with the principal and cooperating teacher in interpreting the program, visiting as often as possible to share the evaluation of the intern s progress and providing assistance and advice in problem situations. Depending upon the situation, the intern may be notified in advance of the visit. Some visits, however, may occur without prior notice. The supervisor is ultimately responsible for the grade assigned for the internship. Cooperating Teacher The role of the cooperating teacher is to collaborate with the intern and the university supervisor to guide and assist the intern in developing the knowledge, skills and dispositions essential to the teaching profession. This collaboration should emphasize the application of the understanding developed in the university coursework and other clinical experiences. The cooperating teacher must model best practices for the intern, 2

3 as well as observe and provide regular and ongoing feedback. In addition, the cooperating teacher must provide ample opportunities for the intern to practice strategies and techniques introduced in university course work. GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES of the COLLABORATIVE TEAM* Intern Responsibilities Perform all tasks assigned by the Cooperating Teacher, University Supervisor and your academic program in a prompt and responsible manner. Reinforce established classroom organization and management strategies with regards to discipline, guidance techniques, rules and procedures, routines, transitions and clerical tasks. Handle all confidential information in a professional manner. Dress professionally. Be able to accept constructive feedback from your Cooperating Teacher and University Supervisor in a positive manner in order to continue your professional growth. Ask your teacher to observe and give you feedback in the areas that you need improvement. Exhibit positive interpersonal relationships in the school and seminar meetings. Behave professionally at all times. Cooperating Teacher Responsibilities Orient intern to school faculty and facility. This should be done as soon as possible. Whenever possible share a map and school handbook with intern. Introduce intern to your class, nametags and a seating chart would be useful for the first few days your intern is in your class. Communicate with your intern about teacher responsibilities, as well as your philosophy and expectations. Arrange a regular time to meet with your intern in order to provide feedback on instructional techniques and classroom management strategies. We recommend that the interns come to school 30 minutes before the students come to class. Provide the intern ample opportunities to observe and practice effective teaching techniques and classroom management strategies. Evaluate the intern as directed. Please, meet with the intern to review the evaluations. The intern is expected to give you a copy of his/her Intern manual. 3

4 Please submit the requested evaluations on the due dates to the interns. Establish a positive and productive setting for the intern throughout the day Directly supervise. Never leave the Level I or Level II intern unattended. The intern is not allowed to be a sub during internship days. Please do not have the intern drive on field trips. Please try to be in your classroom on the days your intern is scheduled. However, if you are going to be absent, the intern can follow your plans, but there still needs to be a substitute teacher in the classroom at all times. Please let the intern know when you will not be at the school and where you keep your plans. Every day, record at least two observations of the intern s teaching that you think are important. Written feedback is very beneficial to the intern. Remember to focus on both, strengths and areas to improve. Notify the University Supervisor as soon as you have concerns regarding your intern and his/her performance in this experience. Introduce your intern to teacher paperwork, equipment use, meetings, and duties. However, the interns are not clerical aides. University Supervisor Responsibilities The university supervisor will schedule formal observations of the intern in addition to meetings with the cooperating teacher. The intern should present a lesson plan and a diagram of the seating arrangement for the lesson prior to each of the observations. It is expected that at least one lesson must be creative and originally developed by the intern. Pre- and post-observation conferences are necessary in order to give immediate feedback, set goals, and address any concerns of the intern. The university supervisor will utilize the Clinical Educator training observation tools. In addition, the university supervisor will assist the cooperating teacher in utilizing the strategies. University supervisors should document in writing all observations of interns. A copy of the documentation is given to the intern. This documentation can vary in form. Refer to the section below if unacceptable performance is occurring. Conduct/Coordinate small group meetings for your interns during the alternate weeks (weeks when large group seminar does not meet). *Note: More specific details regarding responsibilities and expectations can be found in the intern manuals. 4

5 ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS for COOPERATING TEACHERS The Cooperating Teacher (CT) has an essential role as a member of the collaborative team. As a daily observer of the intern, the CT is the pivotal support for the University Supervisor (US) in terms of mentoring and assessing progress of the intern. All school district personnel and instructional personnel who supervise or direct teacher preparation students during clinical experience courses/ internships must have evidence of clinical educator training and must successfully demonstrate effective teaching strategies that consistently result in improved student performance. The cooperating teacher must meet the following state requirements: Completed three years of successful teaching; Be credentialed or certified in area in which currently teaching Completed Clinical Educator Training as described in Florida State Statutes Section , through either: District-sponsored in-service or University sponsored course work Demonstrate outstanding performance in: Classroom management strategies and consistently result in improved student performance; Strategies for incorporating technology into the classroom, both instruction and record keeping; Methods for linking instructional plans to the Sunshine State Standards; Assessment of student learning; ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS for UNIVERSITY SUPERVISORS The University Supervisor works closely with the principal and cooperating teacher in interpreting the program, visiting as often as necessary to share the evaluation of the intern s progress and providing assistance and advice in problem situations. Depending upon the situation, the intern may be notified in advance of the visit. Some visits, however, may occur without prior notice. The supervisor is ultimately responsible for the grade assigned for the internship. The University Supervisor must meet the following state requirements: Be a full time faculty member or adjunct faculty member of USFSP Have an earned Masters degree or higher in a related field Have experience in public or private school settings at the appropriate levels or have previous mentoring or supervisory experiences Completed Clinical Educator Training as described in Florida State Statutes Section , through either: District-sponsored in-service or 5

6 University sponsored course work CLINICAL EXPERIENCES: Educational Practice Goals and Objectives for Early Internship Experiences The two main goals describing the early internship experiences are (1) to orient the pre-service teacher to the profession (i.e., role of the public school, school operations, and teacher responsibilities); and (2) to facilitate the development of knowledge, skills and dispositions related to preparing for instruction, presenting subject matter, managing student behavior, and performing other roles of the teacher Focus of K-5 Integrated Internship: Interns should observe CT as they model best practices in classroom management and delivery of instruction; interns should practice these skills In small groups and total group; interns should have opportunity to write lesson plans under guidance of CT and implement these plans. This experience is two days per week in an regular elementary education classroom with an emphasis on inclusion and RtI Focus of 6-12 Integrated Internship: Goals and Objectives for Final internship This experience is to take place in an ESE classroom with emphasis on inclusion practices. The CT for this should be a certified ESE teacher. Students are expected to learn the roles and responsibilities of an ESE teacher. In addition, they should become familiar with assessments and focus on delivery of instruction, while practicing withitness, in preparation for full time final internship. Interns will begin with teacher made plans and progress to developing their own lesson plans, with teacher approval. This experience is two days per week. The capstone experience is full-time; one semester long, five days per week. The goal is to assume the roles and responsibilities of a classroom teacher; to demonstrate competence in the Florida Educator Accomplished Practices and applicable Florida-adopted subject area competencies; and to demonstrate the personal attributes and dispositions that reflect the USFSP s College of Education Conceptual Framework. In order to demonstrate competency both as an ESE teacher and as a general elementary education teacher, this internship will be split into two. One half of the internship shall be under the supervision of an ESE teacher, while the other half is under the supervision of a regular elementary education teacher. It would be ideal if the two teachers were coteaching in an inclusion classroom and then the intern would simply change 6

7 Evaluations roles, but still remain with the same group of students. However, we understand that this may not always be possible. While the evaluation tools may vary with each Internship level, in general, these tools utilize the Florida Educator Accomplished Practices and our Candidate Learning Outcomes as the benchmarks. These indicators and outcomes are an integral part of our continuing program approval process. Evaluations are completed by both the cooperating teacher and the university supervisor via the College of Education electronic evaluation system. 7