University of North Florida

Transcription

1 University of North Florida College of Education and Human Services Internship Handbook

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Purpose 1 Goals of the Internship Experience 2 I. Internship Organization 2 A. Introduction 2 B. Three-Way Partnership for Internship 3 C. Roles, Responsibilities, and Expectations of the Internship Team 5 1. COEHS Interns 5 2. Directing Teacher 6 3. College Supervisor 7 4. Resident Clinical Faculty 8 5. Director of Educational Field Experiences 9 II. Internship Experience 11 A. Policies and Procedures Placement Policies Placement Procedures Directing Teacher Selection Criteria 12 B. Internship Expectations and Requirements Internship Responsibilities Termination of Internship Internship Evaluation 15 C. Internship Experiences/Tasks Internship Experience Internship Team Mentoring Professional Development Plan Conference Guide for the Internship Team Sample Weekly Sequence for Internship Lesson Plans Teaching Portfolios 24 D. Internship Responsibilities and Documentation Responsibilities of the Intern Responsibilities of the Directing Teacher Responsibilities of the College Supervisor/ Resident Clinical Faculty Feedback Instruments 27

3 III. Appendices Appendix A: Assessment of Internship Performance 30 Appendix B: Checklists 32 Appendix C: Feedback Instruments Intern Formative Lesson Observation 35 UNF Internship Accomplished Practices Indicators Profile 38 Directing Teacher Report of Time Distribution 42 and Certificate Request Form UNF College Supervision Feedback Form 43 Record of Interns Hours 44 Intern Record of UNF Supervisor s Visitation 45 Professional Development Plan 46 Appendix D: Categories of Internship Hours 47 Appendix E: State Statutes/Board Rules Affecting Internship 50 Appendix F: Sample Data Collection Forms/Questions for Focused 70 Observations Appendix G: Lesson Planning and Sample Lesson Plan Formats 74 Appendix H: Self-Evaluation Instruments 79 Appendix I: Portfolio Requirements and Feedback Rubric 85 Appendix J: Attributes of a Successful Intern/Professional Tips 105 Revised 8/2010

4 College of Education and Human Services University of North Florida Educating Professionals Who Impact the Lives of Children and Adults Internship Handbook Purpose The purpose of the Internship Handbook is to provide a guide for Directing Teachers, College Supervisors, Resident Clinical Faculty, and interns for planning, implementing, and assessing the internship experience. Included in the handbook are a variety of materials, observation tools, assessment instruments, and suggestions for problem situations. Members of the internship team should feel free to copy and use any of the materials contained in the handbook. UNF professional education programs prepare candidates who are: Multiculturally proficient. They understand, respect, and value differences in individuals and model best practices for designing and delivering instructional programs to fit the needs of diverse learners. Professionally aware. They hold to high ethical standards, professional dispositions, and a code of professional conduct worthy of the education profession. They value fairness and believe that all students can and should learn. Analytically adept. They engage in reflective thinking about classroom practices and contexts; assess and analyze a variety of data from those contexts; use reflective practice to make appropriate adjustments to curriculum and instruction; and make data-informed instructional decisions to benefit the learning of all students. Competently prepared. They possess and demonstrate the content knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge and skills, and pedagogical and professional knowledge and skills necessary to help all students learn. Technologically capable. They use technology effectively to facilitate design of instruction, engage students in the learning process, and communicate with colleagues, parents, and other key stakeholders. -1-

5 Goals of the Internship Experience To provide the intern with intensive field based clinical experience that develops the knowledge, skills, and dispositions required for a career in education. To provide the intern with opportunities to observe, assist and learn from experienced directing teachers. To provide the intern with experiences in planning instructional activities, designing curriculum materials, effective instructional and assessment strategies, utilizing technology, and assessing learners progress and achievement. To provide the intern with opportunities to engage in reflective selfanalysis of their own teaching performance, as well as to use constructive feedback from others to refine their teaching skills. To involve the intern in the academic and extracurricular activities of the school. To encourage the intern to draw upon theories of teaching and learning in order to solve problems. To sequentially provide the intern with increasingly comprehensive and complex experiences in classroom instruction, management, and assessment. To permit the intern to demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and dispositions that warrant recommendation for a teaching certificate in his/her specialty area. I. Internship Organization A. Introduction Learning to teach requires pre-professional teachers to develop frameworks of understanding, knowledge, skills, and dispositions to use in making teaching decisions. Field experiences provide the link between theory and practice to facilitate the acquisition of those critical frameworks. The internship experience is organized around the State of Florida s Accomplished Practices. Each intern in cooperation with a college supervisor and directing teacher will develop a teaching portfolio. -2-

6 This portfolio will help document the intern s demonstration of the identified teaching competencies. In addition, each intern will develop a Professional Development Plan. This diagnostic plan assists interns in identifying areas of improvement or growth and specifies enabling activities to accomplish this task. Interns also develop an Impact on Student Learning Component. This component documents how the intern has impacted the achievement of a group of students. Internship provides structured opportunities for pre-professional teachers to integrate theory and practices to further develop and refine their teaching competencies. Finally, the COEHS internship program is based on several guiding principles: Emphasis on collaboration, partnerships, teaching and collegiality urban focused and multi-culturally oriented research based and outcomes oriented inquiry oriented and open to experimentation and risk taking reflection, both technical and critical responsibility for self-development and assessment B. Three-Way Partnership for Internship The internship experience is conceptualized as a partnership among Northeast Florida s school districts, individual school sites, and the College. Each partner brings a special and necessary area of expertise to the partnership which enables pre-professional teachers to progress to novice professional. The College greatly appreciates the time and effort provided by the public school partners. Internship Partners Internship requires that a partnership between the district, school, and university be developed and sustained. District Level Partners The district representatives work directly with the COEHS Director of Educational Field Experiences as the primary liaison for all internship activities. The district representative in consultation with the Director of Educational Field Experiences, works with principals and directing teachers to make intern assignments, and resolve problems arising during the internship experience. Feedback provided by the district level partners assists the college in identifying program modifications and refinements. -3-

7 School-based Partners The principal works closely with district and college representatives to place interns with directing teachers. The principal encourages outstanding classroom teachers to become directing teachers, and is urged to place interns only with teachers or teams of teachers who request to participate, meet college and state requirements, and have the approval of the principal. The principal also assists with the transition of the intern into the ongoing activities of the school and provides feedback about the program to the college. The directing teacher meets certification standards of the State of Florida. Directing teachers should have at least three years of successful teaching experience, have demonstrated expertise in the classroom, have strong interpersonal and communication skills and be willing to serve as a mentor and coach for the intern. In addition, directing teachers must have completed the State s mandated Clinical Educator Training (C.E.T.). The directing teacher plays a critical role in the internship process and demonstrates a commitment to the profession by assisting in the development of a novice professional. As a member of the Internship Team, the directing teacher provides both formal and informal feedback to the intern throughout the internship experience. The directing teacher also provides feedback to the college about the preparation of it s students and about the program. University-based Partners The college supervisor/resident clinical faculty works closely with the principal and directing teacher(s) in planning, implementing and assessing the internship experience. The college supervisor/resident clinical faculty will visit a minimum of four times during the semester to observe, meet with the intern and directing teacher, and document the intern s progress. By using three-way conferences, information is shared regarding the development of teaching competencies, and assistance and suggestions are shared. Some visits are prearranged while others are impromptu. Interns and directing teachers are encouraged to maintain frequent contact with the college supervisor/resident clinical faculty throughout the internship. The Director of Educational Field Experiences works closely with the college supervisor/resident clinical faculty and directing teachers in planning and implementing the internship experience. The Director assists in solving specific problems interns may encounter and is the contact person for the interns in the event that the college supervisor/resident clinical faculty is not available. The Director of Educational Field Experiences works closely with the district level and school-based partners in placing interns. The Director manages field placements, record keeping and program evaluation and serves as the primary liaison among the school districts and the College of Education and Human Services. -4-

8 The Director assists in solving problems which interns may encounter during the internship experiences and convenes problem resolution teams if needed. The COEHS intern is a university student in good standing who has completed the required university and college coursework, critical tasks and has met all COEHS eligibility requirements. Interns are pre-professional teachers learning to refine their pedagogical skills under the guidance of an experienced teacher and college supervisor/resident clinical faculty. C. Roles, Responsibilities and Expectations of the Internship Team The internship experience is collaborative in nature. Three individuals comprise each Internship Team. These include the COEHS intern, the directing teacher(s) and the college supervisor/resident clinical faculty. In addition, the district level partner and the Director of Educational Field Experiences provide an important support network for each Internship Team. COEHS Interns COEHS pre-professional teachers are referred to as interns. Interns assume the roles of observer, teacher-as-decision-maker, reflective thinker, facilitator, communicator, and team member during the internship experience. The internship experience assists preprofessional teachers to develop a set of professional understandings and skills, to learn to examine their practice and learn from their experiences while seeking to meet the needs of their students. Interns are: expected to demonstrate commitment to their students and their learning; expected to know the subjects they teach and how to effectively teach those subjects to all students (including diverse, special needs, and language minority students); responsible for managing and assessing student learning; expected to assume the professional roles and responsibilities linked with the directing teacher; expected to systematically reflect upon their practice and learn from their experiences; responsible for demonstrating proficiency with the Twelve Accomplished Practices at the pre-professional level during the internship experience; for developing an internship teaching portfolio and professional development plan, attendance at all seminars, and all other internship requirements. Responsible for positively impacting student learning during the internship experience. -5-

9 Directing Teachers Directing teachers are excellent classroom teachers who have assumed the role of teacher educator, coach, and mentor. They serve as exemplars to the intern by modeling best practice in the classrooms. They assist and encourage interns as they develop their professional practice. Directing teachers are reflective practitioners who, in collaboration with the college supervisor or resident clinical faculty, act as a resource, guide and planner of the internship experience. Directing teachers are open to new possibilities provided by the internship experience and are active learners themselves. Directing teachers should set aside a time each week to meet with the intern, participate in three and two way conferences, and provide ongoing verbal and written feedback to the intern. They should assist the intern in completing internship requirements and developing the Internship Teaching Portfolio and Professional Development Plan. Directing Teachers: work as a collaborative member of the Internship Team along with the college supervisor/resident clinical faculty and the intern to plan the internship experiences, assess performance, and suggest ways in which competencies can be strengthened and/or enhanced; assist the intern in planning for instruction, review and provide feedback on the interns written lesson and unit plans and their implementation, and make suggestions and assist in locating relevant materials and resources: clearly communicate their expectations of the intern regarding the curriculum, management of student learning and behavior, and other professional concerns; orient the intern to the school, the faculty and staff, the class organization, the students, and the parents; regularly confer with the intern and the college supervisor/resident clinical faculty regarding the intern s professional development, establish and maintain a professional development plan with specific objectives and suggested activities, and encourage creativity and innovation in the intern; provide ongoing written documentation concerning the intern s demonstration of competencies and internship time allocation; confer with the college supervisor/resident clinical faculty concerning the mid-term and final evaluation of the intern, and complete the appropriate feedback/assessment instruments; attend the Directing Teacher s Orientation meeting at the beginning of the semester and provide feedback to the College regarding the preparation and performance of the intern and the internship program. Other university professionals assist directing teachers in carrying out the responsibilities associated with the internship experiences. Members of the Internship Team are professionals who provide support and assistance during the Internship. These members include the College Supervisor/Resident Clinical Faculty, and the Director of Educational Field Experiences. -6-

10 College Supervisors The College Supervisor is the university instructor assigned responsibility for supervising the internship experience of a specified number of COEHS interns. College Supervisors serve as teacher educators, mentors, facilitators, and liaisons between the university and the school sites. College Supervisors chair the Internship Team (intern, directing teacher, college supervisors), assume major responsibility for coordinating and planning the internship experiences, assessing performance, suggesting ways in which competencies may be strengthened and/or enhanced, and providing guidance and structure for the development of the Internship Portfolio and the Professional Development Plan. College Supervisors are assisted by the Director of Educational Field Experiences. College Supervisors: organize and orchestrate the internship experience by initiating and facilitating communication among the university, the school site, the intern and the directing teacher and specifying expectations for the internship experience; work as a collaborative team member with the directing teacher and the intern to plan the internship experiences, assess performance, and suggest ways in which competencies may be strengthened and/or enhanced; specify and use a clinical supervision model when interacting with members of the Internship Team and assist directing teachers and interns in using such a model; specify Internship Teaching Portfolio components and requirements, identify required and optional data to be included, specify lesson plan and unit plan formats to be used; specify the expectations held for interns in completing the internship experience, how the internship experience will be evaluated and how final grades will be determined; complete the minimum documentation requirements; assist in the creation, implementation and assessment of the intern s Portfolio, Professional Development Plan and Impact on Student Learning Component. Minimum Documentation Requirements 1. Make an introductory visit to meet the directing teacher and if possible the principal in order to understand the context in which the intern will be working. 2. Complete at least three scheduled and one unannounced observations of each intern using a written formative feedback instrument (Intern Formative Lesson Observation form). Each observation should be a least minutes in length, excluding the pre and post conference held with the directing teacher and intern. 3. Complete an entry into the Professional Development Plan following each observation/visit. -7-

11 4. Collaboratively develop with the Internship Team a time line of activities for the internship experience. 5. Complete the Internship Accomplished Practices Profile in cooperation with the Directing Teacher and share the information with members of the Internship Team at midterm; complete the second Internship Accomplished Practice Profile at the conclusion of internship; confer with the Directing Teacher regarding the final grade for the internship; verify demonstration of Accomplished Practices and assign a final internship grade. 6. Conduct individual midterm and final feedback conferences with each intern, sharing with them the assessment of the Internship Teaching Portfolio and midterm and final grades. Resident Clinical Faculty In the Professional Development Schools, the College and an urban school establish a partnership. As a part of this model, jointly funded positions, Resident Clinical Faculty, are created. Resident Clinical Faculty (RCF) are exemplary classroom teachers with alternative assignments. They are school-based. A portion of their time is spent supervising interns assigned to the partnership school. The remainder of their time is spent assisting their colleagues in implementing agreed upon school improvement initiatives designed to enhance student achievement. RCF s serve as teacher educators, mentors, facilitators, restructuring advocates, childadvocates, team members, reflective thinkers, and active learners. Small groups of interns assigned to the Professional Development Schools along with their directing teachers and the Resident Clinical Faculty form an Internship Team. The RCF chairs the Professional Development Schools Internship Team. They assume major responsibility for coordinating and planning the internship experience, assessing performance, suggesting ways in which competencies may be strengthened and/or enhanced, and providing guidance and structure for the development of the Internship Teaching Portfolio, Professional Development Plan, and Impact on Student Learning Component. RCF s are assisted and supervised by the Director of Educational Field Experiences. Resident Clinical Faculty organize and orchestrate the internship experience to enable interns to demonstrate the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and dispositions. Their function is to: create and sustain learning environments for urban students which enable all students to succeed; continue to experiment and improve their practice throughout their professional careers; routinely use problem-solving, critical thinking, reflectivity and teamwork in carrying out professional responsibilities; -8-

12 adapt learning experiences to meet the special learning needs of students paying particular attention to students prior knowledge and learning styles; integrate multicultural education into the learning environments they create; function as teachers-as-decision-makers who make reasonable judgments, are able to articulate the rationale for those decisions, and are able to modify their actions based on additional data; work as a collaborative team member with the directing teacher and the interns to plan the internship experiences, assess performance, and suggest ways in which competencies may be strengthened and/or enhanced; foster the development of professional norms of interaction including collegiality, experimentation and risk-taking, reflectivity, multicultural sensitivity, teacher-asdecision-maker, commitment to teaching, and ongoing inquiry; use a clinical supervision model when coaching members of the Internship Team and assist directing teachers and interns in using such a model; foster the development of targeted instructional strategies; specify the expectations held for interns in completing the internship experience, the Internship Teaching Portfolio, the Impact on Student Learning Component, and the manner in which the internship experience will be evaluated and how final grades will be determined; conduct weekly theory-to-practice seminars for the interns which encourage both technical and critical reflectivity, challenge implicit assumptions about children, learning, subject matter and teaching, and focus attention on problem solving in areas identified by the interns; complete observations of each intern using a written formative feedback instrument (Intern Formative Lesson Observation) and entries into the Professional Development Plan; complete the Internship Accomplished Practices Profile in cooperation with the directing teachers and share the information with members of the Internship Team at midterm; complete the second Internship Accomplished Practices Profile at the conclusion of internship; confer with the directing teachers regarding the final grade for the internship; verify demonstration of the Accomplished Practices; conduct individual midterm and final feedback conferences with each intern, sharing with them the assessment of the Internship Teaching Portfolio, and Impact on Student Learning Component and the midterm and final grade. Collaboratively develop with the Internship Team a time line of activities for the internship experience. Director of Educational Field Experiences The Director of Educational Field Experiences assumes primary responsibility for the day-to-day operation of the internship program. The Director provides overall leadership and direction for the development and revision of materials, forms, and instruments used in the internship program in collaboration with the Undergraduate Curriculum and Standards Committee and the College departments. -9-

13 These responsibilities include the following: represent the university to the professional community in a positive manner; initiate professional contacts with personnel at the district and school levels; communicate the philosophy, purpose, policies and procedures of the internship program to public school and university constituencies; coordinate the development of policies and procedures for internship consistent with state mandates, college and university philosophy, and in collaboration with the College Undergraduate Curriculum and Standards Committee and College departments; distribute application packets to all students seeking to apply for internship; determine the eligibility of candidates for internship; determine internship placements in collaboration with the appropriate district contract person ensuring that urban, and multiple grade level criteria are met; communicate intern placement information to department chairpersons, college supervisors, Resident Clinical Faculty, and COEHS interns; orient interns to the policies and procedures governing the internship experience along with information about their roles and responsibilities in the internship program; distribute to the members of the internship team the materials, forms, and instruments used for assessment and record-keeping; provide directing teachers with information regarding the policies and procedures of internship along with the expectations for the internship experience; orient college supervisors/resident clinical faculty to the internship program, expectations, policies and procedures, and their roles and responsibilities in the internship program; coordinate the resolution of problems arising during internship experiences in collaboration with the college supervisor/resident clinical faculty, the intern, the directing teacher, other school-based personnel, and appropriate college and district personnel; assist in developing remediation plans for interns removed from their placements, monitor the implementation of those plans, and assist in determining the candidate s readiness for subsequent internship experiences in collaboration with the college supervisor/resident clinical faculty and Department Chairperson; collect, analyze, and summarize data from interns, directing teachers, college supervisors/resident clinical faculty, and school-based personnel on the quality of the internship experience; and the effectiveness of the teacher education program to prepare students for internship; collect, analyze, and summarize data from various sources for use in program evaluation, and share findings with College faculty, the Dean, Department Chairpersons, Program Area Leaders and members of the College Undergraduate Curriculum and Standards committee; -10-

14 assist in initiating and implementing research efforts related to the internship and field components of the teacher preparation program; maintain records of the internship program as required by the State and College for documentation and evaluation purposes. II. Internship Experience A. Policies and Procedures Policies and procedures which govern the College of Education and Human Services internship program are developed cooperatively by the Director of Educational Field Experiences, the Undergraduate Curriculum and Standards Committee, and the College. These policies are regularly reviewed and revised as need indicates from feedback from program participants, state mandates, and advances in the knowledge bases which under gird the program. During the internship experience, interns are supervised by the college supervisor/resident clinical faculty, directing teachers and the principal or his/her designee. Interns adhere to the procedures and policies governing teachers assigned to the host school. The summative evaluation of the intern will include written documentation concerning the intern s demonstration of the Accomplished Practices. The college supervisor/resident clinical faculty in consultation with the directing teacher determines the final grade for internship. A grade lower than C reflects unsuccessful completion of the internship. Placement Policies The College of Education and Human Services is dedicated to preparing teachers who will be successful in all educational settings, including urban settings. At least one of the three major field experiences will be completed in an urban school in Duval County. Preference is given to urban schools for internship experiences and those schools which are able to accommodate a cluster of interns. An effort is made to rotate cluster sites to ensure equitable distribution of interns to schools. The Director of Educational Field Experiences is responsible for internship placement. The Director analyzes the intern s pre-internship field experiences in order to recommend an internship experience which provides the student with a broad spectrum of experiences in relation to school setting, grade levels, and cultural populations. Changes in internship placement are rare. Any changes in the assignment of an intern are made with mutual agreement of the county representatives, the Director of Educational Field Experiences, and the partner school site (if applicable). Each intern is assigned to a classroom teacher in the school who serves as the directing teacher. After accruing a minimum of 300 semester hours of intern supervision and completion of the required documentation, the directing teacher is awarded a Certificate of Participation as a means of recognizing the service provided by the directing teacher. Certificates of Participation are assigned according to current State policy and requirements. -11-

15 When an intern is assigned to an elementary school which is organized for departmentalized instruction, the directing teacher and supervisor should make arrangements for the intern to work with other teachers to ensure that the intern has opportunities to teach all content areas. Placement Procedures 1. Students who have met the prerequisites for internship complete an application form and submit it to the Director of Educational Field Experiences following the time lines published in the university catalog. 2. The district representative in collaboration with the Director of Educational Field Experiences identifies schools which have indicated an interest in being a partner school and are willing to host interns. If the school administrator accepts the invitation and interns, the district representative forwards the intern applications to the school. 3. The school administrator assigns each intern to a directing teacher who requests to be assigned an intern and who meets the criteria established by the state and the college for directing teachers. Directing Teacher Selection Criteria The following criteria is used in the selection of directing teachers: 1. The teacher expresses a sincere interest in supervising and mentoring an intern and has realistic expectations for interns as novice professionals. 2. The teacher holds current Florida Teacher Certification in his/her assigned teaching responsibility. 3. The teacher models effective teaching strategies for students assigned to him/her. 4. The teacher has at least three years of successful classroom teaching experience, preferably in the same teaching field as the intern. 5. The teacher has completed the State s mandated Clinical Educator Training (C.E.T.). 6. The teacher demonstrates a commitment to the profession, as indicated by professional behavior, positive attitudes, and cooperative working relationships with other faculty, staff, and administrators. 7. The teacher demonstrates effective communication and interpersonal skills. 8. The teacher has received evaluation ratings no lower than satisfactory on annual performance evaluations. -12-

16 B. Internship Expectations and Requirements Internship Responsibilities For all COEHS interns, the internship experience is fifteen to sixteen weeks (one semester in length). Interns are required to spend a minimum of 400 hours at the partner school, of which a minimum of 200 hours of actual teaching is required. NOTE: Internship is completed at the end of fifteen to sixteen weeks NOT when 400 hours has been accrued by the student. Interns may continue in the internship experience as long as they follow established guidelines and demonstrate minimum levels of competence while making progress toward mastery. Attendance Interns follow the published academic and vacation schedules of the school districts to which they have been assigned rather than following the university calendar during the internship semester. Interns are expected to report to the school following the same hours as other members of the teaching staff. Interns are expected to be punctual. Internship is a full time responsibility and regular attendance is critical to the development of the intern s teaching competence and to ongoing learning taking place in Pre-K to 12 classrooms. Absence Only absences due to illness or emergency will be accepted as reasons for absence. No absence will be excused for personal business barring extraordinary circumstances. It is the responsibility of the intern to notify the college supervisor/resident clinical faculty, the directing teacher(s) and the Office of Educational Field Experiences in the event that illness prevents the intern from fulfilling his/her responsibilities. Extended absences due to illness should be communicated to the Director of Educational Field Experiences. The college supervisor/resident clinical faculty in consultation with the Director of Educational Field Experiences, and schoolbased personnel will determine if the internship should be discontinued or extended. Conduct Interns are considered to be professional members of the school staff. Interns should conduct themselves in a professional manner at all times, adhering to the customs, policies, and regulations governing teachers at the partner school to which they are assigned. Information concerning students should be held in confidence. Interns are expected to demonstrate sensitivity for cultural diversity and the special needs of students in their classes. Dress Interns will dress in clothes appropriate to the role of a professional educator. It is the intern s responsibility to become familiar with and adhere to the dress code established by the College and the school to which the intern is assigned. -13-

17 Extracurricular Activities Interns are expected to participate in school events and activities outside the regular school day that are expected and/or required of the directing teacher(s). Full Time Commitment Internship is a full-time commitment and interns are expected to give their full attention to teaching during this time. Interns are expected to attend all faculty meetings and other extracurricular activities of the school. Hence, approval to take a course concurrently with internship must be given PRIOR to the beginning of the internship experience. Lesson Plans Effective planning is the basis of successful teaching. Much planning will be done in cooperation with the directing teacher. Part of this planning process is evidenced through well prepared lesson plans. These include day-to-day objectives as well as long range objectives. Lesson plans for every area of assigned teaching responsibility are expected and must be approved in advance of implementation. Interns are responsible for making the lesson plans and accompanying instructional materials available to the directing teacher for approval prior to implementation based upon a predetermined timeline. Seminars Interns are required to attend and actively participate in all internship seminars and meetings with their college supervisor/resident clinical faculty. The schedule for these meetings may be found in the Internship Calendar. Substitution Interns are considered developing novices under the supervision and guidance of certified professionals and the university. Under Florida School Laws, Each person employed or occupying a position as school supervisor, principal, teacher, library media specialist, school counselor, athletic coach, or other position in which the employee serves in an instructional capacity, in any public school of any district of this state shall hold the certified required by law and by rules of the state board in fulfilling the requirements of the law for the type of service rendered. If the directing teacher is absent from school, a certified substitute should be appointed as temporary supervising teacher even though the intern is directing and teaching the classes. An intern may not serve as a regular substitute teacher during internship even though the intern may hold a substitute teaching credentials. Certification Exam Interns must successfully complete all portions of the Florida Teacher Certification Exam in order to complete internship. -14-

18 Termination of Internship Interns are responsible for planning and carrying out instruction, maintaining good professional relations with their directing teacher(s), school faculty and administrators, and working effectively with their students. Should the intern fail to meet any or all of the responsibilities of internship, the partner school and/or college supervisor/resident clinical faculty in collaboration with the Director of Educational Field Experiences and Department Chairperson has the option to extend and/or terminate the internship contract. If the intern s teaching performance or professional behavior is considered unsatisfactory or inappropriate, the college supervisor/resident clinical faculty will identify for the intern the area(s) of concern and outline strategies for remediating these concerns. The college supervisor/resident clinical faculty will provide where possible sufficient time for the intern to incorporate new behaviors into instructional delivery or professional behavior. Interns may be removed from the internship experience at the request of the partner school district or college supervisor/resident clinical faculty if it is determined that the intern is not making satisfactory progress after intervention strategies have been initiated, or if the intern s presence is detrimental to Pre-K to 12 students. The termination of internship may result in a letter grade of D, F, or incomplete. The college supervisor/resident clinical faculty in collaboration with the Director of Educational Field Experiences and Department Chairperson will notify the student of their removal from the internship experience. Interns, after removal, should contact the Director of Educational Field Experiences to schedule an appointment to discuss the reasons for removal and possible options. If deemed appropriate, a remediation plan will be developed to allow the student an opportunity to work on those areas that have been identified as problematic. Remediation of Internship Interns that have been removed from internship may be granted the opportunity to remediate internship. In this case, a remediation plan will be developed that targets the identified areas of concern. Remediation will normally occur during the semester following the original internship experience. If the remediation is successfully completed by the stated deadline, the student will be given a second and final opportunity to intern. Internship Evaluation Internship provides COEHS students with opportunities to acquire and hone the knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed to become effective teaching professionals. It provides opportunities to demonstrate essential teaching competencies and reflect on their development as professionals. This is accomplished through a variety of channels including informal and formal feedback from directing teachers and college supervisors/resident clinical faculty; the use of twoway journals, the development of a teaching portfolio and professional development plan. -15-

19 Interns will receive regular formative feedback regarding their performance from the directing teacher(s) and college supervisors/resident clinical faculty throughout the internship experience. This verbal and written feedback is designed to assist the intern in maintaining effective behaviors and in reducing/changing ineffective ones. The written feedback also serves to document progress during internship. Summative evaluation of the intern includes written documentation of the intern s demonstration of the Accomplished Practices. The college supervisor/resident clinical faculty in consultation with the directing teacher determines the final grade. A grade lower than C reflects unsuccessful completion of the internship. C. Internship Experiences/Tasks Internship Experience The internship experience is designed to provide multiple opportunities for the intern to develop and refine essential teaching competencies, link theory to practice, and develop personal theories about teaching and learning that will guide professional practice. Professional growth and development is an ongoing and never ending process which begins with internship and continues into practice as a novice teacher, developing professional, and expert practitioner. Internship Team The Internship Team composed of the directing teacher(s), the college supervisor/resident clinical faculty is responsible for planning, implementing, and assessing the internship experience. The Internship Team serves as a support base for the intern as he/she progresses through internship working toward professional growth and demonstrating the Accomplished Practices. To be effective, it is important to establish a climate of trust and build rapport among team members. The process of observation, data collection, and analysis provide a means of identifying teaching practices which need strengthening and a strategy for formulating a plan to develop expertise in the targeted areas. This is done through conferencing, developing a Professional Development Plan and an Internship Teaching Portfolio. Observation and data collection provide the starting point in the professional development process. Conferring, on a regular and ongoing basis, between the intern and directing teacher, the intern and college supervisor, and the intern, directing teacher and college supervisor serves as a problem-solving and expertise-building strategy. The goal is to collaboratively solve problems the intern is experiencing and facilitate development of effective teaching practices and enhanced self-esteem. This goal is achieved by providing feedback which communicates respect for the other person by honestly describing what the observer perceives is happening and by communicating encouragement to the intern which affirms the observer s belief that the intern has the resources and potential for successfully solving the problem. -16-

20 Mentoring Mentoring interns as they begin teaching is a challenging task. There is no one plan that will fit all circumstances. However, frequent feedback throughout the internship experience will assist in professional growth. One must remember that the intern is learning to be a teacher. An intern is expected to make some mistakes. The Internship Team is in a position to help the intern learn from these mistakes and develop strategies which will minimize and/or prevent them in the future. One of the most effective methods of assessing changes in behavior is through selfassessment. Interns should be encouraged to look at themselves objectively and to assess their strengths and weaknesses. Regular conferences with the directing teacher and a professional development plan help to facilitate self-assessment. Professional Development Plan Cooperatively, the intern, directing teacher and college supervisor/resident clinical faculty create a Professional Development Plan. Included in this plan are enabling activities which will help the intern strengthen areas of weakness; identify target dates; and record completion dates. New sections of the plan are added each time the intern is observed. The format for the Professional Development Plan is located in the appendices. A critical element of the Professional Development Plan is the identification of the type of problem the intern is experiencing. Identifying the nature of the problem will assist members of the Internship Team develop appropriate strategies in solving the problem or strengthening the teaching competency. The nature of the problem might include one or more of the following: knowledge of subject matter lack of awareness on the part of the intern inability to develop effective strategies to solve an identified problem hesitation to see or use different alternatives communication or interpersonal skills poorly developed or poorly executed teaching strategies mismatch between teaching episodes and selected teaching behavior insufficient or inappropriate use of instructional materials, physical space, or equipment mismatch between instructional goals and selected teaching strategies or instructional activities management of the classroom difficulties not associated with classroom performance Collection of data to address the identified concern/problem is the second step. One critical question which needs to be asked is, What data would be most useful to help solve the problem? Most often, informal data are the most useful. This might include: direct observation two-way journals or reflective journals between the intern and members of the Internship Team -17-

21 written narrative of verbal flow between intern and students various informal observation instruments various informal observation instruments from Clinical Educator Training A well conducted observation usually results in the collection of a large amount of data. If all the information is presented at one time, it may be overwhelming and confusing rather than helpful. Therefore, members of the Internship Team must carefully select the data which will be the most useful. Before fine-tuning specific instructional strategies, interns must focus on establishing a classroom atmosphere that is conductive to teaching and learning. This usually involves gaining confidence and skill in managing students, materials and the environment. During the initial stages of internship, it is useful to complete observations which focus on setting and reinforcing class rules; ways to establish a positive classroom environment; effective and efficient ways to distribute materials, and organize students for instruction; and ways to develop rapport with students. A second area of importance is the planning of instruction. Lesson plans not only help the intern conceptualize what he/she will do, but they provide an important form of communication for members of the Internship Team about the intern s thoughts and ideas. Particularly helpful feedback will address the clarity of directions provided by the intern for instructional episodes, the amount of time on task by students in the class; the amount and accuracy of performance feedback given to students by the intern; and posing questions to the intern which will help the intern reflect on the link between what the intern was trying to accomplish and what was actually accomplished by his/her students. Finally, feedback on refinement of specific teaching skills and strategies is essential. The Internship Team can assist the intern in planning and implementing a variety of teaching strategies. This may involve demonstration lessons on the part of the directing teacher/or college supervisor/resident clinical faculty. Concrete examples of appropriate and inappropriate behavior are particularly useful as is the use of videotaping. As the Internship Team considers what kind of entries to make in the Professional Development Plan, the following guidelines may be useful: most necessary to improve most in need of immediate action most appropriate for long range improvement most related to targeted competencies most related to intern s self-identified needs easiest to improve -18-

22 Thinking through possible solutions to the problems is an important pre-conference step for members of the Internship Team. Possible activities might include reading specific materials, demonstrating a targeted teaching skill for the intern; attending workshops; completing case studies which demonstrate targeted behaviors; creating ways in which a specific skill will be practiced in future lessons; critiquing a skill via videotape; team teaching with the intern; or role playing. Conference Guide for the Internship Team It is advisable for the directing teacher and intern to set aside a predetermined time each week to assess the week s events; plan for the week ahead; discuss possible teaching strategies and materials; discuss specific problems which have occurred; identify and assess areas of teaching which have been successful and others needing improvement; and to make an entry into the intern s Professional Development Plan. Knowing the right questions to ask facilitates conducting conferences. Listed below are a series of questions that might be used as starting points for discussion among the members of the Internship Team. Academic Preparation, Instructional Planning, and Teaching Effectiveness 1. In what ways have you demonstrated an in-depth understanding of the subject area including concepts, facts and interrelationships of ideas, background and supporting information and resources? Can you give some examples from the lesson(s) you plan to teach or have taught? 2. In what ways do your lesson plans show creativity in selecting and developing activities to achieve goals? 3. How do you know your lesson matches the objectives you have for your students? 4. In what ways have you provided for individual differences, learning styles, and special needs among students in your lesson(s)? 5. How do your lessons document a variety of teaching techniques? 6. What evidence documents that you effectively implement your lesson plans? What criteria do you use to assess your effectiveness? 7. What kinds of resources, other than the text book, have you used in planning and implementing your lessons? 8. In what ways do your lessons allow for students to be actively engaged? What is the nature of that engagement? -19-