Professional Internship
The Professional Internship provides candidates with the opportunity to gain practical experience to supplement the theoretical knowledge gained during classroom study. As a culminating experience, it affords opportunity to grow professionally while performing for a prolonged period within a school setting.
Eligibility for the Professional Internship is contingent upon fulfilling certain standards leading to admission. Admission assumes a willingness to grow professionally through a process of introspection, self-evaluation, and critical analysis of performance by cooperating teachers and university supervisors. It also assumes a willingness to adjust attitudes and strategies in order to improve performance. The intent of the Professional Internship is to provide positive experiences for the students, who deserve our best, and for the candidates, who have committed their lives to service as professional educators.
During each facet of the Professional Internship, candidates work collaboratively with master clinical teachers, experienced university supervisors, and K-12 students to demonstrate successful attainment of professional, pedagogical, and content area knowledge, skills, and dispositions. The configuration of courses and practices is invaluable to candidates as they prepare to become professional educators.
The Professional Internship includes the following:
I. Elementary Education (1-6)
EDUC 400 Early Experience – Duration: 5 days
EDUC 404 Student Teaching – Duration: One Semester
EDUC 482 Seminar
EDUC 401 Clinical Practice Elementary
II. Secondary/Middle Grades Education
EDUC 400 Early Experience – Duration: 5 days
EDUC 421 Secondary Student Teaching – Duration: One Semester
EDUC 409 Secondary Methods
EDUC 410 Secondary Methods Clinical Practice
EDUC 482 Seminar
III. Early Childhood Education (Birth-Age 8)
EDUC 400 Early experience-Dureation:5 days
EDUC 401 Clinical Practice Elementary
EDUC 482 Seminar
EDUC 405 K-2 Student Teaching – Elementary- Duration: Portion of Semester
EDUC 407 Pre-K - K Duration: Portion of Semester
IV. Physical Education (PK-12)
EDUC 400 Early Experience – Duration: 5 days
EDUC 421 Secondary Student Teaching – Duration: Portion of Semester
EDUC 424 Elementary Student Teaching – Duration: Portion of Semester
EDUC 409 Secondary Methods
EDUC 410 Secondary Methods Clinical Practice
EDUC 482 Seminar
V. Spanish Education (PK-12)
EDUC 400 Early Experience – Duration: 5 days
EDUC 421 Secondary Student Teaching
EDUC 409 Secondary Methods
EDUC 410 Secondary Methods Clinical Practice
EDUC 482 Seminar
VI. Special Education (K through age 22)
EDUC 400 Early Experience – Duration: 5 days
EDUC 406 Student Teaching – Elementary – Duration: Portion of Semester
EDUC 408 Student Teaching – Secondary – Duration: Portion of Semester
EDUC 482 Seminar
EDUC 409 Secondary Methods AND
EDUC 410 Secondary Methods Clinical Practice OR EDUC 401 Clinical Practice Elementary
EDUC 413 Strategies for Special Education
VII. Master of Arts in Teaching (Graduate 1-6)
EDUC 505 Early Experience – Duration: 5 days
EDUC 581 Clinical Practice Elementary
EDUC 546 Student Teaching – Elementary – Duration: One Semester
EDUC 582 Seminar in Elementary Education
As a culminating experience, the Professional Internship represents a final phase of teacher preparation and affords the opportunity for candidates to put theory into practice. The primary objective of this program is to develop professional classroom teachers that will “serve in a culturally diverse world.”
This objective reflects the School of Education’s Mission Statement:
“Teacher candidates will create classroom environments that promote cooperation and responsibility, support self-worth, affirm the dignity of all students, and stimulate learning.”