Internship

Roles and Responsibilities of the Intern

Intern Orientation Session

Internship begins with a mandatory full-day orientation session for interns in mid-August. The main purpose of the orientation is for interns to garner necessary information about their professional responsibilities. In addition, interns will meet with the internship facilitator with whom they will work and begin to build their professional relationship, using this time to clarify expectations, do some goal-setting and some planning together.

In-service Sessions

The scheduled in-service sessions are designed to support professional growth for both interns and cooperating teachers, and to deal with issues, ideas and concerns that emerge as the term progresses. During the extended practicum period, internship facilitators will offer one formal in-service involving both cooperating teachers and interns and one formal in-service for interns only. The day-long in-service sessions will be held locations central to a cluster of schools in the territory of the internship facilitator.

In-service sessions will involve further goal setting and sharing ideas for evidence gathering and for analyzing and reflecting upon interns' experiences recorded in the Professional Growth Portfolio. Internship facilitators can also take into account questions, topics and issues raised by interns and cooperating teachers when planning in-service sessions. Potential topics include:

• peer coaching
• constructivist teaching and learning
• assessment 'for', 'of', and 'as' learning
• student engagement
• subject specific methodologies
• planning across subject areas (subject area integration)
• working with revised curricula
• infusing First Nations, Métis, Inuit and multicultural perspectives and content into student learning opportunities
• Inquiry Approaches

Interns are responsible for:

• Embracing opportunities to learn from and in field study experiences
  • learn about learners (e.g., through observation, small group facilitation)
  • support teachers in meeting the needs of students in the school
  • be flexible and sensitive in adapting to the school and community contexts
  • plan/co-plan and implement individual lessons and team-teach with the cooperating teacher
  • forgo enrolment in university courses and take a leave of absence from employment
• Embracing opportunities for broad based experiences:
  • participate in classrooms at different grade levels and across subject areas as much as possible
  • engage in all aspects of the life of the school, including extra-curricular activities and participation in professional development opportunities
• Embracing opportunities for professional conversations:
  • schedule daily conferences with cooperating teachers throughout the internship
  • maintain an up-to-date PGP (including analysis of and reflections on evidence) and use this as a focus for discussions - ensure the PGP is made available to the cooperating teacher and internship facilitator
  • communicate with the cooperating teacher immediately when issues/concerns arise - then, consult with the internship facilitator.
• Fulfilling logistical requirements
  • Complete and submit a Criminal Record Check before beginning the internship.
  • attend mandatory orientations and in-services scheduled by the College of Education
  • engage in professional conduct according to the STF Code of Ethics
  • adhere to the 16 Week Internship Developmental Timeline
  • inform the cooperating teacher and internship facilitator of absences as soon as possible and not later than 8:30 a.m. the day of the absence
• Embracing opportunities to hone professional competencies
  • Prepare at least two original or substantially adapted formal unit plansof approximately 10 lessons each.
    • Feedback on these required units is to be provided by cooperating teachers/internship facilitators before implementation, share unit plans at least one week in advance of the planned implementation date.
      • co-generate the first unit due with the cooperating teacher
      • generate the second unit individually, after consultation with the cooperating teacher as to the unit focus.
      • At least one of these units must infuse First Nations, Métis, Inuit content and perspectives.
    • both units should
      • be directly connected to Saskatchewan curricula (addressing Broad Areas of Learning, Cross-curricular Competencies, outcomes/ indicators)
      • include specifically identified outcomes/indicators, assessment & evaluation plan a concept map, scope and sequence plan.
    • Co-plan several other units/mini-units in preparation for full time teaching.
    • take over, full-time, the range of duties assigned to the cooperating teacher for at least five weeks (no less than 20 days of 'full-time' instruction)
• Embracing experimentation and risk-taking
  • engage learners in inquiry approaches, problem-based learning and other student-centred learning opportunities
  • team- teach with cooperating teachers and other interns
  • participate inpeer-coaching opportunities (if possible)
• To follow Field Experiences Policy on Absenteeism

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For additional information contact:

Field Experiences
College of Education
28 Campus Drive
University of Saskatchewan
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

966-7665

education.internship@usask.ca