Pre-internship Field Study

Some Suggested Activities for Pre-Internship Field Study:

Get to know students

• record observations about individual and group particularities including:
  • age groupings, gender balance, learning abilities, interests/hobbies, apparent learning styles, apparent cultural/ethnic/racial/backgrounds, apparent socio-economic class...

Get to know the community

• walk with a colleague around the community close to the school,
• write a brief description of what is seen, heard, etc. (photo can be taken)
• look at the community as a resource for students of the school - jot down ideas for local field explorations

Get to know the school.

• the physical and social organization of the school
• how do students interact with each other and the staff
• look for patterns in how school life is organized,

Observe learning activities in several classrooms and subject areas.

• describe some particularities about the student in the classrooms, the physical environment and materials in the classroom,
• describe opportunities for students to learn formally and informally in the classroom, in the school and in the community.

Discuss assessment and evaluation practices with a teacher

Work with individual students (with advice/approval from a teacher).

• work with an individual student who needs extra support.
  • For example, read to a primary-aged student, listen to a student read, or help with assigned tasks at the secondary level.
• carry out more intensive individual tutorial work under the supervision of a cooperating teacher or faculty team.
  • For example, a teacher/faculty member may request development of a learning profile for individual students in particular subject areas.

With advice/approval from a teacher,

• Work with small groups of students in centres or workshop settings.
  • e.g., help a group of students with literacy tasks while their teacher is carrying out a guided reading lesson, or help with science or social studies centres or labs.

• Help prepare materials for the classroom and/or find resources that represent Aboriginal and multicultural perspectives.

Assist an English-as-an-additional-language learner in developing cultural background knowledge by

• Engaging in conversations during short walks around the school or community and helping with assignments

Carry out interest inventories with students to provide useful information to the teacher as s/he chooses reading materials.

Help plan ways of infusing Aboriginal and multicultural content and perspectives into lesson and unit plans.

Plan and implement a small group activity, using a lesson plan format.

• Write a reflection about this and/or ask a peer coach to respond to your plan and implementation of it.
• small group lessons may be part of an assignment such as a 'mini-unit' or centre activity.

Team-teach lessons with a peer colleague or cooperating teacher for a whole class.

• Plan, implement, and write a reflection with your colleague.
• Elicit feedback (oral or written) as evidence for progress toward PGP goals/outcomes from a peer coach, faculty member or cooperating teacher.

Teach a series of connected lessons to a large group (whole class) by the end of the second term.

• Elicit written feedback as evidence for progress toward PGP goals/outcomes from a peer coach, faculty member or cooperating teacher.

Share particular strengths or skill set with partner school staff.

• For example, experience with particular computer or information technology could be shared to complement a teacher-designed lesson or unit.

Work as junior colleagues with partner school teachers - they will be interested in new ideas and strategies.

Arrange an opportunity to observe learning in an unfamiliar teaching area.

• E.g., if physics is Teaching Area One compare the language and ways of knowing across physics and chemistry, history or biology
• explore how to infuse Aboriginal and multicultural perspectives and ways of knowing across subject areas.

Take advantage of professional development opportunities offered through the school or school division.

Share professional reading materials from on-campus studies

• establish or participate in a reading circle or discussion group with teachers and teacher candidates in your school.

 

For additional information contact:

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

966-7665

education.internship@usask.ca