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The Intern's Responsibilities
Past experience has shown that those interns who embrace their responsibilities fully and take initiative to seek what they need to promote their own learning have the most success. While the field instructor and CT have primary responsibilities for providing support, it is the intern who must take responsibility for his/her own learning and taking advantage of the opportunities provided.
Planning and communication
- Inform your field instructor in writing of your schedule in the school and your collaborating teacher of your schedule in seminars, and of any changes that occur in these plans.
- Arrange observation and conference times with the field instructor. Notify your field instructor in a timely manner if an observation needs to be rescheduled or canceled for any reason.
- According to formats and procedures negotiated with the field instructor, collaborating teacher (and 800-level course instructor if applicable), develop unit and daily lesson plans in writing and in advance of instruction, and have them approved by the collaborating teacher. Plans may also be approved by the field, or course, instructor as arranged. A good rule of thumb is that the plans should be detailed enough that another teacher could follow them. Plans need to be handed in to the collaborating teacher (and field instructor, if arranged) during the week prior to teaching so that suggestions for revision can be incorporated into the plans.
- Respond to e-mail communication from your CT, field instructor, or other program personnel in a timely manner.
Professional activities
- Plan with the collaborating teacher ways to participate in orientation activities at the school and introduce yourself to school administrators, specialists, secretaries, custodians, and other teachers in the building.
- Attend school faculty meetings, parent-teacher conferences, PTA meetings and other professional inservices. Follow school procedures for days you are sick, leaving detailed lesson plans for your collaborating teacher. Absences due to sickness will be made up if deemed necessary by your field instructor, cluster leader, and collaborating teacher.
- Read and follow the school/teacher handbook; follow the school faculty dress code and your collaborating teacher's expectations, e.g., the time to be in the classroom before and after school.
Personal learning
- Take initiative in asking questions, searching out resources, inviting feedback, and creating opportunities to learn.
- Participate in joint conferences (intern, collaborating teacher, and field instructor) at least five times during the academic year: (1) an initial conference during August or September, to confirm responsibilities, negotiate working relations, and plan the intern's learning; (2) a mid-semester evaluation and planning conference in Fall; (3) an end of semester evaluation conference in December; (4) a mid- semester evaluation and planning conference in Spring, and (5) a final evaluation conference in April. Beginning with the fall mid-semester conference, develop your Professional Learning Plan to guide your professional learning across the year, and update your plan following each assessment conference.
- Reflect on your teaching and your learning about teaching in writing, through journals and/or reflection papers. Share and discuss your reflections with your collaborating teacher and field instructor.
- Participate in ongoing portfolio processes which result in the creation of a portfolio demonstrating your work and accomplishments to be shared with instructors and prospective employers. The portfolio will be shared with colleagues and family at the Intern Convocation at the end of the school year.
Managing outside work
- If you will need to work (a) before 5:00 p.m., (b) more than 10 hours per week, or (c) more than one evening per week, then discuss your plans with your cluster leader.
- Inform your collaborating teacher and field instructor about your work arrangements and negotiate schedules that are mutually acceptable.
- Become informed about and follow district or building policies that may impact activities you want to engage in such as tutoring students for pay outside of school hours.
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