Internship Information Bachelor of Education (Primary, Secondary & Early Childhood)

Internship Overview Duration: 5 weeks On completion of all university coursework Following successful demonstration of the APST (Graduate Level) in Professional Practice 4 An Internship Authorisation is granted by the Queensland College of Teachers Authorisation covers specific dates Outcomes align with the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (Graduate Level)

How does the Internship Program work? Preparation of a plan 50% face-to-face responsibility for the mentor’s class / classes Participation in at least one school co-curricular activity Maintenance of a working portfolio including planning, reflection, information and records on student learning

Clarification of terms in the agreement Negotiate with the mentor a teaching program with up to 50% face to face responsibility for the mentor’s classes See Mentor Teacher Information and Guidelines in the following sections: Overview (p. 1, (b) + (c)); Guidelines (p.1, dot point 5) and Role of mentor, (p.3, dot points 1 & 4) 50% responsibility refers to the extent of unsupervised face to face teaching time that is experienced by an Intern i.e. non-contact time for mentor teachers

Some Rules (See Page 4- Mentor Teacher Guidelines booklet) Interns are not Internal relief Internships are not An extended supervised practicum These rules mean that mentor teachers have non-contact time which can be used for professional development but not for substitute teaching.

Absence during the Internship (See p.4 – Mentor Teacher Guidelines) Permitted absences e.g. attendance at interviews or exams Absence for valid and substantiated reasons of up to 3 days – waived Unsubstantiated absence – must be made up Over 3 days and up to 2 weeks – professional judgment by mentor in conjunction with university coordinator

Reporting Intern – Self-reflective statement Week 3 Reflection on the outcomes for students and the school community and inclusive of a personal professional philosophy Mentor –Feedback on the self-reflective statement Week 4 Verification of the Intern’s claims made on the self-reflective statement only – See page 25 Mentor Teacher Guidelines booklet) Internship Statement of Completion Conclusion of internship Signed verification of the length of the Internship

Self-reflective statement Maximum 1000 words Refers explicitly to the APST Emphasis on evidence and outcomes for students and the school community Inclusive of a personal philosophy on teaching and learning

Example of a self-reflective statement (Introduction) During my Internship, I have been able to enhance my application of the knowledge and skills described in the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (Graduate Career Stage) to support student learning and engagement. I believe that students are capable, competent and diverse individuals who make sense of the world around them when they are actively engaged in their education. Consequently my role as a teacher is to plan around the strengths, needs, interests and backgrounds of my students and design learning experiences that support their growth and success.

Example of outcomes– Links to Standards 2 & 3 I have: Embedded numeracy across the curriculum by teaching the use of graphs, statistics and timelines for communicating ideas in a geographical inquiry. Explicitly taught the organisation and features of a genre required for final summative tasks in English and History through the use of scaffolding and modelling (“I do, we do, you do”). Developed a reading comprehension program that teaches the skills of effective reading using strategies for before, during and after reading

Example of outcomes – Standards 2 & 3 I have devoted time to the explicit teaching of language and literacy through grammar and vocabulary exercises, ability-based reading and comprehension activities and scaffolded writing through activities such as journal writing, persuasive texts and poetry. In numeracy, I have modelled core concepts such as the addition of mixed numbers, extended division and conversion between fractions and percentages before creating investigations that required students to apply these skills to real world problem solving.

Example – Relationships: Links to Standard 4.1 & 7.3 Over the course of my internship, I have built a rapport with my students that allows them to feel supported and encourages them to contribute ideas to class discussions. This rapport has been especially important for a small group of disengaged learners who were low performers in literacy. My teaching methods of cooperative learning and modelling have seen these students improve in their school work and demonstrate strategies for self-regulation that have resulted in relationship benefits with their peers and other teachers. I have enhanced these relationships through my involvement in extra-curricular activities such as sport coaching and stage management for the upcoming theatre restaurant. These activities helped me to build an understanding of the school community and engage with parents, colleagues and students from many classes outside the classroom environment.

Example: Standard 1 plus related philosophy Standard 1: Know students and how they learn I believe students are capable and competent in directing their own learning and understand my role as a teacher as involving a deep understanding of student strengths, needs and interests as an integral aspect of creating relevant and engaging curriculum for all students Evidence: Comprehensive class and student profiles that include interpretation of assessment data, and records of social, language and behaviour for each student Differentiated lessons with modified tasks, mixed ability grouping and personalised learning goals that contribute to the success of all students Collaboration with learning support teachers to ensure continuity and support for students with ASD and ADHD within the classroom

How can you support an intern’s induction into the profession? Opportunities to extend and enhance professional knowledge and skills through experience and observation of other settings / year levels Difficult areas to gain experience (collegial discussion and modelling) Engagement with parents and carers Engagement with external and internal professionals Using specific databases and IT systems System priorities Interpreting student data Moderation and reporting Literacy and numeracy improvement agendas

Interns “at risk” It is possible to fail an Internship! An Intern who is unable to maintain expectations for planning, teaching, managing the learning environment and assessing and recording student learning can be placed at risk and the Internship reverts to a supervised placement. The University Coordinator must be contacted and a support plan created. (See the Mentor Teacher Guidelines for further information.)