Secondary Education Internship Guide

Program overview

In 1988, a Michigan State University College of Education task force began redesigning the teacher preparation program. The Holmes Group Report, Tomorrow’s Schools, a document that urged universities to reconnect teacher education to schools and classrooms, influenced the new program that emerged. The result is a three-year teacher certification program with the final year being an internship in a school. One of the primary goals of our program is to develop a partnership between practicing teachers and teacher educators, working toward making meaningful connections between classroom fieldwork and university coursework.

We believe that people do not learn from experience alone, but through experience in combination with careful preparation, good mentoring, discussions with colleagues, and well-designed courses. Therefore, we seek to develop sustained connections among teacher candidates, MSU staff, and practicing teachers.

The program blends classroom experience with inquiry and reflection in a series of dialogues with MSU professors and mentor teachers. We hope that through this collaborative effort, the graduates of such an internship will be teachers who teach for understanding, who will reach diverse bodies of students, who will be thoughtful and skilled about linking subject matter in a responsive curriculum, who will cultivate learning communities and who will be public intellectuals engaged in democratic reform. Working together, we plan to continue building a teacher certification program that reflects our collective visions of the kinds of teachers needed to meet the educational needs of an increasingly diverse student population in an increasingly complex society, informed by new perspectives about subject matter and learning.

Description of Roles

Interns are students who have completed a BA or BS in their subject matter major, and are spending an academic year working with experienced mentor teachers and field instructors (FIs) on their teaching practice while taking graduate courses in the Teacher Education department. Mentor Teachers are experienced teachers who mentor interns. They provide guidance, insight and opportunities for supported practice. Field Instructors (FIs) make five scheduled visits each semester and hold five conferences with the intern and mentor during the year. They supply program information, offer an additional perspective on classroom events, and support the interns in meeting the program standards. Coordinators work with school administrators to determine school placements for interns, mediate in difficult situations, and oversee interns’ progress in schools and with respect to program requirements.

Subject Area Leaders are faculty who organize the work of course instructors and field instructors in each subject area. They provide supervision and guidance for field instructors.

TE 801/3 and TE 802/4 Course Instructors teach the campus-based seminars that all interns complete in conjunction with their internship field work. Students are grouped in TE 801/3 courses by their placement schools. Students are grouped in TE 802/4 courses by their subject matter majors.

Intern Responsibilities

Interns are students of teaching. In contrast to traditional student teaching programs, interns are not expected to begin the year ready to teach on their own. Instead, they are expected to engage in observations, co-planning and co-teaching with their mentor teachers and to build their capacity toward assuming responsibility for extended lead teaching during the second semester.

Interns are in a period of transition from students to professional teachers. During this transition, they must retain the perspective of a learner as they take on the new and unfamiliar role of a teacher. Interns are expected to take an active role in their own learning and to contribute to the learning of fellow interns.

Planning and Communication

• Keep field instructor informed about classroom schedules and events
• Direct questions or concerns to field instructor or to the person most directly involved
• Schedule observations and conferences with the field instructor and inform field instructor of changes promptly
• Meet regularly with the mentor to discuss planning for instruction
• Prepare written lesson and unit plans according to both mentor teacher and instructor expectations
• Arrange to share all plans and materials with the mentor in a timely way, to allow for feedback before using them
• Keep the focus class “binder” up to date with plans and materials and ensure that it is accessible to the mentor and field instructor at all times
• Engage in journal-writing or other communication forums required by field instructors and/or course instructors
• Provide observers with copies of plans and materials
• Confer regularly with the mentor teacher and field instructor about progress and concerns

Professional Activities

• Prepare for and participate in courses
• Participate in orientation activities, faculty meetings and other placement school events unless these conflict with a campus-based internship requirement
• Initiate introductions to school faculty, staff and administrators
• Maintain accurate contact information for mentor teacher(s) and field instructor
• In case of absence, inform everyone affected promptly, i.e. prior to the absence
• Comply with the school absence policies and have substitute teacher plans available if scheduled to teach lessons during the absence
• Comply with the internship attendance policy
• Dress professionally
• Comply with the MSU Department of Teacher Education Professional and Technical Standards
• Reserve 7:00 am – 5:00 pm Monday through Friday for internship activities

Personal Learning

• Take initiative in asking questions, searching out resources, inviting feedback and creating opportunities to learn.
• Reflect on teaching and learning through discussions and assignments
• Prepare a professional portfolio
• Observe teachers and students carefully, taking notes and asking questions
• Study and participate in the formation and maintenance of a classroom learning community
• Begin the year co-planning and co-teaching lessons and activities, moving toward independent planning and teaching as the year progresses

Mentor Teacher Responsibilities

Planning and Communication

• Negotiate with intern and field instructor a sequence of intern responsibilities in accordance with the program standards
• Provide intern with an outline or list of topics intern will be responsible for teaching, allowing extra time for intern to locate resources, plan, receive feedback from mentor teacher and instructor, and revise
• Establish regular times to confer with the intern about long-term planning and provide support for identifying big ideas and appropriate curriculum materials. (See additional information under Lesson Planning Expectations.)
• Help identify places in the curriculum where the intern can try out ideas learned in seminars
• Confer regularly with the field instructor about progress and concerns

Supporting Intern Learning

• Facilitate and monitor intern’s progress from observation to co-planning and co-teaching to lead teaching (see Stages of the Internship Year).
• Guide the intern through daily school-based experiences such as working with other teachers, dealing with classes on an assembly day, etc.
• Provide appropriate, classroom-based learning opportunities throughout the year.
• Work with intern as a co-teacher as soon as possible, sharing decisions and observations
• Observe intern’s teaching and help the intern think about student understanding, alternative approaches, grouping, management, etc.
• Provide interns with oral and written feedback about their teaching, including written feedback about the intern’s focus class for the Focus Class “binder”.
• Reflect with the intern about teaching, student learning and ideas and strategies studied in seminars.

Assessment

• Participate in assessment conferences
• Prepare written assessments prior to assessment conferences, using the appropriate forms for your intern’s subject area, and provide copies for the intern and field instructor at the conference
• Help interns think about their careers as educators and assist with reviewing portfolios, videotaping, writing letters of recommendation, etc.

Field Instructor Responsibilities

Meetings, Observation Visits, and Assessments

• Verify that copies of written assessments are provided to interns and mentor teachers
• Conduct four assessment conferences with the intern and mentor teacher, at the appropriate points in the year
• Prepare participants for conferences by explaining what to bring and topics to discuss
• Make at least five visits, at least three of which are observations, during the fall semester
• Make at least five visits, at least three of which are observations, during the spring semester
• Prepare written assessments prior to assessment conferences, using the appropriate forms for your intern’s subject area, and provide copies for the intern and mentor teacher at the conference
• Attend team-wide field instructor meetings (see secondary calendar for schedule)

Communication

• Facilitate communication among interns, mentor teachers, course instructors and others involved with the internship
• Communicate regularly with each intern, at least every other week
• Communicate regularly with each mentor teacher
• Communicate regularly, as scheduled, with subject area leaders and course instructors about interns’ progress and problems
• Meet regularly (sometimes during TE 802/4) with each intern
• Plan ahead to schedule meetings in a timely fashion
• Provide the intern and mentor teacher with detailed notes and written feedback about observation visits
• Make sure intern and mentor clearly understand expectations and program standards
• Keep informed about program developments and pass this information on to interns and mentors promptly
• Know where to direct questions and relay answers as soon as possible

Support of Intern Learning

• Observe the intern’s teaching and confer about the planning and teaching of each observed lesson
• Provide constructive written and oral feedback for each observed lesson
• Identify the intern’s specific needs and work on them with the intern and mentor teacher
• Inform subject area leader and coordinators about problems promptly
• Help interns to develop their portfolios by giving feedback on materials, assisting with video recording, etc.

Records

• Keep notes of all formal observation visits including date, progress observed, suggestions made and actions taken
• Keep records of all communication with interns and mentor teachers
• Keep examples of intern work indicative of progress or problems
• Keep copies of all written assessments and professional development plans
• Submit evaluation conference reports and professional development plans to the program in a timely fashion

Overview of Required Teacher Education Courses

Courses
Professional Roles and Teaching Practice I/II (TE 801/TE 803)
3 credits each
TE 801 and TE 803 address issues common to all subjects such as school environments, professionalism in teaching, federal, state and local policies and the relationship between the community and the schools that serve it. Interns are grouped according to their placement context to foster discussion of topics relevant to their placement districts. Once assigned to a section, the student remains with that section for the entire year. If a student needs to change sections, the student must obtain permission from Chris Kaiser.

Reflection and Inquiry in Teaching Practice I/II (TE 802/TE 804)
3 credits each
TE 802 and TE 804 address subject-specific aspects of teaching such as national standards, pedagogical strategies, or methodological issues for particular subjects. There are sections of this seminar for math, English, social studies, science, world language, agriscience, and art. Once assigned to a section, the student remains with that section for the entire year. If a student needs to change sections, the student must obtain permission from Chris Kaiser.

Internship in Teaching I/II
6 credits each
TE 501 and TE 502, as the title suggests, are the core of the internship. They are (P)ass/(N)o Credit courses that utilize the program standards as guidelines for the intern’s performance. The intern’s final assessment will be conducted by the mentor teacher and field instructor.

Enrollment Policies
In each pair of internship courses (801/3, 802/4 or 501/2), successful completion of the first course is required for enrollment in the second course. A student who fails any first semester internship course may not enroll in the second semester of the internship. Also, a student who receives a grade of Incomplete (I) or Deferred (D) grade in a fall semester course or courses must complete the requirements for that course by the first day of the spring semester in order to continue in the internship. See Postponement of Grading on the MSU Registrar’s site for additional information about Incomplete (I) and Deferred (D) grades.

TE 501, 801 and 802 are taken in the fall semester, while TE 502, 803 and 804 are taken in the spring. These courses work together to support the intern’s development and are intended to be co-requisite, meaning students must enroll in all three required internship courses each semester they are participating in the internship year program. An exception to this policy is music education students, who take only TE 801 and TE 803.

Stages of the Internship Year

Co-teaching in the Focus Class

Selecting the focus class helps to define the initial role the intern will play in the classroom. In the focus class, the intern and mentor teacher begin by working together, discussing the interns specific observations and questions, and then move as soon as possible to co-planning and co-teaching, with the intern taking the lead as it becomes appropriate. It is a class in which the intern begins to accept prominent responsibility sooner than other classes. The intern should maintain consistent involvement in the focus class throughout the year and keep all lesson plans, activities, observations notes, and any other documentation related to the class in the Focus Class “binder”.

Selecting the focus class is a negotiated decision between the intern and mentor teacher, and may be understood in a variety of ways. Regardless of how the class is defined, two important ideas should guide the approach to the focus class:

• It is a class that initiates the intern into teaching, and therefore, mentoring and feedback from the mentor teacher are essential as the intern assumes increasing responsibility and begins building autonomy.
• It is not a class where the intern accepts full teaching responsibility from first day of school, but moves toward it gradually.

Guided Lead Teaching I and II

During the fall term there are two periods of guided lead teaching with a period for reflection and preparation in between. During these guided lead teaching periods, the intern should move into a lead teaching role in at least one class in addition to the focus class. These experiences allow interns to “get their feet wet” for manageable periods, helping them to raise new questions about teaching and what they need to learn, and taking some of the mystery and pressure off the spring lead teaching experience. Interns need considerable support to prepare for the first guided teaching period, and hopefully somewhat less for the second. The mentor teacher and field instructor should talk through the planning with the intern, helping to think about the details of implementation and to anticipate potential difficulties or opportunities that might arise in teaching. The mentor teacher can also support the intern in the classroom by helping to monitor discipline. As the intern becomes more confident in teaching, the mentor teacher can phase out this kind of support. The mentor teacher can observe and offer suggestions on areas that the intern is working on. After the first guided lead teaching experience, the intern has time to reflect on it, think about what needs to be worked on, and plan for the second period. After the second guided lead teaching period, planning for the spring lead teaching period should begin. During the fall guided lead teaching periods, issues such as the intern’s openness to learning, serious attention to what the program standards mean and what their enactment entails, active pursuit of guidance and feedback, and evidence of steady progress are critically important.

Lead Teaching

During the ten-week spring lead-teaching period, interns are responsible for a substantial portion of the mentor teacher’s duties. The field instructor, mentor teacher, and intern will negotiate a sequence of responsibilities for lead teaching that matches the intern’s capabilities and provides opportunities for learning. Lead teaching is not simply immersion in a full load of teaching responsibilities. Interns should be planning more carefully, keeping better records of their planning and teaching, consulting with their mentors and field instructors more extensively, and learning more thoughtfully than is normally possible for beginning teachers carrying a full load. Typically, interns will teach one less period than the typical load for a full-time teacher at their placement school, and will teach no more than two different preparations as part of that load. It is often wise for an intern who will teach three different preparations during the lead teaching period to teach only three class periods.

During lead teaching, interns need support and feedback from field instructors and mentor teachers. This support and feedback differs from what they needed during fall semester. Observations, evaluations and feedback should center on the intern’s understanding of and performance related to the program standards and on issues of autonomy.

Lead teaching also provides interns with an experience similar but not identical to full time teaching. This is a time when the intern has the opportunity to experiment with various styles of teaching and assessment. It also contributes to the development of the intern’s autonomy as a teacher. The intern’s performance during lead teaching significantly contributes to the Exit Performance Description.

Lead teaching includes the following components:

A negotiated relationship
Lead teaching is another phase in the working relationship among the intern, mentor teacher and field instructor. Like the other phases of the internship, lead teaching is most likely to succeed if the intern, mentor teacher and field instructor discuss specifically how to go about it. Refer to the Program Standards as a means of setting goals for lead teaching.

Unit planning
The intern will be expected to design coherent sequences of lessons that achieve large goals over periods of days or weeks. Prior to the lead teaching period, the intern should take the initiative and primary responsibility to plan the units that will be taught in the lead teaching period. Interns should always provide unit plans in advance to their mentors and field instructors, with sufficient time for their mentors and field instructors to provide feedback that can be used in refining the plans prior to teaching.

Lesson planning
In lesson planning, the intern learns to design purposeful and practical activities that carry a unit forward. She or he learns to anticipate and adapt to situations that might arise in those activities, to use time efficiently and to allow for the unexpected. Again, the mentor teacher and field instructor offer support, feedback and coaching.

Other school activities
During the spring, the intern should play a stronger role in events such as parent conferences and staff meetings about students than in the fall. On these occasions, it will be important for the mentor teacher to provide support and guidance. Interns are also encouraged to participate in the culture of their school by attending student activities such as sports events, performances and other extracurricular events.

Documentation and reflection
Although the seminar courses do not meet for a long stretch in the middle of lead teaching, most interns will have some responsibility for documenting their students’ learning and reflecting on their teaching. These assignments will help them learn to teach more thoughtfully and develop their teaching portfolios.

The April Transition Period

During April, after lead teaching is completed, the TE 803 and 804 seminars continue to meet, and attendance remains mandatory. Interns will continue to teach in their focus class but will need to spend increased time on completing the requirements of their coursework. Interns are encouraged to schedule visits to other classes and schools during this time. TE 803 and/or TE 804 course instructors may have requirements for these kinds of experiences and may help interns with planning for this work. Interns should work out schedules with their mentors and field instructors that allow them time to visit other schools and work on projects related to their coursework and their upcoming job search. When nothing else is required, they should be in their regular schools and following the schedule they typically follow during the co-planning and co-teaching times.

• Each should develop a written plan for when he or she will be in school and in other places. The plan should be signed by the mentor and field instructor and kept in the focus class “binder”. TE 803 and/or TE 804 instructors may also require interns to submit a copy of the schedule in class.
• Job Fairs. Interns should be free to attend the MSU teacher job fair or other teacher job fairs as is appropriate for their employment goals. The MSU teacher job fair date can be found in the intern year calendar.
• Convocation. All interns and their mentors are invited to attend our Secondary Intern Convocation on the last day of the internship. For additional details, consult the intern year calendar.

The Rhythm of the Internship Year

A Model for Intern Teaching Responsibilities

This diagram provides a template for planning times during the year in which the intern will be taking a lead role in their mentor teacher’s classroom. The template is based on a common school calendar, in which there are two semesters (four marking periods) each year, with each semester divided into six class periods per day.

The timing of the various periods in this diagram is approximate. The time intervals here are suggested to allow intervals of increased teaching responsibility to correspond to periods during which the on-campus courses do not meet (indicated at the bottom of the diagram). However, it is advantageous for periods of teaching to begin and end at natural breaks in the school calendar or curriculum. Field instructors can provide helpful guidance for determining actual start and end dates of each interval.

Any number of variations from this underlying structure of the school day and year can and do exist in the schools in which interns are placed. The purpose of this diagram is to highlight aspects of the intern’s field experience that contribute to the overall design of the internship year experience. In schools with other configurations of class time, interns and mentors should discuss with their field instructors how the intern’s lead teaching time will be distributed throughout the year. Key aspects of any intern’s lead teaching schedule include:

• After the initial week or two of school, the intern should have lead teaching responsibility (but not sole teaching responsibility) for at least one class period throughout the remainder of the internship.
• In addition to the class period in which the mentor teacher has his/her planning or prep hour, the intern should have one additional period each day in which he she has no lead teaching responsibilities. Interns are novice teachers for whom out-of-class preparation and reflection takes longer than it does for more experienced teachers. Moreover, interns are taking six credits of graduate coursework each semester. Having regular time during the school day to plan well for their teaching and reflect carefully on it is vital for the growth of the intern’s practice and for the quality of the instruction they can provide to the students they share with their mentor. Interns may spend some of this time outside the classroom, and they may spend some of it in observation and analysis of the mentor’s teaching.
• An intern’s lead teaching time should follow an “interval training” structure. In the first semester, short periods of increased lead teaching responsibilities should be preceded and followed by periods during which interns return to teaching only the focus class. Similarly to interval training in physical activity, this structure allows the intern to exert themselves more strenuously during the lead teaching times, because there is time to process the periods of lead teaching before increasing the intensity again. This allows the intern to develop greater capacity in all areas of teaching more quickly than if the intern’s level of responsibility were to steadily increase throughout the year. From each period of increased lead teaching responsibility to the next, the demands on the intern’s planning, teaching, and/or assessing should increase.
• Interns’ on-campus classes do not meet every week of the internship. During certain weeks, the classes do not meet so that interns can be in their placement schools all five days of the week. Interns’ obligations to their courses during this time focus more on at-school or in-class activities and less on lengthy reading or writing assignments. Interns’ ability to manage their time and their responsibilities to their coursework and their students is increased when lead teaching periods correspond to periods in which on-campus courses do not meet. A general indication of the periods in which the on-campus classes meet is given at the bottom of the diagram above. See the calendar for specific details.

Adaptations to the Model

Trimesters – Below is an example of how the internship structure might be adapted for other school calendars and schedules. In this example the school has three trimesters each year, with five class periods in each trimester.

In the first semester, the intern’s two intervals of Guided Lead Teaching include the focus class and one additional class. The intern, mentor and field instructor should discuss appropriate ways for the second Guided Lead Teaching period to place more responsibility on the intern than the first. For example, the intern may have more latitude in planning daily activities or more autonomy in enforcing classroom discipline. In instances where the intern will have two different preparations during the final Lead Teaching period, one way to create increasing demands is for the intern to teach two periods of the same course during the first Guided Lead Teaching period, and to teach two different courses during the second Guided Lead Teaching period.

Note that the timing of the various lead teaching periods in this diagram has not been adjusted from the previous model. Experience suggests that significant deviations from the timing in the first diagram do not work in the intern’s favor, and thus not in the favor of the students the intern is teaching. In all instances, it is advisable for the lead teaching periods to begin and end at natural transition periods in the curriculum, such as the end of a unit or the end of a marking period. In the trimester model, the end of the second Guided Lead Teaching period often coincides with the end of the first trimester. This provides the intern with both new challenges that increase the demands of this lead teaching interval and with a natural endpoint for this interval. A natural transition for the start of the Lead Teaching interval in mid-January might have the intern begin lead teaching after the second-trimester parent-teacher conferences. The end of Lead Teaching could coincide with any natural break around the end of March or beginning of April, such as the end of a unit, the school’s spring break, or the third trimester parent-teacher conferences. Interns and mentors have found that one advantage of the trimester schedule over the semester schedule for interns and for their students is that interns have the opportunity to practice some of the most difficult and consequential teaching days – the first few days of a new set of students or course – when they are at their most proficient, i.e. during the last few weeks of the lead teaching period. In general, each school schedule presents unique learning opportunities for each intern. Experience suggests that the critical aspect of the intern’s experience is not the details of the schedule, per se, but that field instructors and mentors work together to provide thoughtful guidance for capitalizing on these opportunities while maintaining key common features of the internship field experience.

In schools with trimester schedules, interns who are making excellent progress may find they wish to use some portion of their second prep period in more classroom-based activities during the later stages of the Lead Teaching interval. A variety of options exist; for example, the intern might benefit from working in another classroom in the school to experience a different mentor teacher’s practice or a different course or subject. This can be an excellent learning opportunity for the intern, but should be considered in light of the intern’s performance relative to the program standards at the time and his or her goals for the internship and for employment, and balanced with the increasing demands on the intern as the on-campus coursework resumes and the job search gets underway. As always, the field instructor will have helpful insights about what is coming up for the intern in the near future, so be sure to carefully discuss any plans for reducing the intern’s planning and reflecting time during the lead teaching period with the field instructor.

K-12 Endorsement in Art. Art students in the secondary team receive K-12 endorsements and thus work in two different school placements during the internship year. The diagram below provides a template for a typical lead teaching load for these interns:

Note that in this model, the principles of having teaching time each day and of preserving two periods of non- teaching time each day are present. Interns will require more support in the form of co-planning and co-teaching during the fall semester lead teaching period than in the spring semester.

Art interns complete their fall placements in elementary schools and their spring placements in secondary schools. Art interns begin their fall placements when their elementary mentor teachers report to schools in the fall, and remain in these placements until the start of the elementary placement school’s holiday break in December. Art interns report to their secondary schools on the day the secondary placement school teachers report after the holiday break, and remain in this placement until the last day of regular spring classes at MSU, approximately May 1.

As always, field instructors can help determine the structure of the intern’s teaching load so that the intern remains both challenged and supported throughout the year, and is able to manage the demands of both the field work and the seminar courses.

Calendars

For the latest calendar information, see the Secondary Calendar.

• Fall Semester 2024
  • Aug 26 – MSU Classes Begin
  • Aug 30 – 801/802
  • Sep 2 – Labor Day
  • Sep 6 – 801/802
  • Sep 13 – 802/802

• Sep 16 – 1st Guided Lead Teaching Begins
• Sep 20 – 801/802 (Virtual)
• Sep 27 – 801/802

• Oct 7 – Fall Mid-Semester Conference Begins
• Oct 11 – 1st Guided Lead Teaching Ends
• Oct 18 – 801/802
• Oct 25 – 801/802 (Virtual), Fall Mid-term Conference Complete
• Oct 28 – 2nd Guided Lead Teaching Begins
• Nov 1 – 801/802

• Nov 8 – 801/802 (Virtual)
• Nov 11 – Fall Final Conference Begins
• Nov 15 – 2nd Guided Lead Teaching Ends
• Nov 28 – Thanksgiving
• Dec 6 – 801/802, Fall Final Conference Complete
• Spring Semester 2025
  • Jan 13 – MSU Classes Begin
  • Jan 17 – 803/804
  • Jan 24 – 803/804
  • Jan 27 – Lead Teaching Begins
  • Jan 31 – 803/804 (Virtual)
  • Feb 7 – 803/804
  • Feb 14 – 803/804 (Virtual)
  • Feb 17 – Spring Mid-Semester Conference Begins

• Mar 7 – Spring Mid-Semester Conference Complete
• Mar 14 – 803/804
• Mar 21 – 803/804

• Mar 28 – 803/804 (Virtual)
• Apr 4 – Lead Teaching Ends
• Apr 7 – Spring Final Conference Begins
• Apr 18 – 803/804
• Apr 25 – 803/804, Convocation
• Apr 25 – Spring Final Conference Complete

Convocation: April 25, 4:00 pm, location TBA
 

* Note: Interns do not take MSU’s Spring Break. Interns must attend MSU classes and required meetings, but otherwise follow their placement school calendar.

Important Intern Year Events

• August
  • Interns report to schools on the first day that their mentor teachers report
  • Interns and mentors meet field instructors.
  • Fall TE 801/802 courses meet: Friday, 8/30.
• September
  • Fall TE 801/2 courses meet: Fridays, 9/6, 9/13, 9/20 (virtual), 9/27.
  • First Guided Lead Teaching window (GLT1): 9/16 – 10/11.
• October
  • First Guided Lead Teaching window (GLT1): 9/16 – 10/11.
  • Fall TE 801/2 courses meet: Fridays, 10/20 (virtual), 10/27.
  • Fall Mid-semester Conference window – Monday, 10/7 through Friday, 10/25.
  • Electronic copies of conference reports and Professional Development Plans (PDPs) should be submitted by field instructors by Friday, 10/25. PDPs are required for all interns who receive a grade of Pass with Concern at midterm.
  • Second Guided Lead Teaching window (GLT2): 10/28 – 11/15.
• November
  • Second Guided Lead Teaching window (GLT2): 10/28 – 11/15.
  • Fall TE 801/2 courses meet: Fridays, 11/1, 11/8 (virtual).
  • Fall Final Conference window – Monday, 11/11 through Friday, 12/6.
• December
  • Electronic copies of conference reports and PDPs should be submitted by field instructors by Monday, 12/9. PDPs are required for all interns who receive a grade of Pass with Concern at the final conference.
  • Fall TE 801/2 courses meet: Friday, 12/6.
• January
  • Spring TE 803/4 courses meet: Fridays, 1/17, 1/24, 1/31 (virtual).
  • Lead Teaching window (LT): 1/27– 4/4.
• February
  • Spring TE 803/804 courses meet: Fridays, 2/7, 2/14 (virtual).
  • Spring Mid-semester Conference window – Monday, 2/17 through Friday, 3/7.
• March
  • Electronic copies of conference reports and PDPs should be submitted by field instructors by Monday, 3/10. PDPs are required for all students who receive a grade of Pass with Concern at midterm.
  • Spring TE 803/804 courses meet: Fridays, 3/14, 3/21, 3/28 (virtual).
• April
  • Spring TE 803/4 courses meet: Fridays, 4/18, 4/25.
  • Spring Final Conference window – Monday, 4/7 through Thursday, 4/25.
  • Electronic copies of conference reports should be submitted by field instructors by Friday, 4/25.
  • Convocation: 4/25, 4:00pm, location TBA
     

Frequently Asked Questions

I will not be graduating until December. Can I begin my internship in the following spring semester?

No. Internships begin in the fall and end in the spring. The internship is designed to give interns experiences in school settings that orient them to the rhythm and flow of a teacher’s work life. In addition, the seminar courses during the internship are designed as two-semester course sequences that support interns’ work in schools. The courses are designed to be completed concurrently with the internship field placement. The fall course in each sequence (TE 801 or TE 802) must be completed in order to begin the spring course (TE 803 or TE 804). The exception to this is music education and CSD students, who complete only one semester of the internship field placement and may do so in the fall or spring semester.

When will I find out who my field instructor is?

Field instructors will be introduced at the Opening Day Institutes in August. See calendar for the date of this event.

I’m having a conflict with my mentor teacher/field instructor/course instructor. With whom do I speak about this conflict?

Field instructors are a good source of support for negotiating the relationships between mentor teachers and interns. Subject area leaders oversee the work of field instructors and course instructors and are a good place to start if you are having difficulty with one of these people. Team coordinators are also available to help with resolving conflicts among members of the intern’s support network. See Secondary Team Intern Year Personnel.

What should I be doing when I am not the lead teacher in my mentor’s classroom?

Reports from past interns and mentors suggest that abrupt transitions between the intern’s lead teaching responsibilities and the mentor’s teaching responsibilities are not in the best interest of the intern, the mentor or the students they are teaching. All parties benefit from collaborative responsibilities for the education of the students in the classroom across the year. Even when the intern is not taking the lead in instruction, he or she should still have a presence and responsibility in the classroom for all but one of the mentor teacher’s class periods. The intern can work with individuals or small groups engage in demonstrations/dialogues/debates with the mentor teacher to illustrate concepts to students, manage routines and deal with standard interruptions to the class (admitting late students, finding make-up work for students who were absent, answering the door or phone, etc.). Interns should also participate in collaborative planning of these classes with their mentor and collaborative assessment/grading of student work. Likewise, while the intern is teaching, the mentor can collaborate with and provide support to the intern in a variety of ways, as appropriate for the stage of the year and the lessons being presented.

The windows for the Guided Lead Teaching/Lead Teaching period(s) do not line up well with events at my school. What should I do?

First – do not panic. This happens regularly. The windows for the periods of increased teaching responsibility for interns are noted in the calendar in order to coordinate these periods with the weeks during which the seminar courses do not meet. There is some flexibility in the start and end dates of these periods for interns so that they can align well with schedules in the placement schools. However, remember that interns must attend all MSU classes, even if these occur during the intern’s lead teaching periods. Significant deviations from the schedules in the calendar can upset the balance of school-based work and seminar-based work for interns. Talk with your field instructor about the best way to balance the demands of the school and the seminar, and to design a manageable teaching schedule for the intern that is in the spirit of the model described in the handbook.

I have two mentor teachers. How does this affect my teaching schedule?

Interns with two mentors should have regular and consistent planning time with each mentor. Interns will still have one focus class and will follow the model described in Stages of the Internship Year for their total teaching load at each stage. Early in the year, and then again prior to each transition of teaching responsibility, the intern and both mentors should meet to discuss the intern’s teaching responsibilities and other responsibilities for the upcoming stage.

Criteria for Progression to the Internship

The information below is taken from Criteria for Progression

Requirements for Progression to the Internship

To progress to the internship a teacher candidate must complete the following:

Academic Requirements

Before beginning the internship, teacher candidates must have:

(1) completed all teaching major and teaching minor requirements as well as all teacher certification coursework and other courses required for teacher certification;

(2) been awarded the bachelor’s degree; (Note: Music Education Students complete MUS 495, “Directed Teaching”, as part of their baccalaureate degree.)

(3) earned a Grade Point Average of 2.5 or above in each of the following: University overall cumulative Grade Point Average, teaching major, and/or teaching minor(s):

(4) earned a Grade Point Average of 2.5 or above for pre-internship, professional education courses required for teacher certification , with no individual grade below 2.0,

(5) earned a minimum grade of 2.0 in all courses in the Planned Program for Elementary Certification

(6) passed all three components of the Michigan Test for Teacher Certification Professional Readiness Exam (PRE) (reading, writing, and math); and,

(7) completed the Michigan State Department of Education technology requirement.

 

Pass the required Michigan Test for Teacher Certification (MTTC)

Students seeking elementary certification, including those in special education and early childhood education, must pass the Elementary Education MTTC (Test #103) as a condition for progression to the internship (TE 501).

For elementary certification students, passing the Elementary Education MTTC is a requirement for completion of the teacher certification program and a State of Michigan requirement for certification to teach in grades K-5. Students who also wish to teach in grades 6-8 must pass the MTTC corresponding to their teaching major. Students in Special Education and Early Childhood Education must pass tests in their respective areas (i.e., Learning Disabilities and Early Childhood Education) to become endorsed to teach in those areas. Passing these subject matter tests is not required for program completion and progression to the internship; however, it is required if the student is to be recommended for certification in those areas.

For those seeking secondary certification (including the K-12 majors of Art Education, Communicative Sciences and Disorders, Music Education and Physical Education), students must take and pass the MTTC corresponding to their major as a condition for progressing to the internship (TE 501, CSD 883, MUS 495). All secondary education students, except those in Music, Art, Social Studies and Physical Science (comprehensive group majors), are required to complete an approved teaching minor. For secondary education students, passing the MTTC corresponding to the additional endorsement (minor) is a requirement for becoming certified to teach the additional endorsement (minor) and a requirement for placement in the additional endorsement (minor) subject area during the internship. While it is in the best interest of secondary teacher candidates to be certified in both their major and additional endorsement (minor) areas, the Michigan Department of Education permits secondary candidates to earn provisional certification in the major without certification in the additional endorsement (minor).

In addition to passing the MTTC corresponding to their teaching major, students who wish to be certified to teach world languages are required to meet oral proficiency standards established by the State of Michigan. Secondary candidates with world language majors must meet the standard as a condition for progression to the internship. Secondary candidates with world language minors and elementary students with world language majors or minors are not eligible for internship placements in world languages unless they have met the standard. All candidates must meet the standard before they can be recommended for certification in a world language.

Conviction Disclosure Form

It is important that prospective interns be appropriate candidates for the teaching profession. In Michigan, the State Board of Education may refuse to grant, or may impose conditions upon, a teaching certificate for an individual who is convicted as an adult of a felony involving moral turpitude or who is convicted of an act of immoral conduct contributing to the delinquency of a child. Conviction of these and other crimes may, therefore, preclude the teacher candidate from participating in the internship. To be eligible for the internship, the teacher candidate must complete, sign, and submit the Conviction Disclosure Form to the Student Affairs Office. Concealment or misrepresentation of information required to be disclosed in the Conviction Disclosure Form may result in denial of admission to the internship year or in denial of recommendation for teacher certification.

Professional Criteria

The internship involves the intern in extensive co-planning and co-teaching with an experienced collaborating teacher and requires the intern to gradually assume responsibility for all aspects of learning and teaching in the classroom. To be eligible for an internship, the teacher candidate must have demonstrated a readiness to work in accordance with the Professional Standards below and an appropriate disposition for the profession of teaching. Therefore, a teacher candidate who meets the Academic Requirements listed above may be denied the opportunity to do an internship if, in the judgment of the Teacher Education Department, the teacher candidate has failed to meet any of the following Professional Criteria. The Professional Criteria are related to the Professional Standards used to evaluate interns’ progress during the internship year

1. Reliability and Responsibility
   • Teacher candidates must generally have been present and on time for professional commitments, including classes and field experiences. Teacher candidates must have regularly communicated about necessary absences or lateness according to the guidelines in the Professional Conduct Policy. Teacher candidates must have a record of meeting deadlines for course assignments and program requirements. A pattern of repeated absences, lateness, and failure to meet deadlines in courses or fieldwork is not acceptable. Any form of dishonesty (lying, plagiarism, forged signatures, etc.) about these and other requirements is not acceptable.
2. Communication Skills and Social Relationships
   • Teacher candidates must have demonstrated the ability to express their viewpoints and negotiate difficulties appropriately, without behaving unprofessionally with instructors, peers, or students. Teacher candidates must have shown that they are ready to accept constructive feedback in a professional manner. Teacher candidates must have demonstrated an awareness of appropriate social boundaries between students and teachers and have shown that they are ready and able to observe those boundaries. Extreme forms of behavior (such as outbursts in class, sexual or other harassment, threats of suicide or of harm to others) are not acceptable.
3. Comfort with and Concern for the Learning of all Children
   • Teacher candidates must be able to engage in informal conversations with children and keep their attention in such conversations. Teacher candidates must interact courteously, fairly, and professionally with people from diverse racial, cultural, and social backgrounds and of different genders or sexual orientations. Racial and other slurs are not acceptable, nor is conduct that violates the University’s Anti-Discrimination Policy or that would violate the Anti-Discrimination Policy if it were directed at a member of the University community.

Beginning the Internship Placement

Matching Interns and Mentor Teachers

For interns, the placement process begins in the fall, with the Internship Placement Request form and the completion of the Internship Placement Resume. See the Secondary Team Pre-internship Guide on the secondary team website at Secondary Team Website for additional information.

For mentors, the placement process begins differently in different areas. Mentors will hear about the potential to work with interns for the upcoming year in the winter or spring of the previous year.

• Grand Rapids area school administrators will typically hear from the MSU coordinator in that area in mid- December.
• Lansing area school administrators will typically hear from MSU coordinators around February 1.
• Southeast Michigan area school administrators will hear from the MSU coordinator in that area between mid- January and the end of February.

Mentors should look for information about MSU internship placements from their district or building administrators at approximately these same times. Contact your administrator or the coordinator for your area if you have additional questions about the timing of the MSU intern placement process for the upcoming year. Each intern cohort will receive placement information from their coordinator gradually over the course of the spring and summer, depending on a number of factors that are at the discretion of placement schools. Virtually all interns will receive placement information before the end of the K-12 school calendar in June.

Confirming the Internship Placement

Once interns have received initial placement information from their coordinator, they can begin meeting with their mentor teachers to get acquainted and plan for the fall. It is important for interns and mentor teachers to know that when they receive information about a placement from their coordinator, that placement remains tentative pending several additional considerations:

1. Interns must meet the Criteria for Progression to the Internship. Most interns will have met these criteria by the end of the MSU spring semester (approximately May 15) but some will continue to work on these requirements through the summer. After the end of the MSU summer semester in mid-August, the College of Education Student Affairs Office (SAO) can complete the process of auditing these students’ requirements. Interns are responsible for notifying their mentor, their placement coordinator and SAO as soon as possible if they find they are unable to finish their remaining requirements.
2. Mentors’ expected teaching loads may change over the course of the spring and summer. Interns have been matched to prospective mentors based on the teaching endorsements they intend to earn and the mentor’s and school’s projection of the mentor’s teaching schedule for the fall. Mentors’ expected teaching loads can sometimes change as enrollments change or teaching assignments are adjusted across the district. Mentors should notify their interns and their placement coordinators as soon as possible if they find they will be teaching subjects other than those they indicated at the time of the initial placement, or if they anticipate an extended leave between the start of the school and the end of the internship (approximately May 1). Our interns rely on us to place them in contexts where they will receive mentoring and support throughout the year long internship coursework and field experience.
3. Intern and mentor must hold an initial interview and agree to work together for the upcoming year. Following an initial interview, mentors may decide that they are not ready to commit to the education of the intern at this time, for a variety of reasons. Rarely, an intern’s circumstances change between receiving placement information from the coordinator and meeting with the mentor, necessitating a change in placement. To confirm that they intend to work together barring changes in mentor’s assignment or the intern’s clearance status, both intern and mentor should sign the Placement Confirmation Form and return to the Secondary Team (see form for details) before K-12 schools adjourn for the summer.

Prior to the initial meeting between the mentor and intern, the mentor will receive a copy of the internship placement resume that the intern has prepared. Both intern and mentor should also download and review the current Internship Welcome Guide. Along with some vital information for interns at this time, the Welcome Guide contains a number of resources that the intern and mentor can use to frame their initial conversation and their ongoing planning over the spring and summer. The packet also contains information about the Placement Confirmation Form, which can be completed and submitted after the initial meeting.

After the initial meeting, interns and mentors can decide how much time they wish to spend meeting and talking prior to reporting to school in August. Materials provided in the packet can help the intern gather information to learn about the school and the courses they will be teaching, as well as help both intern and mentor learn about early decisions for structuring the internship experience.

All interns and their mentors should make plans to attend the Opening Day Institute for their geographic area (mandatory for interns, optional for mentors). The meeting will take place the week before MSU classes begin in August; see the calendar for additional details. At this meeting, interns and mentors will learn more about general policies and structures for the internship year, find out about the expectations of the courses, and meet their field instructors. They can also arrange at this time for an initial conference at the school between the intern, the mentor and the field instructor.

Fingerprinting and Background Checks

Updated 8/21/11. See also the current Internship Welcome Guide.

Since July 1, 2008, the State of Michigan has required that all individuals “employed or regularly and continuously working” in Michigan schools must be fingerprinted using the LiveScan technology (digital fingerprinting) and submit to criminal background checks. This includes any individuals acting as substitute teachers.

Our partner schools vary in their interpretation of the fingerprinting/background check regulations with respect to teacher candidates, but most schools are now requiring student teachers and interns to be fingerprinted. As a result, the MSU policy is: All MSU interns must be fingerprinted prior to beginning the internship so that a criminal history background check (CHBK) can be conducted by the Michigan State Police

Fingerprinting should be done during the spring or summer before the internship year so the CHBK can be received by the school or district before the internship begins. Michigan State University does not participate in the fingerprinting process, and neither the fingerprints nor the results of the CHBK are delivered to MSU. The fingerprinting and background check process takes place between the intern and the placement school district directly.

For the latest information the MSU College of Education has about fingerprinting policies and procedures, go to Fingerprinting for Interns on the MSU College of Education website. Highlights from that information are reproduced below for your convenience.

1. All interns are advised to check with the human resources department of their placement school district to confirm how the district will access their fingerprinting and CHBK information. It is important to make this inquiry sooner rather than later. Schools may have important information for interns about their preferred or recommended method for receiving the CHBK information.
2. Most interns who wish to be eligible to be paid as substitutes for their mentoring teachers must be employees of the Professional Educational Services Group (PESG). Information is available at Sub Pass. Students who register as substitutes with PESG as well as students who do not register with PESG can be fingerprinted through PESG. Results of the CHBK will be sent directly to the school or district in which you will intern. With the proper release form, PESG will send your results to the school in which you will be employed after your internship. PESG will send your results to your first employer even if you do not register as a substitute with them.
   • Exception: There may be occasions in which a first employer requires a new employee to be reprinted (for example, if an intern has not been paid as a teacher or sub in the past year), but this is not always the case. In some cases, the employing school or district will pay for the new employee to be reprinted if it is required.
   • To see whether your placement school participates with PESG, click on the “Districts” button on the PESG home page and find the county in which you will be interning. Note whether your district is on the list.
   • From the county listing page, click on Enrollment Requirements and Forms for more information about fingerprinting and other requirements for enrolling with PESG in that county.
3. Interns may NO LONGER go to the Ingham ISD to be fingerprinted (as of April 1, 2010). However, for those interns who have already completed the fingerprinting and CHBK at Ingham ISD, you must give permission to release the information by printing and completing the Authorization for Release of Any Criminal History Records form. The completed Release Form should be faxed to (517) 676-4294. For more information, please go to District Support Services

Enrolling for Internship Courses

During the intern year, interns are neither undergraduates nor graduates; they are enrolled at the special Graduate Certification (GC) level at MSU. Interns should take care when they enroll for their internship year courses that they have done so under this GC status, and not under their undergraduate (UN) status. If a student has open courses on his/her undergraduate degree, the degree cannot be conferred and the student cannot be cleared to begin the internship. For this reason, it is suggested that interns wait to enroll for their internship until after the end of spring classes in May. However, interns must enroll for their classes by the deadline to avoid a $50 late fee. See the official University calendar for the deadline for the current year.

Interns will receive information from the Secondary Team in designating the sections of the internship courses in which they should enroll. See Description of Intern Year Courses for additional information about each course.

The table below indicates the sections assignments for interns for 2024-2025

• TE 501/2
  • 005 Agriscience interns
  • 006 Art interns
  • 007 English interns
  • 008 Math interns
  • 009 Science interns
  • 010 Social Studies interns
  • 011 World Language interns
• TE 801/3
  • 008 *Interns will be placed in 801/803 Sections by coordinators.
  • 009
  • 010
  • 011
  • 012
• TE 802/4
  • 008 Agriscience majors
  • 009 Art majors
  • 010 English majors
  • 011 Math majors
  • 012 Science majors
  • 013 Social Studies majors
  • 014 Social Studies majors
  • 015 World Language majors
• TE 503 (Course required only for those seeking additional endorsement(s)(minor))
  • 001 Agriscience
  • 002 Math
  • 003 Science
  • 004 History and additional Social Studies
  • 005 Psychology
  • 006 World Language
  • 007 English

Beginning the Internship Placement – Frequently Asked Questions

When will I know if I am cleared to begin the internship?

After meeting with their major advisor in the fall to review their progress toward meeting the internship criteria, the advisors in College of Education Student Affairs Office reviews the notes and comments from this meeting and monitors students’ progress toward completing the remaining requirements. Students with concerns, such as GPA problems or missing coursework, will be notified via email and will have copies of this notification placed in their Electronic Student Advising Folder (ESAF). SAO advisors will monitor students’ progress throughout the spring and summer, as students complete the remaining requirements. Final clearance for the internship can be granted in many cases after the end of the spring semester. For students taking summer courses or tests, records will be reviewed when final grades or test results are available. Students who do not meet the criteria are of primary concern and are notified as soon as possible. Final clearance information will be available for all students once summer term grades are recorded and reviewed – typically by the last week of August.

What if I do not meet all of the criteria for the internship?

Students who do not meet the criteria for progression by the start of the fall semester are not eligible for the internship and must request a new internship year in order to remain in the program. See Criteria for Progression for additional information.

What if I don’t know my placement by the end of school in June?

Each year, a few students will not have an internship placement by the end of the K-12 school year in June, due to circumstances in the placement schools beyond our control. Coordinators continue to work through the summer on placements, but school offices are typically closed in July and early August. As school offices reopen in August, placement efforts can resume in earnest and most students without placements can be placed shortly thereafter. In rare instances, interns may not have been placed (or may need to be re-placed) after the start of the fall semester, but experience has shown that interns can “catch up” quickly in the early stages of the internship.

What if I have been fingerprinted before? Do I have to do it again?

It depends. You must have been fingerprinted using the LiveScan digital fingerprinting process, and the agency that took your fingerprints must have archived them on your behalf. Contact the agency that took your prints to determine whether they have saved them in an archive and whether they can forward them (with your permission) to your internship placement school.

Policies

Failure to comply with these and other university policies governing student conduct will result in review of the intern’s progress and reconsideration of the intern’s continued participation in the teacher certification program.

Attendance

Attendance and Punctuality are important components of professional conduct. Interns are expected to be present and on time for professional commitments. Interns who must be absent from their placement or a seminar course (TE 801/2/3/4) must inform all who are affected by such absence (e.g., mentor teacher(s), field instructor, course instructor(s)). If the absence is planned or anticipated, those affected should be informed in advance. More than four (4) absences from the placement or two (2) absences from a course meeting during a semester may jeopardize an intern’s recommendation for continuation in the program.

Placements

Interns who will be absent from their placement should make sure that plans are available for substitutes (including their mentor teachers) if the intern will miss any class periods in which they had teaching responsibility. Interns should comply with placement school policies regarding absences for events such as a death in the family, religious holidays, etc. Interns who are repeatedly absent or late to their placement may be required to make up time at the end of the school year. If there are extenuating circumstances, it is the intern’s responsibility to inform the mentor teacher, field instructor, course instructor and coordinator so that appropriate arrangements can be made. Any unusual or lengthy absences should be referred to the subject area leader and the coordinator. See Intern Year Personnel.

Courses

The content of intern year courses is part of the Michigan teacher certification requirements and 100% attendance is expected under normal circumstances. Excused absences from courses will only be granted in case of illness or personal emergency (such as death in the family), religious holiday, or when an important school-related activity essential to the intern’s professional education (such as parent-teacher conferences) conflicts. Workshops or in-service training are generally not an adequate reason to miss course meetings. For any type of absence interns will be expected to arrange for making up missed educational activities. See course syllabi for additional attendance policies and requirements.

Professional Conduct

Professional Communication and Problem Solving

Appropriate, effective communication as detailed in the Program Standards and Intern Responsibilities is an important component of professional conduct. Interns are expected to give and accept constructive feedback appropriately and to react appropriately in stressful situations. Interns who encounter problems should discuss them with the people most directly involved. If the situation is not resolved at that level in a reasonable amount of time, interns should request assistance from the subject area leader or coordinator. Recourse if the situation is still not resolved is to contact the Teacher Preparation Program coordinator.

Academic Honesty and Integrity

The University Policy on Academic Honesty and Integrity will be enforced, which states that at the instructor’s discretion, a student may receive a penalty grade on the assignment and/or in the course, and a report must be filed which becomes part of the student’s academic record. Additional penalties are possible, depending on the nature of the infraction.

Moreover, teachers are the guardians of academic integrity in society. Teacher candidates are expected to meet the highest standards in this regard, and to uphold these standards among their students and colleagues. It is the standard practice of teachers to borrow ideas and materials from a variety of sources. Take care to properly attribute these sources and to refrain from representing another’s intellectual property as your own. Instructors and course syllabi provide additional guidelines for applying these principles to specific assignments and products.

Confidentiality

By both professional standards and the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) teachers are expected to respect the privacy and dignity of the children and families with whom they work. Likewise, as part of your preparation to enter the teaching profession, we expect you to use discretion when discussing or otherwise representing your experiences in schools. Always take care to protect the identities of children, adults and institutions in all media formats, including your spoken word. Be judicious and thoughtful about the content of stories about the classroom you share, and the context in which you share those stories. For example, do not discuss classroom experiences in public settings like restaurants or hallways, or on social media sites such as Facebook. Ask your collaborating teacher if there are additional district or school requirements regarding confidentiality that you must observe.Classroom Discussions

Your field experiences are an important part of your learning and you will be discussing them in your course meetings. Do not relate stories from classrooms or schools that include sensitive information about a child, adult, family or institution if those stories are not germane to the purpose of the discussion. When discussing classroom situations do so carefully. Use a fictitious name for any student involved. Mask the name of a student on any written or visual work shared in class. When discussing teaching practice you have observed in the field, be mindful of maintaining a tone of professional courtesy.Interviews and Artifacts

When collecting information by interview, clearly state, or give to the interviewee in writing, the purpose of the interview and the uses you will make of the material. Obtain written permission for these uses. Ask your instructor for an example if you are unsure how to word this statement.Audio and Video

Occasionally there are circumstances, which require that a student’s whereabouts are kept secret, and photographs and recordings are not allowed. Most schools and districts require written permission from parents/guardians for taking any photographs, audio or video recordings. Your instructor can help you draft a release form for collecting these media, which you must then review with the classroom teacher and revise further as needed.Portfolios

Your professional portfolio is a significantly more public representation of your work in schools than most other course assignments. Confidentiality considerations and releases for this use deserve special attention. Use pseudonyms and screen/mask names and personal identifying information. Always secure and maintain records of explicit written permission for any artifacts, photographs or recordings you include in print or electronic portfolios.

Dress and Deportment in Schools

Interns are expected to dress appropriately in schools, keeping in mind the value of being viewed as an adult and as a professional with authority in the classroom. They should always be polite to and considerate of other adults in the building including administrators, other teachers, custodians, secretaries and paraprofessionals. Interns should follow their placement school’s polices regarding the use of tobacco products, electronic devices, and other professional conduct expectations.

Alcohol and Illegal Drugs

Interns are expected to be free of the influence or possession of such substances in classes and field placements.

Substitute Teaching by Intern

Policy

[Teacher Candidate refers to teacher candidate interns and teacher candidate resident interns] 

Michigan State University (MSU) teacher candidates have earned bachelor’s degrees and have completed 21 semester hours of professional education by the time they enter the internship, therefore, they are qualified to work as substitute teachers under Michigan’s current administrative rules. Appointing substitute teachers is the function and responsibility of school districts. 

Substitute teaching can be consistent with teacher candidate responsibilities and progress in the teacher preparation program, but only if certain conditions are met. This policy states when MSU teacher candidates may work as substitute teachers without jeopardizing their standing in the program. Questions regarding the policy should be directed first to the leaders of MSU’s teacher preparation teams. Before any substitute teaching is approved, the Intern Substitute Teaching Report must be complete. 

Teacher candidates are novices, and they face an elevated risk of mishaps in practice. For the sole purpose of educating teacher candidates, MSU takes responsibility for such internship-related mishaps through its indemnification agreements with school districts. When school districts employ teacher candidates as substitute teachers, other purposes are served, and the school districts assume responsibility for the teacher candidates as their employees. 

The internship requires good working relationships among the teacher candidate, the mentor teacher, MSU field instructor and school liaison, and the principal of the school. Protecting those relationships is a primary consideration in applying the following policy. 

1. The program for MSU teacher candidates is designed to occupy them fully during school hours from the first day that mentor teachers report to their schools at the beginning of their academic year to the last day of MSU’s academic year. That is the period to which this policy applies.
2. There are times when a mentor teacher reasonably may decide to leave a teacher candidate alone in charge of students for one or two hours, either to provide the teacher candidate that experience or to do other work in the school. The teacher candidate should not expect pay on those occasions; they are not instances of substitute teaching.
3. When a mentor teacher attends a meeting sponsored by MSU’s teacher preparation program, the mentor teacher may leave the teacher candidate in charge of the mentor teacher’s classes; such meetings are an integral element of the teacher preparation program and the liability for the teacher candidate’s practice on these occasions is covered under MSU’s indemnification agreements with school districts.
4. An MSU teacher candidate, after the first fall semester AoP conference, may serve as a substitute teacher only for the mentor teacher with whom the teacher candidate is placed, and for a maximum of the equivalent of 15 (*) days¹ (i.e., 15 full days, 30 half days, or 90 one-hour periods) during the period defined in point 1, above, provided that the following conditions are met:

5. After a teacher candidate has been approved to substitute teach for the first time, that approval remains in force only if the conditions listed above continue to be met on each occasion that the teacher candidate substitute teaches. 

6. Teacher candidates are responsible for using the Intern Substitute Teaching Report to inform their teacher preparation teams. Teams will define their procedures for routing and filing the Reports. 

7. Upon successful completion of the final Spring Semester Assessment of Progress (AoP), an MSU teacher candidate may serve as a substitute teacher for any teacher in the placement school until the end of the Internship Program, provided that the conditions in 4 a-f above are met². (**) Accordingly, teacher candidates who serve as substitutes will comply with points 5 and 6 above.  

Any questions related to this policy should be directed to either the appropriate Internship Program Area Coordinator or Director of the Teacher Preparation Program.  

Financial Support for Teachers and Schools

Mentor Teachers’ Professional Accounts

Professional accounts are intended to support mentor teachers’ work as teacher educators in schools with their MSU students and interns.

These accounts are set at a maximum of $300 for a mentor teacher who works with an intern for a year. These monies are disbursed through each district’s internal accounting procedures. Reports that contain the most current information about which teachers are to receive funds are sent to districts periodically throughout the year.

Discretion regarding the educational use of these funds is left to mentor teachers. Potential uses include classroom equipment or materials that enable the MSU student to try promising approaches to teaching; photocopying; registration and traveling expenses for professional workshops; and professional association meetings for the MSU student and the mentor teacher. Equipment or materials purchased with these funds should remain with the mentor teacher to support his/her future work with MSU students. Costs for substitute teachers and travel for mentor teachers to attend MSU meetings, when needed, are another potential use for the professional accounts.

School Impact

The presence of sizable numbers of MSU students can directly affect the school as a whole, e.g. increased use of available telephones or computers, or increased use of photocopiers. Expenditures can be made to cushion these impacts and thus equip the school as a site for teacher preparation.

These accounts are set at $50 per intern for use by the school/district.

Accessing These Accounts

Schools will have information from the MSU School Contract team about who is to receive funds beginning in October. The money is available to schools after the final set of contracts are sent to schools/districts in March and signed and returned to MSU by the school/district. Each school sets its own start date and deadline for submission of expenditures from the professional accounts.

For additional information, contact your school/district’s accounting office. Further questions about financial support for mentor teachers and participating schools should be directed to the MSU School Contract team.

Lesson Planning Expectations

It is program policy that interns will have written lesson plans available in time for mentors and field instructors to review so that revisions can be completed before the lesson is taught. Interns and mentors should negotiate a timeline for initial plans and revisions that is manageable for all parties.

Interns began developing planning skills in the junior and senior years of the program (TE 302 and TE 407/8). These documents were often extensive because they were used both as tools for the execution of the teaching episodes and as written documentation of the student’s thinking about the lesson prior to teaching it. Interns now need to develop lesson planning strategies that support the thinking they have been learning about in earlier years of the program, but that are also useful to them in the moment of teaching and manageable to produce day after day. Finding a form for written lesson planning that is streamlined to provide easy access to the most helpful information and support to the intern while s/he teaches is an ongoing process. As interns progress the format of their written plans will likely change in response. Some categories of information in the written plan may no longer be useful as the intern internalizes aspects of their teaching practice that are routine, while other categories of information may be added as the intern works to address areas for growth in their teaching.

TE 802/4 course instructors provide lesson planning formats whose use is optional. Field instructors can help interns adapt these formats, formats they have used in earlier years of the program, or other structures suggested by the mentor or field instructor to the particular circumstances of their intern year.

Frequently Asked Questions

If I am sharing an intern with another mentor, how does that affect my professional account?

Each intern brings with him/her a fixed amount for use by the intern’s placement school and mentor(s). When the intern is placed with two mentors, the mentors will share the amount. Because each mentor’s schedule is often unknown at the time the placement is made, the default arrangement in MSU’s documentation is that the two mentors split the money equally. Different arrangements that more accurately reflect the relative contribution or responsibility of each mentor are easily made; contact your field instructor or Coordinator to make these adjustments. Alternatively, mentors may prefer to spend the money collaboratively or adjust the proportion that each will use once the money arrives in the school.

It is early in the fall but my intern is more qualified than any sub I could hire. Why can’t my intern be paid as my substitute yet?

Interns are making a huge commitment of money and time in their internship year. Interns face the consequences of their choices during a substitute teaching episode for the rest of the year. Experience suggests waiting until October allows them to gain important knowledge and wisdom for handling unexpected situations, which protects them from the unintended effects of such situations on their relationships with their students throughout the rest of the internship. Having another substitute teacher in the room provides another set of eyes and another perspective for handling challenging situations that might arise.

Do internship lesson plans have to look like they did in the senior year courses?

During the senior year, students engaged in careful study of aspects of planning and teaching that contribute to successful lessons. In order to share and discuss these ideas, many aspects of planning that experienced teachers do “in their heads” were detailed in writing in these plans. It is not practical, and probably not even possible, for an intern to carry out these detailed plans for every lesson that he/she teaches in the internship year or beyond. During the intern year, interns may be asked by course instructors, field instructors or mentors to detail their thinking about particular lessons, or to write more of their thoughts about a particular aspect of planning for a particular time and pedagogical purpose. Ultimately, interns need to develop a planning practice that uses their time wisely and maximizes the quality of their instruction. This development arises out of the intern’s reflection on their teaching practice and through support from their mentors and instructors.

Intern Assessment and Grading

Principles of Assessment across the Intern Year

Interns, field instructors and mentor teachers share responsibility for ongoing assessment. While many individuals contribute to on-going intern evaluation, field instructors are responsible for both facilitating evaluations and determining intern grades in TE 501 and 502. A grade of P (pass) or N (no grade) is given for TE 501 and 502. Grades for TE 801, 802, 803 and 804 are numerical grades given by each course instructor.

Compatible with professional standards for beginning teaching developed at the national and state levels, the program standards offer a set of aspirations to strive for and a basis for judging how interns are doing in their efforts to become well-started novices. The internship allows a shift in the focus of evaluation over the two semesters from an early emphasis on the intern’s stance as a learner to greater emphasis on the intern’s capacity to enact the standards in practice.

Interns’ progress should reflect their professional participation in their own and others’ learning. Evidence of progress will come from a variety of sources, including

• The professional judgment of the mentor teacher and field instructor based on observation and assessment of the intern’s work in the classroom, the school and conferences
• The intern’s questions, comments and contributions to discussions with the mentor teacher, field instructor and colleagues
• Written material such as journal entries, assignments, daily plans, etc.
• The interns’ attendance and promptness at teaching assignments and seminars

Conferences should be an opportunity for in-depth discussion of an intern’s progress, not a time to surprise interns with feedback for which they are not prepared. This does not mean that difficult conversations should be avoided, but that communication about evaluation issues should be an ongoing process throughout the year.

Grading for TE 501/502/503

Grades in TE 501/502/503 are assigned at the end of each semester, with an estimated grade given at the mid-term conference for each semester.

Pass (P)

In the fall, (P) means that the intern is open to learning, is working hard to understand the standards and figure out what their enactment in classrooms entails, is actively seeking guidance and feedback, and is making steady progress in learning to think and act like a professional beginning teacher. In the spring, (P) means that the intern has an understanding of what the standards mean and what they entail and can realize the standards in practice at a level appropriate for a well-started beginning teacher.

Pass with Concern (P) (not available as a final grade for TE 502/503)

This grade is appropriate when an intern is actively working on learning to teach but is experiencing difficulties putting the learning into practice. The problem area(s) need to be addressed in order to receive a pass (P) during the next evaluation conference. A Professional Development Plan will be developed that outlines the areas of concern, the supports that will be given, the specific behaviors that must be exhibited, the date by which they will be assessed and the consequences of not meeting the expectations outlined. Interns who are given a Pass with Concern and do not meet the expectations of the Professional Development Plan by the required date may be withdrawn from the internship and/or given a grade of (N) in 501/2/3.

No Grade (N)

This grade is based on evidence of serious deficiencies in the knowledge and understanding, skills and dispositions required by the program standards, or in the rate of progress toward understanding and enacting them. If (N) is given as an estimated grade at a mid-semester conference, the problem area(s) need to be addressed in order to receive a Pass (P) during the next evaluation conference. A Professional Development Plan will be developed that outlines the areas of concern, the supports that will be given, the specific behaviors that must be exhibited, the date by which they will be assessed and the consequences of not meeting the expectations outlined. Interns who are given a Pass with Concern and do not meet the expectations of the Professional Development Plan by the required date may be withdrawn from the internship and/or given a grade of (N) in 501/2/3. (N) at the end of a semester means that the intern did not achieve a satisfactory level of progress and performance and no credit is granted. Interns who receive No Grade (N) in TE 501 are not eligible to enroll in TE 502, TE 503, TE 803 or TE 804. Interns who receive No Grade (N) in TE 502 or TE 503 will not be recommended for certification in those endorsement areas.

Incomplete (I)

Interns will not be given an incomplete when they are irresponsible or delinquent in completing work. Refer to the University’s Academic Programs manual for detailed information regarding incomplete grades. Further, note that because the fall semester internship courses are prerequisites for the spring courses, any (I) grade in the fall semester must be remedied before the start of the spring semester.

Deferred (DF)

DF can be used for interns who encounter medical or psychological difficulties during the internship and need to postpone the internship to the following year in order to receive treatment. The intern will not be required to register again for a deferred course; however, the intern will not be a registered student during the intervening time and will not have access to financial aid or student services on campus unless he or she registers for other courses. Refer to the University’s Academic Programs manual for detailed information regarding deferred grades.

Intern Assessment Tools

Each subject area uses assessment documents that are based on the Program Standards and tailored for the needs of the interns in that area. Field instructors will provide these and guide the intern and mentor through their use.

Professional Development Plans (PDPs)

As novice teachers, all interns experience challenges in meeting the program standards. Interns on a healthy trajectory toward completing the internship are continually growing in their understanding of the program standards and what it means to enact them, and in their ability to do so. This is facilitated by their own growing abilities as reflective practitioners and by the support of their mentors, field instructors and course instructors. Occasionally, interns struggle to grow in their ability to meet program standards, policies and expectations. If these struggles are severe enough or persist long enough to suggest the intern may not meet the expectations for successful completion of the internship, the intern should receive additional support in the form of a Professional Development Plan. In particular, all interns who receive a grade of (P)ass with Concern (see Grading) at any evaluation conference should have a Professional Development Plan put in place at the conclusion of that evaluation conference.

A Professional Development Plan (PDP) consists of the following:

• A description of the areas of concern, using specific examples from the intern’s practice.
• An indication of the program standards the intern is struggling to meet, as a result of these areas of concern.
• A list of specific behaviors the intern must demonstrate in order to illustrate they are making progress on the areas of concern. For interns who have struggled to meet expectations with the normal level of support, it is often the case that they do not know how to enact the suggestions that have been given to them. Providing detailed descriptions of the observable behaviors interns will display can help interns learn to make better use of these suggestions.
• Any special forms of support or guidance that the intern will receive to enact the expectations of the
• Professional Development Plan, and who will provide them.
• A specific date for an assessment meeting during which the intern’s toward meeting the expectations of the
• Professional Development Plan will be reviewed and next steps taken.
• The consequences for the intern should they fail to meet the expectations of the Professional Development Plan by this meeting date. Depending on the nature of the concerns and on circumstances in the placement school, these could include extending the internship placement beyond the end of the MSU spring semester or removing the intern from the internship placement.

Field instructors typically take the lead in drafting a PDP with the input of the mentor teacher and the intern. Field instructors should also consult with their Subject Area Leader and/or Coordinator as they draft the PDP. Often the Subject Area Leader and/or Coordinator will meet with the mentor, intern and field instructor to develop the plan. The Subject Area Leader and/or Coordinator will also be part of the assessment meeting.

Once the plan is developed and put in writing, it should be reviewed and signed by the intern, the mentor and the field instructor to indicate each has read and understood the plan and agrees to play his or her part in it. A copy should be provided to each of these parties and to the Subject Area Leader and Coordinator. A copy of the PDP should also be placed in the team files.

Field Instructors can see their Subject Area Leader and/or Coordinator for examples of Professional Development Plans.

Assessment Conferences

Field instructors are responsible for scheduling conferences. Conferences must include the intern, mentor teacher and field instructor. They should be scheduled to allow all participants to meet for at least one hour. Everyone, especially the intern, should have a chance to talk about their perceptions of the intern’s strengths, weaknesses and a plan of action. Each intern’s professional future is ultimately his or her own responsibility. Others are there to help the intern accept that responsibility wisely.

If the mentor teacher and field instructor agree that an intern is not passing, they should notify both the intern and the subject area leader in writing. This notification will include a clear statement of the nature of the intern’s difficulties and suggestions for how the intern can address those difficulties during the remainder of the semester. If the field instructor and mentor teacher disagree or would like additional help they should consult the subject area leader.

Initial Meeting

Dates: This conference should take place after the Opening Day Institute, and by the end of the second week of classes in the placement school (usually week 2 or week 3 of the MSU fall semester). See calendar for specific dates.
Purposes: Establish communication among intern, mentor and field instructor, review expectations for intern’s documentation of work in the field, orient field instructor to the placement school setting.
What to Bring: Everyone should bring their calendar to facilitate scheduling of observation visits. Field instructor should bring or be able to access the Internship Guide.
Guidelines for Initial Conference: The initial conference among the field instructor, intern and mentor teacher occurs during the first two weeks of the school year. It is not an observation of the intern teaching, but rather an occasion for establishing lines of communication and expectations among the field instructor, the intern and the mentor teacher. Ideally, this meeting should take place in the mentor teacher’s classroom after school or during a prep period.

There are important items for discussion that the field instructor should raise during this meeting. The list which follows, while not exhaustive, contains items useful to discuss or important information to be exchanged at this time.

Establishing Communication

1. The school’s main phone number
2. Any extensions or direct numbers to reach the mentor’s classroom.
3. The field instructor’s phone number
4. The email addresses of the intern, mentor and field instructor, and an indication of how often each person checks this account.

Preparing for Field Instructor Visits

1. Information concerning parking for the field instructor. Where is a good place to park? Do I need a parking sticker to park there?
2. Information for the field instructor about being a guest in this school. Do I need to sign in and/or get a visitor’s pass from the school office upon arriving at the school?
3. The intern’s current schedule including clock times (e.g. 7:35 – 8:45, not just First Period: Chemistry). If the intern’s plans include more than one mentor, indicate with whom the intern will spend each period (including planning periods). Field instructor should confirm how mentors will divide the financial support and report this information to the coordinator.
4. Ask the intern what s/he/they has been doing in the classroom thus far.
5. Discuss the selection of the intern’s focus class and make adjustments if needed.
6. Review the intern’s Focus Class “binder”, including any online component of the “binder”, and discuss how it will be used by each person.
7. Discuss an appropriate lesson plan format for the intern to use at this stage in the year, and timelines for completing plans. For example, when will the intern submit plans to the mentor for review? When will the mentor return these plans to the intern for revision? When will handouts and materials be prepared and copies made? When will documentation of the lessons and plans be inserted into the focus class “binder”? Under what circumstances will the field instructor be reviewing and commenting on lesson plans?
8. Discuss the procedure for completing and submitting journal entries to the field instructor.
9. Using the calendars in the Internship Guide, the field instructor should explain the schedule of observations (at least five each semester in addition to the evaluation conferences). Field instructors should review what will happen during an observation visit, including their expectations for the organization of the focus class “binder”, the level of interaction between themselves and the students during the lesson, the post-observation conference, etc.
10. Establish a date and time for the first observation of the intern’s teaching.
11. Review what each party will do in the event that any observation needs to be rescheduled.
12. Discuss expectations about communication between field instructor and mentor teacher. For example, how and when will they stay in contact about perceptions, problems, questions, etc. between visits? To prepare for each evaluation conference, will they talk by phone or exchange email messages?  

Preparing for the Guided Teaching 1 Period

1. Remind the intern that s/he/they must attend all MSU classes as scheduled, but will then follow the school’s calendar for any days off. Review the calendar for schedule of the intern’s courses and the suggested window for the first lead teaching period and the first evaluation conference, and how the schedule has been designed to support the important combination of course work and work in the school for beginning teacher development.
2. Discuss the intern’s Guided Lead Teaching 1 (GLT1) schedule and related 800-level course assignments. What new responsibilities will the intern take on during this period? Discuss the role of the field instructor and mentor teacher in supporting the intern during this period, as compared to what has come before and what will come after. Review the importance of allowing time for the intern to carry out adequate planning and reflection and how this will look during this period as compared to what has come before and what will come after.
3. Ask the intern what s/he/they has been doing so far to be socialized into the school and the teaching profession. Discuss ways the mentor can continue to support this process throughout the first semester.
4. Make arrangements for the field instructor’s next visit.

Preparing for the Fall Mid-Semester Evaluation

1. Preview the mid-term evaluation form and the procedures associated with this conference.
2. Discuss the substitute teaching policy and the associated forms. What are the district’s policies about interns as substitute teachers? Discuss plans for the intern completing any necessary orientation or paperwork to be registered as a substitute teacher. (Discussion of the intern’s readiness to serve as a substitute while the mentor is absent is a topic for the mid-term conference. Prior to this conference, a qualified substitute should be hired to accompany the intern if the mentor is to be absent from school.)

Fall Mid-semester Conference

Dates: This conference should take place at the end of the Guided Lead Teaching 1 Period, during week 8 or week 9 of the MSU fall semester. See the calendar for specific dates.
Purposes: This conference is focused on the intern’s progress based on an example of the intern’s work and/or a joint observation by the mentor teacher and field instructor. If anyone is seriously concerned about an intern’s progress to date, or their ability to make sufficient progress by the end of the semester, this is the occasion to discuss those concerns and what can be done about them.
What to bring: Interns should bring a videotape or other example of their work. Each participant (intern, mentor and field instructor) should complete the assessment tool and bring copies to share.
Guidelines for Fall Mid-semester Conference: Prior to the mid-term conference, the field instructor and mentor should have been in regular contact about the intern’s progress and should be aware of each other’s general impressions of the intern’s work to date.

Generally, the intern will have finished the GLT1 period prior to the mid-term conference and will be in the period of reflection and preparation that comes between GLT1 and GLT2. The agenda items for this conference reflect that period in the intern’s work. The list which follows, while not exhaustive, contains items useful to discuss at this time.

Reflecting and Assessing

1. The intern should share reflections on his/her work so far. The assessment tool completed by the intern can help tie these reflections to the program standards.
2. The mentor and field instructor can share their observations of the intern’s strengths and areas for improvement to date. The assessment tool can help tie these to the program standards and the videotape or other artifacts of the intern’s teaching can provide cases for discussion.
3. Intern, mentor and field instructor should discuss plans of action to help the intern improve in identified areas.
4. A grade is assigned, based on the conversations about the intern’s progress relative to the program standards. This grade is not recorded on the intern’s university transcript. It is an estimate of the intern’s progress to date relative to the program standards. The grade and a summary of the conference are reported to the subject area leader. See Intern Assessment and Grading for additional details.

Looking Ahead

1. If there is doubt whether the intern is making sufficient progress and the intern receives a grade of Pass with Concern, a Professional Development Plan should be developed by the field instructor in collaboration with the mentor and the intern. The Professional Development Plan provides the intern in writing a description of the specific deficits, what will constitute adequate performance, what specific behaviors the intern needs to undertake to achieve an adequate performance, and how the mentor and field instructor will work with the intern to meet such goals. The subject area leader and coordinator should be supplied with a copy of the Professional Development Plan.
2. The intern, mentor and field instructor should discuss whether the intern is ready to serve independently as a substitute teacher for the mentor if the mentor is absent. The intern should find out about any training or registration needed in order to begin subbing in his/her district. See Substitute Teaching for additional details.
3. Discuss the intern’s Guided Lead Teaching 2 (GLT2) schedule and related 800-level course assignments. What new responsibilities will the intern take on during this period? Discuss the role of the field instructor and mentor teacher in supporting the intern during this period, as compared to what has come before and what will come after. Review the importance of allowing time for the intern to carry out adequate planning and reflection and how this will look during this period as compared to what has come before and what will come after.
4. Preview the fall final evaluation form and procedures associated with this conference.
5. Make arrangements for the field instructor’s next visit.

Fall Final Conference

Dates: This conference should take place after the Guided Lead Teaching 2 period, during week 14 or week 15 of the MSU fall semester. See calendar for specific dates.
Purposes: To reflect on the fall term and assign a grade for TE 501; to plan for the spring term, including the Lead Teaching period.
What to bring: Interns should bring a copy of their Professional Development Plan, if one exists. Each participant (intern, mentor and field instructor) should complete the assessment tool and bring copies to share. It is important to take any Professional Development Plan into account when drafting this evaluation.

Interns should also prepare the following documents before the conference:

• A description of “My Typical Week Next Term” which includes both in-school and out-of-school commitments. Interns should have prepared this document in consultation with their mentor teacher(s). How many classes will the intern teach each day? How many prep periods will the intern have? What hours? What else will the intern do most days? Everything does not have to be finalized in this document, but an agreement needs to be reached during the conference.
• An overview of the material the intern will teach during the Lead Teaching period.

Guidelines for Fall Final Conference: Prior to the final conference, the field instructor and mentor should have been in regular contact about the intern’s progress and should be aware of each other’s general impressions of the intern’s work to date. In addition, the field instructor and mentor should have a conversation shortly before the final conference to determine the intern’s grade. If the field instructor and mentor teacher disagree about the intern’s grade, they should meet to negotiate, contacting the subject area leader for help if necessary.

Generally, the intern will have finished the GLT2 period prior to the mid-term conference and will be in the fairly lengthy period of reflection and preparation that comes between GLT2 and Lead Teaching. The agenda items for this conference reflect that period in the intern’s work. The list which follows, while not exhaustive, contains items useful to discuss at this time.

Reflecting, Assessing and Evaluating

1. The intern should share reflections on his/her/their work so far. The assessment tool completed by the intern can help tie these reflections to the program standards
2. The mentor and field instructor can share their observations of the intern’s strengths and areas for improvement to date. The assessment tool can help tie these to the program standards
3. Intern, mentor and field instructor should discuss plans of action to help the intern improve in identified areas
4. A grade is assigned, based on the conversations about the intern’s progress relative to the program standards. This grade will be recorded on the intern’s university transcript. The grade and a summary of the conference are reported to the subject area leader. See Intern Assessment and Grading for additional details.

Looking Ahead

1. If there is doubt whether the intern is making sufficient progress and the intern receives a grade of Pass with Concern, a Professional Development Plan should be developed by the field instructor in collaboration with the mentor and the intern. The Professional Development Plan provides the intern in writing a description of the specific deficits, what will constitute adequate performance, what specific behaviors the intern needs to undertake to achieve an adequate performance, and how the mentor and field instructor will work with the intern to meet such goals. The subject area leader and coordinator should be supplied with a copy of the Professional Development Plan.
2. Discuss the intern’s Lead Teaching schedule and any related 800-level course assignments known at this time. What new responsibilities will the intern take on during this period? Discuss the role of the field instructor and mentor teacher in supporting the intern during this period, as compared to what has come before and what will come after. Specifically:
   • What materials and resources will the intern need?
   • What aspects of the subject matter content does the intern need to prepare?
   • What areas are worrisome?
   • What are some things the intern would like to try?
   • Review the importance of allowing time for the intern to carry out adequate planning and reflection and how this will look during this period as compared to what has come before and what will come after. Make plans to review together any additional 800-level course assignments that are related to the spring Lead Teaching period once the course syllabi are available in January.
3. At this conference or as part of a field instructor visit early in the spring semester, preview the spring mid-semester evaluation form and procedures associated with this conference.
4. Make arrangements for the field instructor’s next visit.

Spring Mid-semester Conference

Dates: This conference should take place during the Lead Teaching period, during week 7 or week 8 of the MSU spring semester. See calendar for specific dates.
Purposes: As we pass the middle of the lead teaching period, it is important to stake stock of each intern’s progress to date and begin looking forward to final evaluations. At this conference: • Inform interns about their strengths and weaknesses at this point. • Identify specific aspects of the intern’s practice that might need refinement in the final weeks of the internship.
What to bring: Interns should bring a copy of their Professional Development Plan, if one exists. Each participant (intern, mentor and field instructor) should complete the assessment tool and bring copies to share. It is important to take any Professional Development Plan into account when drafting this evaluation.
Guidelines for Spring Mid-semester Conference: Prior to the mid-semester conference, the field instructor and mentor should have been in regular contact about the intern’s progress and should be aware of each other’s general impressions of the intern’s work to date.

Generally, the intern will be about halfway through the Lead Teaching period at the mid-term conference. The bulk of their long-term planning for this period is probably complete, and the intern’s focus may begin to shift toward the upcoming job search. However, significant teaching experience will still occur after the mid-term conference. The agenda items for this conference reflect this stage in the intern’s work. The list which follows, while not exhaustive, contains items useful to discuss at this time.

Reflecting and Assessing

1. The intern should share reflections on his/her work so far. The assessment tool completed by the intern can help tie these reflections to the program standards.
2. The mentor and field instructor can share their observations of the intern’s strengths and areas for improvement to date. The assessment tool can help tie these to the program standards.
3. A grade is assigned, based on the conversations about the intern’s progress relative to the program standards. This grade will not be recorded on the intern’s university transcript. The grade and a summary of the conference are reported to the subject area leader. See Intern Assessment and Grading for additional details.

Looking Ahead

1. If there is doubt whether the intern is making sufficient progress and the intern receives a grade of Pass with Concern, a Professional Development Plan should be developed by the field instructor in collaboration with the mentor and the intern. The Professional Development Plan provides the intern in writing a description of the specific deficits, what will constitute adequate performance, what specific behaviors the intern needs to undertake to achieve an adequate performance, and how the mentor and field instructor will work with the intern to meet such goals. The subject area leader and coordinator should be supplied with a copy of the Professional Development Plan. It is important to note now that the grade of Pass with Concern is NOT an option at the spring final conference. Interns need plenty of support and guidance now to ensure that their performance by the end of the semester meets the program standards.
2. Discuss the intern’s April Transition schedule and any related 800-level course assignments. What responsibilities will the intern have during this period? What new experiences will the intern pursue during this time? Discuss the role of the field instructor and mentor teacher in supporting the intern during this period, as compared to what has come before and what will come after. Compile a list of experiences the intern would like to have during the April Transition (such as teaching or observing in their minor area, observing other teachers in the school, shadowing students or other professionals in the school, visiting other schools, preparing for the job search) and begin to compile a calendar for these final weeks of the year. This calendar should be completed and reviewed by both the mentor and the field instructor by the end of the Lead Teaching period.
3. Preview the spring final evaluation conference procedures.
4. Make arrangements for the field instructor’s next visit.

Spring Final Conference

Dates: This conference should take place after the Lead Teaching period, during week 14 or week 15 of the MSU spring semester. See calendar for specific dates.
Purposes: The spring final conference is an opportunity to reflect on the progress during the internship, assign the intern’s final grade for the year, and to make some concluding commentary on the internship experience. What to bring: Each participant (intern, mentor, field instructor) should complete the assessment tool and bring copies to share. Interns should bring their portfolios, and should also bring a copy of their Professional Development Plan, if one exists.
Guidelines for Spring Final Conference: Prior to the mid-semester conference, the field instructor and mentor should have been in regular contact about the intern’s progress and should be aware of each other’s general impressions of the intern’s work to date. In addition, the field instructor and mentor should have a conversation shortly before the final conference to determine the intern’s grade. If the field instructor and mentor teacher disagree about the intern’s grade, they should meet to negotiate, contacting the subject area leader for help if necessary. Note that the grade of Pass with Concern is not an option for the Spring Final Conference. See Intern Assessment and Grading for additional details.

The intern will have completed Lead Teaching by the final conference. While they still have some responsibilities in their mentor’s classrooms, the mentor has resumed responsibility for all but the focus class. Interns have begun to work in earnest on finding and securing their first teaching job. The agenda items for this conference reflect this stage in the intern’s work. The list which follows, while not exhaustive, contains items useful to discuss at this time.

Reflecting, Assessing and Evaluating

1. A grade is assigned, based on the conversations about the intern’s progress relative to the program standards. This grade will be recorded on the intern’s university transcript. The grade is reported to the subject area leader. See Intern Assessment and Grading for additional details.
2. Review details of the Convocation ceremony. See the calendar and the Secondary Team website for additional details.

Preparing for Certification

Interns will receive information about applying for Michigan teaching certification on a Friday class day in March. In addition to the application, interns will provide evidence of their CPR and First Aid certification, and evidence that they have completed the Michigan Department of Education exit survey.

MDE Survey

Each year the Michigan Department of Education administers an online survey of all candidates for teaching certification. MSU requires you to complete this survey before submitting your application for certification. Additional information about the MDE survey, including when and how to access it, will be made available to you by email from the College of Education Student Affairs Office during the spring of your internship year.

90-day Letter and Teaching Certificate

The 90-day Letter and Teaching Certificate

Prior to January 2011, a letter, commonly referred to as the “90-day Letter” was issued by the Office of Student Affairs in the College of Education at the same time as the candidate’s teacher certification recommendation was transmitted to the Registrar’s Office and the State of Michigan, Office of Professional Services. The letter stated that the candidate had been recommended to the State of Michigan for certification, and indicated the specific certification. The letter served as temporary verification of the candidate’s progress toward certification until the final bill for the certificate was mailed and submitted, and the certificate was mailed to the candidate.

Beginning in the spring of 2011, the State of Michigan has moved to an online recommendation process which has eliminated the need for the 90-day Letter by reducing the period between the time of the recommendation for certification to the State of Michigan and the issue of the bill from the State of Michigan for the final certificate from several weeks to approximately 24-48 hours, in virtually all cases. Because it is now possible for the candidate to receive their teaching certificate within a day or two of when they would receive the 90-day letter, the 90-day letters are no longer issued by the College of Education Student Affairs Office.

The recommendation for the teaching certificate cannot be made until after the close of grading for the spring semester of the internship year, which is typically the Tuesday following finals week. The College of Education Student Affairs Office processes about 500 applications for initial certification at this time, and the processing of these applications can take several weeks. Most applicants whose applications are complete and correct and whose coursework is completed on time are processed by the end of June. Following the reporting of grades in May, candidates may review the status of their application by accessing the online system at https://mdoe.state.mi.us/MOECS/Login.aspx

The teaching certificate is issued by the State of Michigan upon payment of the licensing fee. As of June 2011, that fee was $160. Normally, school districts will require a copy of the teaching certificate in order to make a contractual offer of employment as a certified teacher.

The candidate may access his/her State of Michigan certification record at https://mdoe.state.mi.us/MOECS/publiccredentialsearch.aspx

The Job Search

Interns receive support for undertaking the job search as part of their internship courses. Each intern also benefits from the advice and support of their mentor teacher and field instructor in clarifying their career goals and in representing their teaching practice to prospective employers.

The MSU job website is Handshake: https://careernetwork.msu.edu/services-locations/handshake/

This system offers on- and off-campus job listings for full-time, part-time, seasonal and paid internship positions, as well as schedules of on-campus interviews, workshops, and other career events.

Teaching jobs are also often posted on the websites of the schools that offer them.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know what classes I can teach with my endorsements?

The Michigan Department of Education provides this information at their Website

Can I get a 90-day letter or my certificate early?

The candidate cannot be recommended for certification by the Student Affairs Office until that office has confirmation that you have completed all the requirements for the internship. No 90-day letter or letter confirming you have met all criteria for certification, can be issued until that information has been reviewed by the Student Affairs Office. If you have questions about the earliest possible date you could have verification that you have completed all requirements for certification, contact the College of Education Student Affairs Office..

What if I want to teach in a state other than Michigan?

To learn more about what is required for certification in other states, go to Certification Map. Generally, Michigan teaching certificates meet high standards and are well-received by other states, so it is to your advantage to secure your Michigan teaching certificate first, then certification in the other state, rather than forgo Michigan certification. The College of Education Student Affairs Office can forward any documentation from MSU that another state may require, if you submit a request to do so with your application for your Michigan certificate.

Counseling and Support Services

The MSU Counseling Center offers free support services on campus for MSU students who are distressed or in crisis. Academic advisors can also provide general support. The university provides many other resources that can help support you during the internship. Links to these and other resources are also available at the MSU website

MSU Counseling Center

MSU Counseling Center
Counseling services are generally available by appointment.
You can contact the Counseling Center at:
Phone: (517) 355-8270
Fax: (517) 353-5582
Our location: 207 Student Services Building.
East Lansing, MI 48824
Hours: 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Monday, Tuesday; 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Wednesday – Friday
You can also make inquiries about the Counseling Center using our email address: counseling@cc.msu.edu.
Someone will respond to your email in a timely manner.
For additional resources, see Contact
However, if you are in distress or in danger, please call 911 immediately.

Area Counseling Centers

Lansing Area
Clinton/Eaton/Ingham County Community Mental Health Services
24 Hour Crisis Line: (800) 372-8460
Detroit Area
Oakland County Community Mental Health
24 Hour Crisis Line: 800.231.1127

Macomb County Crisis Center
24 Hour Crisis Line: (586) 307-9100

Detroit-Wayne County Community Mental Health Agency
24 Hour Help Line: (800) 241-4949
TTY: (866) 870-2599

Grand Rapids Area
Kent County Network 180
Access Center: (800) 749-7720

Flint Area
Genesee County Mental Health Services
Crisis Line: (810) 257-3740
 

Accommodations for disabilities

It is Michigan State’s policy not to discriminate against qualified students with documented disabilities in its educational programs. If you have a disability-related need for modifications in any Secondary Team course, contact your instructor and the Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities. Instructors should be notified as early in the semester as possible. To contact a counselor for an appointment, go to their website. Instructors in the course may request a VISA Form (Verified Individual Student Accommodations Form) from a student requesting services. The OPHS website is at http://www.rcpd.msu.edu/.

Family Resource Center

The Family Resource Center offers a range of services for families, including a babysitters’ list and a family resource guide for students with children.

Learning Resources Center (LRC)

The LRC provides instructional facilities, staff, and materials for MSU students interested in improving thinking, reading, writing, listening, study, time management, and test-taking skills. Appointments are not necessary. All services and workshops are provided free of charge.

Office of Supportive Services at MSU

“The mission of OSS is to provide comprehensive services to first-generation, low income college students and those who may have a disability.”

Writing Centers

Teachers are models and coaches of writing for their students, and must communicate effectively in writing with colleagues, parents, and others. For those reasons, teacher candidates are expected to write effectively and conventionally. If you need more help in meeting those expectations than you can get from your instructors, support is available through the MSU Writing Center at 300 Bessey Hall, 432-3610.