See also Teacher Education Internship Handbook 2024-25, pp. 31-33
Placement Expectations
10-month ETEP Interns: During the FALL semester, interns will be in their classroom placements five mornings a week and three afternoons. During the SPRING semester, interns will be in their classroom placements five full days a week; university classes are held after school.
10-month Undergraduate Interns: During the FALL semester, interns will be in their classroom placements five mornings a week. During the SPRING semester, interns will be in their classroom placements five full days a week.
Second-year 2-year Interns: During the FALL semester, interns will be in their classroom placements 6-9 hours weekly. During the SPRING semester, interns will be in their classroom placements five full days a week; university classes are held after school.
Interns employed in schools: Interns who work in schools as educational technicians, conditionally certified teachers, or long term substitutes are expected to follow the policies and practices of their district and school as outlined in their job descriptions. Flexibility to allow for university coursework can be negotiated on an individual basis between the cohort coordinator, supervisor, school/district personnel, and the intern.
All Interns should meet faculty administrators and other school personnel in order to learn as much as possible about each student. Guidance office files and IEPs are valuable tools for researching background information; interns should always be aware that these files are confidential. Interns will refrain from discussing confidential information regarding students with anyone other than the mentor teacher, intern supervisor, cohort coordinator or principal.
Professional Expectations
Interns should access and learn about materials used in the classroom, such as books, manuals, technologies, tests, lab equipment, etc. Interns should participate in routine activities with their mentor teachers such as cafeteria and hall duties, study halls, faculty meetings, department meetings, and in-service workshops.
When they do not overlap with University courses, interns should participate in parent-teacher meetings including conferences, IEP and 504 meetings, RTI and Student Assistant Team meetings with the prior approval by the parents/family of the student.
Interns may assist and participate in co-curricular activities as appropriate.
The intern is expected to follow the contracted expectations for the teaching day unless they interfere with University classes.
Interns follow the policies of the school, including those related to attendance at meetings and appropriate dress.
Absence is appropriate only for illness, death in the family, or other serious emergency. Interns are responsible for notifying their mentor teacher and site coordinator by 7:00 a.m. if they must be absent for any reason.
Curriculum, Planning, Teaching
Interns should become familiar with the district curriculum in their internship setting.
Interns should become familiar with the philosophy, organization, policies and administration of the school, including the Maine Learning Results and/or the Common Core.
Interns gradually build planning, instruction, and assessment responsibilities each semester.
Interns are responsible for planning and teaching the curriculum, and managing their mentor’s classroom during a period of lead teaching in each semester.
Conferences
Entry
Supervisor, mentor and intern meet face-to-face or online to review internship timelines, assessment system, program policies and the intern’s goals for the semester at the beginning of each placement.
Mid-Semester
Supervisor, mentor and intern meet face-to-face, online, or communicate electronically to review the intern’s progress toward the Maine Initial Teacher Certification Standards and intern’s goals. Intern sets goals for Lead Teaching. This meeting takes place for the first internship only.
Mid-Year
Prior to meeting with the supervisor and mentor teacher, the intern gathers evidence for all teaching standards. Using the Internship Assessment Rubric, the intern comments on and scores the evidence. A score of at least Emergent (2) is required on all standards to pass the first semester of internship.
Supervisor, mentor and intern meet face-to-face or online to review the intern’s progress toward the Maine Initial Teacher Certification Standards. In the event the intern is not meeting expectations, the intern will be placed on an action plan. The team considers goals for next placement.
End of Year
Prior to meeting with the supervisor and mentor teacher, the intern considers evidence for all teaching standards. Using the Internship Assessment Rubric, the intern self assesses his or her performance. A score of at least Proficient (3) is required on each standard to pass the second semester of internship.
No face-to-face meeting is required unless the intern is on an Action Plan.
Teaching Standards Documentation
It is the intern’s primary responsibility to provide evidence for meeting each of the Maine Initial Teacher Certification Standards. As observed by the supervisor, the intern may demonstrate evidence toward proficiency through lesson plans, supporting documents, and created assessments; observations of ed lessons; written reflections; and notation of discussions (for example during an IEP, with a particular student, or with another professional). Through reflection and discussion with the supervisor, the intern may address classroom events, planning, teaching, assessment, management, professional development and collaboration with peers or specialists.
Ongoing progress during internship may be documented using Internship Assessment Rubric and final evaluation must be documented there.
University Coursework
Interns should share the university coursework assignments with their mentor teachers, and collaborate on times when those assignments will be implemented.
Professional Presentation
Each intern develops a final presentation that is a synthesis of accomplishments related to the program standards and is a “look forward” to how the intern will enact his or her beliefs as a classroom teacher. The presentation, along with other selected evidence, is presented as a culminating exhibition to a panel comprised of the intern’s cohort coordinators, mentor teachers, university supervisor, and other invited educators and community members.
rev. 5/13/2021