Internships - Secondary Education

The BYU Teacher Internship Program is designed to provide an alternate preparation model for prospective teachers.  An internship replaces student teaching as the capstoone experience in the Teacher Preparation program.  Under the tutelage of a master teacher, interns assume responsibility for organizing and teaching their own classroom.  An on-site mentor in the intern's major assists with curriculum planning, classroom management, assessment of learning and professional acclimation.  Interns are paid by the school district one-half of a first-year teacher's salary on the district salary schedule and also receive the benefits package provided for first-year teachers.

All courses required for graduation and teacher licensing (except student teaching) must be successfully completed prior to an internship.  Exceptions to this policy may be approved by the department for Winter semester or the following Spring/Summer terms only.  No classes may be taken during the Fall semester.  In order to apply for an Internship before completion of all your requirements, you must fill out an Intern Appeal Form (obtained in the Field Services Office, 120 MCKB) and have it signed by your major program supervisor, explaining why you should be allowed to do an internship before finishing your requirements.  You must then submit this form with your student teaching/internship application.  Intern applicants who have been cleared by their major advisement center and are recommended by their major program supervisor may then request a district interview according to procedures outlined by their department.

Only the five districts in the BYU-Public School Partnership: Alpine, Jordan, Nebo, Provo, and Wasatch, are eligible to apply to participate in the Internship Program.

Secondary Education Intern Site Requirements

Internships in secondary schools are established by joint agreement between the school and the BYU major department.  Schools contact the supervisor in the department to request application information.  District clearance is the responsibility of the principal.  The BYU major supervisor receives applications from the principal and ascertains that the necessary criteria are established at the site prior to granting permission to participate in the intern hiring process.  Clearance for applicants and interviewing procedures are determined by the major departments.  Contracts and other employment conditions are the responsibility of the hiring district.

Approved Sites must :

• Be an accredited BYU-approved public school.
• Design the interns' schedule to teach only courses in their majors and minors. (Generally three periods in major, two periods in minor).
• Provide a minimum of four hours of weekly support to each intern through a mentor teacher(s) in the intern's major who is willing to plan, model, observe, and conference with the intern weekly.
• Provide released time for the mentor teachers during the intern's preparation period as well as selected class periods throughout the semester for the mentors to observe and coach the interns in each assignement.
• Prepare copies of the interns' teaching schedule for the year well in advance, and review them with the major supervisors to ensure interns are meeting program requirements.
• Give interns extra support the first few weeks of each new semester or assignment.
• Adjust the focus of the mentoring beyond management and basic procedures into improving content and maximizing student impact as interns become more effective.
• Monitor the quality of intern support and make adjustments as needed.
• Identify intern supervision as a priority by reducing assignments given to mentor teachers that interfere with their intern responsibilities.

 

 

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