A Field-Based Teacher Education Internship for Middle Level Teacher Candidates

Abstract

In the fall of 1998, the middle level program at Eastern Illinois University (EIU) embarked on a unique integrated teacher education pilot program. The primary intent of EIU’s pilot program was to offer a motivational, meaningful, unique, and experience-based internship. A secondary focus was to present to other higher education institutions the structure of this pilot program and its impact on teacher education candidates. First, students were involved in six weeks of intensive on-campus course work. The constructivist focus of the course work offered students the opportunity to develop numerous in-class presentations, projects, and group activities. Interdisciplinary teaching, advisory program development, teaming activities, and content area reading strategies enriched students broadening the participants; and the program gave teacher candidates a clear perception of what it means to be an effective middle school teacher. Other important components of the class included promoting use of adolescent literature in the content areas and developing effective strategies to use in implementing technology in the classroom. Subsequent to the course work, an eight-week internship experience was offered during which teacher candidates co-taught daily with middle level educators in two exemplary middle schools. The university coordinator met to dialogue and evaluate the teacher candidates in their daily teaching experience. The students were given an opportunity to reflect about each day and also commented on the long-term results of the internship. Teacher candidates’ input indicated they felt better prepared to teach; shared an extraordinary collegiality as they taught; experienced enhanced general self-confidence; strengthened their understanding of classroom management, discipline, and content area knowledge; and developed a high sense of preparedness. The mentor teachers concurred that this eight-week experience was far more productive than the four-week practicum Eastern Illinois University had previously offered.