The LEAP grant has provided the opportunity for residency internships – an alternative internship pathway to teacher certification.
There are two residency internship models currently being implemented with this grant, full-time and part-time. In each model, the intern completes their internship while substituting in a class.
- Full-time Internship: interns would hold a full-time substitute position while completing their internship. In this model, the intern would be assigned a mentor who would be hired through the school system. This mentor could supervise up to four full-time interns.
- Part-time Internship: two interns would split a full-time vacancy as long-term subs. While one intern is substituting, the other would be with an in-house mentor. The two interns would typically switch places mid-day.
This type of internship has benefits for the intern and the school system. The intern would have an opportunity for a paid internship. This fills a need for college interns needing to work while attending college. Since they would be working as a long-term substitute, they would be earning a paycheck. Additionally, the intern would be developing a professional relationship within a school system which could be potential employers. The school will be able to temporarily fill a vacancy with a substitute who is trained to be a teacher with the potential to hire after the internship. If the intern can be hired after the internship, this also allows for consistency for the students.
Residency Internship Highlight: Andrew Germain
- Andrew Germain
- TU Program: Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT)
- School for internship: Long Reach High School, Howard County Public School
- Residency Internship Position: ESOL high school
- Benefits of the residency internship: It allows an intern to “showcase” their skills, can build better relationships with students from day one, the staff learns to trust the intern as a colleague.
- Challenges: Need to have good time management skills to balance teaching responsibilities, TU school work and personal life.
- Post-graduate Plans: Andrew accepted a position at Kent County High School