The student teaching experience is the capstone event of graduate school. This is the most significant experience in which to be successful. Your cooperating teacher will be the crucial reference you earn, even more important than your university supervisor.

Your success will not be based mainly upon your skill level; it will be based upon the soft skills you bring to the classroom. Attitude toward learning new things and the way in which feedback is taken is the single most important trait that will be assessed. Taking feedback in a positive way and then changing practices will be measured and spoken about to future principals looking to hire teachers.

Work ethic is another important soft skill to have and will be assessed by your cooperating teacher. Working with a team and making contributions will be a part of your student teaching as well. Time management and organization are other valuable skills that will be taught.

While demonstrating these soft skills, you will also learn a great deal about skill and strategy for classroom management and teaching. Learning to differentiate instruction and juggle multiple skill groups with students will be a challenge but will give you priceless experience. It will be crucial for you to openly speak to your cooperating teacher about how they learned to become a successful educator. Be sure to take their suggestions and implement as much as possible.

What Should You Look for in a Cooperating Teacher Supervisor?

When finding a cooperating teacher, your university will work with you to find a placement and a teacher to do the supervision. The university will have expectations for the person that is assigned to you. The expectations may vary depending upon the university. There is usually a length of time that a teacher must have worked to gain experience. Some universities require a tenured teacher; others may ask for more years of experience. They will ask that the teacher have a certain evaluation rating. They will not want to pair you with a person earning low marks. You should ask about what the university requires prior to your student teaching experience to be sure you are comfortable.

Some online universities may expect you to find your own placement and teacher. In that case, you should call the district office of the area in which you want a placement and find out who handles these placements. Once you have that contact, call and set up an appointment. Discuss your specific needs. You will want to have someone who earns a high rating and is certified in the subject they teach. You will want at least five years of successful teaching experience. More experience is usually better.

Be sure that the person to whom you are assigned wanted to accept a student teacher as well. That cooperating teacher should be very approachable, be open to answering questions along the way, and be ready to give rationale for the decisions that are made on a daily basis. You will want to be included in important events in a school year such as opening day procedures, closing day procedures, curriculum night, parent conferences, and any other type of added event that the school hosts.

How to Set Expectations with Your Cooperating Teacher Supervisor

When you first meet with your cooperating teacher, be frank and up front about your expectations in a tactful way. Ask if you can have a regular daily and/or weekly meeting time to discuss the situations that have taken place during that time period, and set up those meetings on a calendar from the start. That will allow you to get full comprehension of why your supervisor handled situations in the way that they did.

Share with your cooperating teacher your own strengths and ask to be a contributor in those areas. Offer to take on some daily tasks from the start. Be sure to share your weaknesses and let the cooperating teacher know right away that you are looking for help to improve in those areas. Be ready to do extra reading and researching. Be very open to frequent communication.

Other Things to Consider for Your Student Teaching Experience

It will be important to talk to your cooperating teacher about doing extra observations around the building in a variety of classrooms. There is so much that can be picked up from various grade levels, subject areas, and other settings. For example, observing in a special education class that focuses on behaviors can give you great ideas about how to pare down some of what they do for a regular education classroom. Talk to the other teachers you observe and ask questions. Take notes for the future.

When your experience is nearing its end, be sure to get a letter of recommendation from your cooperating teacher and any other teacher you feel that you had a good relationship with who could speak to your abilities. Be sure to write a very nice thank you letter for the experience to give to your cooperating teacher. You may also wish to ask the principal in that building to do an observation of your teaching so that they can speak to what they saw you do as well.

Finally, consider that your entire experience from start to finish while student teaching is a long-term job interview. You will want to present the best picture of yourself every single day. That will be an important part to securing an actual job after the experience is completed.

*Updated January, 2021

The post How to Find the Best Supervisor for Your Graduate School Internship appeared first on Graduate Programs for Educators.

These internships can range from 60 field hours to more than 300 hours. Be sure that you have researched the programs before you begin and have a plan to complete the internship requirement!

The Benefit of Graduate School Internships

Experience of Your New Role

Although an education internship may seem extremely time-consuming, it is one of the most essential parts of a degree program. It is the culmination of all of your studies and you can now experience what it will be like when you take on your new role.  As an educator, you will be able to take your experiences from the classroom and see how those can be used to help you in your new role as administrator, reading specialist, ESL teacher, or special education director.

For me, I had taught physical education for seven years before I realized that I wanted to move into an administrative role as principal. I had witnessed both strong and weak in my schools and knew that I wanted to bring my passion to a leadership role.

The administration degree program I enrolled in did require several internships. I was very fortunate because I had a good relationship with the principal at my school who allowed me to shadow him during my prep periods. I could also attend meetings with him after school and learn the ins and outs of administration.

What Will You Learn During Your Internship?

Job Specifics

Depending on what area you are getting your degree, you will learn the specifics of that job. Each role in education has their specific nuances that you will be exposed to during your internship.

Day-to-Day Schedule

In general, you will learn the day-to-day schedule. You will see all the different tasks you will have to complete in a week and throughout the month. You will see how every day is different and how you need to be ready to react to whatever is thrown at you that day.

Leadership Traits

If you are going into administration, you will see different leadership traits. You need to self-reflect and decide what leadership style you have and what works best for the school you will be working in. Suppose you are getting a degree in curriculum development. In that case, you will learn how to evaluate and analyze the needs of the student body and how to connect that to the best materials. No matter what, your internship will give you the best experience into what your new job will be like.

Best Practices to Keep in Mind

Cohort Support

In every school building, there are teachers who have a desire to go back to school and pursue advanced degrees. In all of my graduate school internships, I worked with a cohort of colleagues to push through together. Our cohort allowed for us to bounce ideas off of each other, carpool to classes if necessary, and hold each other accountable during our program. Having someone to share your experiences with can prove beneficial!

Find a Good Mentor

Most graduate programs do not have internships set up for their students. It is on you to find your placement and make the connections. Make sure that you have this set up before the start of the semester for your teaching internship. You also want to be sure that the person you are going to work with is a good fit. Mentors should be informative yet allow you to have your own experiences. A mentor needs to be available to you. A mentor can make or break your internship, so make sure you find a great one.

Time Management

Many people completing a master’s degree program are doing it while working full-time. The hours can be overwhelming if you are teaching and completing an internship. Do your research and ask others in your field how best to split your time and complete your internship.

Don’t Be Afraid to Ask Questions

An internship is about learning and experiencing a job’s new aspects. You are not an expert in this field yet. If you do not understand something or if you do not know why your mentor did something, just ask. This is similar to the student teaching internship you did in your undergrad, you have to take this graduate school internship as a time to be a student and learn from the people you are shadowing.

Set Goals

Think about what you have learned in the classes you completed in the degree program. Then, work with your mentor and create goals you want to reach throughout the internship. Doing this will ensure that you have thought about the many different parts of the job.

Reflect on Your Experience

All of these questions will help you wrap up your internship and help you look forward to your new career path:

• What did you see?
• What did you learn?
• What worked?
• What did not work?
• How can you bring what you have done into your new job?
• What did you wish you would have done if you had more time?

Seek Admin Support

Finally, regarding internships, make sure your current administrative team is aware of your desire and acceptance into a program. Having a supportive administrative team is crucial to the success of your internship. Most administrative degree internships require you to shadow a school-level leader outside of your own building for at least one full day, and could even involve completing administrative tasks both in your building and outside your building. Talking with your current leadership team will let them know of your needs and provide them with opportunities to help you grow.

Additionally, your best resume is your current job. As you complete your internship requirements, the things you have learned and experienced are great talking points for future positions where you can put your newly acquired skills to the test.

Ultimately, teachers are always learning. We seek to learn new and creative ways to work with our students, and we strive to be better teachers daily. Finding the right graduate school program and subsequent internship opportunities can benefit teachers in a variety of ways, leading to better outcomes for our students and schools.

Ready to find the right graduate school program? Check out our 190+ available masters, doctorates, endorsements, and certifications to advance your career today!

*Updated July 2022

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