Overview of the ECU Internship for Teacher Education Majors
The internship, including MAT’s, for all teacher education majors is a two-semester experience in a public
school classroom with a specially trained clinical teacher. The first semester (Senior I) is to acclimate the
intern to the public school environment, i.e. to understand policies and procedures, to understand the multiple
roles of the classroom teacher, to begin to understand the diverse needs of students, and to begin the process of
long-range curricular planning and delivery of instruction. Interns visit the schools an equivalent of one day a
week and report for the teacher hours.
The second semester (Senior II) is a full semester of teaching, with the clinical teacher providing constant
feedback to the intern about the teaching and learning process. Interns begin by teaching one small block of
time, subject or activity. The teaching load will be gradually increased until a full load is reached. Interns
teach full time for a minimum of 15 consecutive days. In addition, the intern, with support from the clinical
teacher and the university supervisor, develops a portfolio to document his/her growth and development as a
beginning classroom teacher.
Senior I – Major Events
Event
Intern requests placement
OCE notifies intern of placement
Intern participates in required Senior I
Seminar
Intern reports to school the week
following Senior I Seminar
Intern visits school the equivalent of one
day a week following ECU calendar
OCE coordinators and program area
coordinators contact Senior I teachers
Intern and clinical teacher complete
Senior I Agreement Form
OCE assigns supervisors
Fall/Spring Cycle
Spring/Fall Cycle
Spring or lst Summer session
Summer
August
End of October
December
January
August
January
August - December
January - May
Once during Semester
Once during Semester
End of Semester
End of Semester
December – January
May – June
Senior II – Major Events
Event
Supervisor conducts initial visit
Intern attends Senior II seminar
Intern reports to school and follows
school calendar during Senior II
Intern, clinical teacher and supervisor
complete a long range plan
Supervisor observes - minimum 4 times
Intern completes portfolio
Intern completes 15 all days
Supervisor,with input from clinical
teacher, completes final evaluation form
Intern participates in Senior II Seminar
Intern completes internship
Fall/Spring Cycle
Spring/Fall Cycle
By first 10 days of Senior II
January
January - May
By first 10 days of Senior II
August
August
January
August
January – April
Date set by University Supervisor
By May
May
September – December
Date set by University Supervisor
By December
December
May
May
December
December
ECU INTERNSHIP PROCEDURES AND RESPONSIBILITIES FOR ALL TEACHER EDUCATION MAJORS
Interns, including MAT interns, are responsible for adhering to all of the following policies and procedures. Signing the Application
for Internship indicates awareness and acceptance of these policies and procedures. If it is discovered at any point during the
application process or during the internship that an intern has not adhered to these matters, the intern may be removed from the
internship immediately.
1. Prior to interning, the applicant must (1)be classified as a senior, (2) meet all departmental requisites, overall 2.5 GPA and
(3) be in good standing according to the University records (those with pending University disciplinary action or legal
action will be accepted pending the outcome of the action. Applicants who have been arrested and convicted of violation of
local, state, or federal drug laws or of other serious offenses involving moral turpitude will not be admitted).
2. An intern must complete the “Application for Internship” and submit to their program area internship coordinator no later
than one year prior to the Senior II internship. Specific deadlines are established by the ECU Council for Teacher
Education. Special circumstances must be discussed with the coordinator at the time of the application. Submission of the
application does not constitute registration for coursework. (Applications are available on the Office of Clinical
Experiences website at www.ecu.edu/cs-educ/teached/OCE.cfm under “Intern Forms and Resources”.)
3. In Alignment with NC Program Approval Standards, students must be admitted to upper division and submit their Senior I
application to the program area internship coordinator by: (a) end of first summer session for fall/spring internships (b) prior
to the opening day of the spring semester for spring/fall internships. The program area internship coordinator will verify
admission to upper division on the intern’s application at the time of submission to the Office of Clinical Experiences.
4. Assignments will be located within the Latham Clinical Schools Network. The candidates prioritize their top four choices
based on a variety of factors: location, employment hopes, family, home, etc. The internship is a yearlong experience so
both Senior I and Senior II will be at the same placement site.
5. The Office of Clinical Experiences will place an intern in the best environment possible. While an intern’s preference is
always considered, other critical factors affect the final placement decision, including application deadlines, program area
requests, travel time and distance for interns, distribution to systems, system liaison and principal recommendations, and
availability of clinical teachers in the licensure area. Transportation is the responsibility of the intern.
6. Interns are not allowed to arrange their own internship placements by contacting administrators, principals or teachers. All
placement requests must originate from the Office of Clinical Experiences.
7. Interns are not placed in schools in which they attended, have relatives employed, have been employed, or have children
enrolled. The only exception that is allowed is for full-time employed teacher assistants. With approval from the school
district and/or principal, the teacher assistant may remain at their school for Senior I, but then they must be placed in a
different school for Senior II. (See Teacher Assistant Guidelines)
8. Internship placements outside the network are reserved for special circumstances and must be approved by the program area
coordinators before submission to the Office of Clinical Experiences. Unacceptable reasons for a placement outside the
network include a desire to live in another location, future employment opportunities, financial difficulties and the
convenience of a requested location.
9. The Senior II Semester constitutes a full-time academic load. Interns may not register for additional coursework except
through the “Petition for Exception” process.
10. The internship places responsibility and time demands on interns, far beyond what is normally experienced in a semester.
Part-time employment often interferes with successful performance. Internship responsibilities are never waived or
modified to accommodate the demands of outside employment. Therefore, part time employment is strongly
discouraged.
11. If an intern becomes aware at any time that he/she is ineligible for the internship, the intern is required to cancel the
internship using the “Cancellation Form” available on the OCE website. Failure to do so is considered unprofessional
because of the negative impact on the university and the school system involved.
12. Interns must comply with the policies, procedures and expectations for teachers of the school system to which they are
assigned, including attendance, work hours, dress, and personal conduct. During Senior II, interns follow the calendar of
the school system, rather than that of East Carolina University.
13. Attendance and punctuality are mandatory for all daily school activities and for all on-campus events, including Senior I
and Senior II Seminars.
14. If an intern has previously withdrawn or been involuntarily removed from an internship leading to licensure, the intern must
submit a “Petition for Exception” to the Office of Teacher Education along with a new “Application for Internship” to be
considered for a new placement. Interns will be placed in a county different from their original internship, except under
extenuating circumstances.
15. If an applicant makes the decision to postpone internship after an application has been submitted and before a placement
has been confirmed, the applicant must notify the Office of Clinical Experiences and the Advising Center in writing
immediately.
16. If the intern has a documented disability that requires accommodations during the internship, the intern must notify
Susan Morgan at morgans@ecu.edu immediately.
I have read the above statement, INTERNSHIP PROCEDURES AND RESPONSIBILITIES, and I agree to accept and abide by the
policies and conditions stated herein.
Name:______________________________________________________
Signature:___________________________________________________Date:______________________________