Professional Semester III - Internship

Students proceed to the PS III Internship after having successfully competed PS II in their major.

The main purpose of Professional Semester III is to give Interns a transitional teaching experience in preparation for a position as an employed teacher.

Just as no two teaching positions are the same, neither are practicum placements. To make sure that students get the most of out of their PS III placement, they can choose from the following internships offered:

• Elementary Education (Spring)
• Secondary Education (Fall)
• Indigenous Education (Spring and Fall); mandatory for students admitted under this teachable major
• Early Childhood Education (Spring and Fall)
• Inclusive Education (Spring)
• Technology in Education (Elementary in Spring, Secondary in Fall)

Some choices have: an application process; are dependent upon Field Experience approval; and/or have have pre-requisite criteria.

The PS III semester consists of:

• a full time school internship for an entire semester (approximately 375 hours or 15 weeks)
• academic study
• and a Professional Development Project

You will be paired with a teacher mentor for an entire semester. During this practicum, you will:

1. Assume half of your mentor’s teaching load and get a truly hands-on experience of what it means to be an educator with guided support from a teacher mentor within a collaborative framework.
2. Engage in a Professional Development Project under the direction of a faculty member within the assigned school usually in cooperation with their Teacher Mentor. This will include reflective practice, exploration and discussion of selected topics and professional portfolio development.

PS III Interns are also assigned a University Consultant from the Faculty of Education. This University Consultant generally acts as liaison between the intern, teacher mentor and school administrator and leads small groups of Interns in discussion of matters concerning professional growth and development.

The benefits of this extended opportunity to hone teaching skills and put emerging teaching philosophies into practice are invaluable to you as a young teacher. No other program in the country will better prepare you for the realities of the teaching profession or give you a deeper appreciation of connecting with learners and colleagues both in and out of the classroom.

PS III facilitates the Intern teacher's movement from the pre-service to a professional development mode. The supervision and evaluation responsibilities rest with the School Administrator/designate who observes the Intern and is part of the final written evaluation.

PS III is compulsory for all students.

Note: Students should be aware that PS III will be in a school setting for a full semester anywhere in southern Alberta (or beyond, at student's request); and students will be responsible for their own accommodations and/or travel expenses.

Intern Teachers are normally placed in Zone 6. Out-of-Zone placements for PSIII may be considered. Please see the Student Handbook PS III for further information.

Forms and Guidelines: Professional Semester III