Have you heard other education students talk about interning and student teaching? Do you ever wonder what they're talking about? Look no further! Here are some helpful tips and information for each of the four teaching majors in the McKay School (Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, Physical Education Teaching/Coaching, and Special Education). When the time comes, you can decide whether student teaching or interning is the best option for you!
Student Teaching
Student teaching is a one semester long opportunity to teach in a classroom with a mentor teacher by your side. You will go into another teacher's classroom for a semester to teach and plan lessons with your mentor teacher. BYU has so many opportunities for student teaching too! You are able to complete your student teaching in Utah or you can apply to student teach in Washington D.C., Houston, TX, or China! These experiences allow you to be in a classroom that is in a different environment.
Internships
Internships are unique in where you are the teacher for your classroom for the full school year. You are planning the lessons and interacting with your students all day, but you will have a whole team of people that you check in with every week facilitated through BYU to make sure you are not stressed and that you are on track with everything! Internships are also paid half the salary of a regular teacher, which is great since you are technically still a student at BYU while you are doing your internship. You also get health benefits along with the salary, plus it is common for the school you intern at to hire you on after you have graduated. The internships must be done through a BYU partnership district (Alpine, Jordan, Nebo, Provo City or Wasatch). If you plan your graduation to be in a fall semester then you are eligible for the internship option. The Physical Education Major has the same format as Elementary Education and Early Childhood Education.
The Special Education Major is very similar to the internship options in the Early Childhood and Elementary Education majors, where they are in charge of their classroom for the full year. The only difference is as a Special Education major you are allowed to do the TESOL K-12 (a.k.a the teaching English language learners or TELL minor) at the same time you complete your Internship.
Deadlines and More Information for all Majors:
Internships: Application due January 15th every year with interviews conducted that March.
Student Teaching (Winter Semester): Application due September 15th
Student Teaching (Fall Semester): Application due January 15th
