We're here to help you!
Ask us anything

Getting Started With Your Internship

Pre-Internship Guidelines

Calendar for Placement Process
  1. October – Internship Orientation Meeting
  2. November – Internship Placement Plans this month. Please attend to your email for instructions and deadlines.
  3. December – Resumes due to Special Education Internship Coordinator Lisa Pascencia (lisaplas@msu.edu). Please attend to your email for instructions and a due date.
  4. February – Resumes are sent out to prospective schools to begin the placement process.
  5. March & April– Expect to be contacted by the Special Education coordinator regarding your placement.
    Contingent upon intern criteria being met, be prepared to meet with potential Mentor Teachers.
  6. March-May– Placements are finalized. Try to meet again with Mentor Teachers.
  7. May – Be sure your MT and Lisa Plascencia have your summer address & contact information.
  8. August – Mandatory Internship Orientation Meeting
  9. August-May – Internship year

 Internship To Do List

Follow this checklist after you have been given the placement of your fall and/or spring Mentor Teacher (MT):

  1. You will need to be finger printed before you intern. Do this as soon as you know where you will intern. Be sure to check with the district that you are interning with as each district will have their own policy for fingerprinting and they may also have an orientation before the school year begins.
  2. Call/email your MT to set a meeting date and time. (Both fall and spring MT’s)
  3. The purpose of this meeting is to get to know your MT; to make sure you are both comfortable with each other. The MT should already have your resume when you meet.
  4. Discuss what the MT expects, but also what you hope to do during your internship.
  5. Make sure you discuss any specific curriculum subjects, units, lessons which you may be responsible for teaching. You may need to do some research in some subject areas.
  6. If possible, borrow some of the texts so you can get familiar with them over the summer.
  7. Discuss classroom management and how is it handled. Is there something you need to be familiar with before starting in the classroom?
  8. Be sure you know how to get in touch with each other over the summer. Is there any summer planning for which you need to be included?
  9. When do you start in the fall? Spring? Do you need TB test; blood born pathogens training?
  10. Find our how/what you need to do to be eligible to substitute for your MT. Check if district uses PESG.  Check to see if you are eligible to sub for your MT.
  11. Discuss dress code for your building.
  12. Be positive!! Do not bad mouth the university, your instructors or other teachers. 
    Remember, you are beginning the steps from student to professional!
  13. Relax, enjoy this experience. If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know immediately (lisaplas@msu.edu or 517-353-5401).

Coursework

Your schedule will look like this: