Our second half of our Observation Internship course is nearly over. Soon, we will be off at our student teaching assignments next fall, and before we know it, we will all hopefully be teaching in our own classrooms!
Observation Internship is a two-part course consisting of class work and projects done at our Cook Campus "home base," as well as through the completion of classroom observations. Typically, one credit is completed the first semester and two are completed the second semester. For each credit, Observation Internship students must spend five days out in the field observing in actual classrooms.
The first two credits must be completed within two different school districts, with five days spent at each, observing classes from grades K through 12. The purpose of this is to see the progression of how those two particular districts teach science throughout their curriculum, looking specifically for continuity and how each level prepares students for the next level. The second purpose is to help students gain a better understanding of which level they think they would like to teach.
The third and final credit of the Observation Internship series is earned through visiting five different school districts at the level the student finds most intriguing and where they believe they would like to teach. (For example: five different middle schools would be observed, or five different 10th grade biology classrooms, etc.) A full day must be spent at each school observing classes in order to receive full credit.
Sent off to observe the good, the bad, and the ugly, Observation Internship students reconvene monthly on Cook Campus to discuss their adventures in various school districts and to complete assignments, inclusive of creating lesson plans, PowerPoint presentations, Observation Internship Journaling projects and reviews, and future classroom websites (such as this one). During this process, the students network and compile information on what works and what doesn't regarding classroom management, as well as tips on teaching in general.
One of the main goals of the Observation Internship program is for students to identify the progression of science as it is taught throughout all levels of various school districts. However, it is also desired that by the end of their Observation Internship experience, students will have a better understanding of teaching as a profession, will have obtained a better idea of the level they would like to instruct, as well as a better understanding of how different districts teach science. This knowledge, along with contacts made within different districts, will also help students to identify a school where they would like to student teach.
I myself have visited the school districts of Hillsborough and East Brunswick, both for five days. I also have visited classrooms at the middle school level within Monroe, Somerville, Jamesburge, South Plainfield, Edison, and even Northway, Alaska.
This website is a part of our Observation Internship assignments, designed to help prepare us for creating a website for our assigned Student Teaching classrooms. I hope you enjoy the links I have provided in this site and that you will find them as useful as I have! Feel free to contact me with any questions or comments at the address found at the bottom of this page.
Sincerely, Amy E. Messeroll
Why Become a Teacher?
Site Index:
Environmental Education at Cook College - Programs of Study
Links for Environmental Education - Environmental Websites and General Education Websites for New Jersey and Alaska
Around Rutgers University - Photos from Classes and Campus
Information About Amy - The Author of this Site
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