The New Jersey Department of Education is urging school districts to support the state’s teacher preparation programs by taking on clinical interns—student teachers—in their schools.
During the challenges of hybrid and remote teaching, clinical interns can be a resource to students, teachers, and parents. Traditionally, taking on student teachers has also provided school districts with a pipeline of well-prepared classroom teachers.
Students in teacher preparation programs need to complete clinical internships under the guidance of a school district’s cooperating teacher in order to earn teaching certification. The requirements must be met, regardless of whether this is accomplished in an in-person or a virtual teaching environment.
Below are resources for districts considering clinical interns, including a toolkit for placing and supporting clinical interns, an article on preparing future teachers, and a listing of contacts at New Jersey colleges and universities who coordinate clinical internship programs.