I'm really pleased about the way this program is structured with the internship occurring simultaneously with the coursework. It's giving me the opportunity to view my job this year through the lens of an administrator. I am literally observing everything through the perspective of a leader. It helps tremendously that I am out of the classroom, though, because there is so much going on during the school day that classroom teachers miss.
There are a couple of teachers on one of my campuses going through their internships, but the structure is different from what is expected of me. They have already completed their coursework, so their concentration is focused on all the activities they will complete in order to meet the hourly requirement. For me, however, the focus is the coursework and constantly looking out for those opportunities to complete experiences related to my internship. I have to say, I was hesitant about all the work involved, especially with the demand of a full time job (that doesn't end when you leave the building), and whether or not I would be able to keep up, but it is definitely worth it--stressful, but meaningful and significant!
I totally agree with you! This is my first year out of the classroom and my eyes have been forced open to everything that goes on in my school outside of my classroom. A couple teachers I work with went through Lamar to earn their master's degree a few years ago, but it was not structured the same way. They both said they would have rather gone through it the way that we are!
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