FAQS

What are Observation hours and how are they completed?

According to the new Texas Education Agency (TEA) guidelines, students are required to complete 30 hours of classroom observation before they are eligible to be considered for registration in Student Teaching or Internship. If a student has substitute teaching experience or been an Instructional Aide in a school, these hours may be counted toward the Observation hours requirement; however, the hours must be within the student’s certification level. For example, a student seeking EC-6 certification should do his/her observation hours in EC-6 classrooms. It is the student’s responsibility to make arrangements with the school / district(s) to complete these hours. Students may choose to observe in public schools, private schools, or charter schools but all observation hours must be completed at TEA or TEPSAC (Texas Private School Accreditation Commission) accredited schools. If necessary, the Field Supervisor can supply the student with a letter of verification for the school(s) to further explain this program requirement. Dr. Elaine Hendrix, Senior Field Supervisor, will send all new PACT, TEACH core, and M. Ed. Teaching and Learning students an information letter regarding all state-mandated field experience requirements as well as an Observation Log. These documents will be emailed to students early in their programs in order to allow sufficient time to fulfill the requirement. Once students have completed their 30 hours and have documented this information on their official log sheets, including appropriate school administration signatures, they will submit this document to Dr. Hendrix (Central and South Texas students) or to Vickie Fontaine (North and East Texas students) . Mailing addresses are included at the bottom of the Observation Log.

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What is the difference between Student Teaching and Internship?

In order to become certified to teach in the state of Texas, a student must 1) complete all required coursework, 2) pass the respective content and PPR state exams, and 3) complete either Student Teaching OR Internship. NOTE: The Student Teaching and Internship experiences are separate from the required Observation hours and students are not eligible to enroll in either option until they have completed the required Observations and submitted the completed Observation Log documentation to their designated Field Supervisor.

*Student Teaching consists of six hours of course credit and the student will be charged for six hours’ of tuition. Student Teaching lasts 12 weeks. It is a full time, all day, non-paid position in a Mentor Teacher’s classroom. Student Teaching during the fall semester generally runs from the day after Labor Day until the end of the first week in December. Student Teaching during the spring semester typically begins the second week of January and ends the first week in April. Student Teaching must be done within the student’s certification level / subject area(s). For example, a 4-8 Generalist certification student must student teach in a 4th -8th grade English/Language Arts/Reading, Math, Science, or Social Studies classroom. Student Teaching may be done at an accredited public school, private school, or charter school. Student Teaching placements will be arranged by the Field Supervisor (upon receipt of the required registration form received by the designated deadline), and each Student Teacher will be assigned a University Supervisor who will make regular visits throughout the placement for the purpose of observing and providing constructive feedback. NOTE: TEACH students choosing Student Teaching will complete their placements during the last semester of their degree program. The 6 hours of course credit for Student Teaching will be included in the 127 hours required for graduation. PACT and M. Ed. Teaching and Learning students choosing Student Teaching must be in their second full semester (i.e., Spring or Fall) of coursework before being eligible for Student Teaching. This means that students beginning coursework in May are not eligible to student teach until the following Spring semester (i.e., January) as summer is not considered a full academic semester.

*Internship also consists of six hours of course credit and the student will be charged for six hours’ of tuition; however, since Internship is completed over two semesters, the credit and tuition will be spread over the two semesters as well (3 hours each semester). Internship is a full time, paid teaching position as teacher-of-record in an accredited public or private school. It is the student’s responsibility to seek out, apply for, and obtain the position. Students must Intern within their certification level and subject area(s). For example, an EC-6 Generalist certification student must intern in a Pre K – 6th grade classroom. Interns will be assigned a University Supervisor who will make regular visits throughout the placement for the purpose of observing and providing constructive feedback. NOTE: TEACH students choosing Internship must first complete their Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies degree and pass the state content exam in order to be eligible for Internship. PACT and M. Ed. students must complete 30 hours of classroom observation, their first two courses, pass their respective content exam, and clear any provisional acceptance requirements prior to being eligible for Internship.

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If I have been an Instructional Aide for several years, can this experience count toward or be used to substitute for Student Teaching or Internship?

According to TEA guidelines and LeTourneau program requirements, all students seeking Texas Teacher Certification must complete a supervised Field Experience (Student Teaching or Internship) during which an assigned University Supervisor mentors, observes, and provides regular feedback throughout the experience. Neither aide nor substitute teaching experience can be used to fulfill any part of nor take the place of Student Teaching or Internship; however, both aide and substitute teaching hours may be used to count toward the required observations hours that must be completed prior to Student Teaching or Internship.

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What are the benefits of Student Teaching vs. Internship?

If a student decides to Student Teach to fulfill the field experience requirement, he/she is guaranteed a placement by the Field Supervisor, whereas with Internship, it is the student’s responsibility to seek out and obtain the teaching position. While the Field Supervisor may have information regarding leads on which districts may be hiring or where there may be possible opportunities for employment, they are not able to arrange an Internship placement. It is also important to note than more school districts and administrators are expressing a preference for hiring students who have gone through the Student Teaching experience, as they see these individuals as more prepared to be successful in the classroom. If a student chooses Student Teaching, they are generally eligible and ready to be recommended for Standard Certification once their 12-week placement has been completed, grades posted, and state exams passed. This is generally a shorter route to certification than Internship and the student is generally able to obtain a permanent teaching position more quickly. One final advantage: A student who has a strong performance as a Student Teacher is generally a highly desirable candidate for hire in that school or school district.

If a student selects Internship as their field experience option, once they obtain a position that meets the requirements (i.e., full-time teacher of record in an accredited public or private school in a position within the certification area), they are required to apply for a Probationary Teaching Certificate. Probationary Certificates are issued to teachers who are in the in a state-recognized certification program but have not yet fulfilled all requirements for the Standard Teaching Certificate. In order to be eligible for hire and for the Probationary Certificate, students must be considered “highly qualified (HQ) by the state of Texas. EC-4, EC-6, and 4-8 Generalist students must have passed their state content exams and have cleared any Provisional Acceptance requirements. Students seeking 4th – 8th content area certification or secondary certification (8th – 12th grade) in any content area must have either passed the state content exam or have 24 hours of coursework in their area of certification, 12 of which must be at the junior or senior level, and have cleared any Provisional Acceptance requirements. Finally, Interns must notify their Field Supervisor immediately once they have been hired so that they can receive and complete the necessary Internship Registration form and (for PACT students only) the Internship Payment Agreement. NOTE: It is extremely important for students opting for Internship to remember that they are seeking a position as a teacher and not as an intern. Using the incorrect terminology can confuse the hiring party and may result in the student losing the opportunity to be considered for a position for which they were qualified. This position is referred to as Internship because of the fact that schools are required by the state to provide extra support (e.g., a designated Mentor) and Educator Preparation Programs are required by the state to provide a designated program supervisor who will observe and support the candidate throughout the Internship experience. Internship = Support to ensure that the candidate is more likely to remain in the teaching profession.

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How do I register for Student Teaching?

Once a student selects Student Teaching, he/she will contact the appropriate Field Supervisor. Students in Central or South Texas will contact Dr. Elaine Hendrix (elainehendrix@letu.edu) for registration documents. Students in North or East Texas will contact Vickie Fontaine (vickiefontaine@letu.edu) for registration documents. Registration is done during the semester prior to the actual placement to allow the Field Supervisors and school districts adequate time to arrange and secure the best possible placement for each student. The deadline to register for the fall semester of Student Teaching is March 15; the deadline to register for the spring semester of student teaching is October 15. If the registration documents are not received by the designated dates, the placement request may be delayed until the following semester. Again, it is the student’s responsibility to notify the appropriate Field Supervisor if he/she wants to register for Student Teaching. NOTE: In addition to the registration form, PACT students must also complete and submit a Payment Agreement Form to Student Accounts. This form will also be provided by the designated Field Supervisor.

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What are the requirements for Internship and how do I register?

In order to be eligible for Internship, students must be Highly Qualified (HQ) as outlined in paragraph 2 of Question 4 above. Once a student has either passed the appropriate content test or meets the 24/12 criteria and has obtained a teaching position that meets the specified criteria, the student should apply for a Probationary Teaching Certificate through the Certification Office. The Certification Officer will verify that the student has passed the content test and has obtained an acceptable teaching position before issuing the Probationary Certificate. A student may teach up to three years with a probationary certificate but the certificate must be renewed each year. The student should also contact their designated Field Supervisor and request an Internship Registration Form, which must be completed by the student and returned to the Field Supervisor prior to the designated registration deadline. In addition, the Field Supervisor will provide an Internship Payment Agreement Form (to PACT students) which should be completed and returned to Student Accounts. NOTE: Failure to return either of these forms by the designated deadlines will result in non-registration for that semester and will delay Standard Certification.

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I signed up for Student Teaching but have been hired and need to change to Internship for my field experience. Can I make this change?

If a student has chosen to do Student Teaching but then obtains a full-time teaching position, the student should notify the appropriate Field Supervisor immediately so that the Field Supervisor can cancel the Student Teaching placement. The Field Supervisor will also withdraw the student from Student Teaching and enroll the student in Internship as well as supply the student with the necessary Internship registration documents. This happens frequently and is not a problem, but the changes must be made by within determined registration deadlines. Students should be aware that if they do not sign up for Student Teaching by the established deadlines (March 15 for the Fall semester and October 15 for the Spring semester), they cannot decide at the last minute to student teach in the event they do not find a teaching position. They will be required to wait until the following semester.

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As much as I would like to, I am not financially able to quit my current job in order to do Student Teaching. How do I go about getting a position that would qualify me for Internship? Does the Field Supervisor find an Internship for me?

We understand that many of our working adult students are not able to give up their jobs in order to student teach. In this event, it is the student’s responsibility to seek out a paid teaching position that would qualify them to be eligible for Internship. The Field Supervisor does not secure jobs for students. Students should prepare a brief but complete resume documenting all experience relevant to the position being sought and a cover letter stating why the student is seeking the position. The student should also attend job fairs and visit the websites of local schools and region service centers to check for job openings. The Field Supervisors will conduct "Getting the Job" seminars" at each site (Dallas, Austin, Houston, and Longview) during late March or early April each year. At these seminars, local principals and other administrators present relevant information and answer questions regarding such topics as preparing for successful interviews and creating professional resumes and cover letters. Students will be notified of the dates and times of these seminars via their LetNet email accounts. All students are invited to attend.

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What if I am offered a job at a private school or a charter school?

Students may complete their Internship year at private or charter schools as long as these institutions are TEA or TEPSAC accredited. For students who have not yet passed their state content exam, this is a often a good option as private schools and some charter schools may not have the same hiring requirements as public schools and, therefore, may be able to allow a little more flexibility during the first year of teaching. Private schools and charter schools may or may not require HQ status and/or a Probationary Teaching Certificate. A student may check the accreditation of a private or charter school at the following website: http://www.tepsac.org/.

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This information is very helpful, but I have more questions. Who do I contact?

Students in South, Southeast, or Central Texas should contact Dr. Elaine Hendrix for additional information and students in North, West, or East Texas should contact Vickie Fontaine for additional information.

Dr. Elaine Hendrix
elainehendrix@letu.edu
713-417-0644

Vickie Fontaine
vickiefontaine@letu.edu
903-918-8252

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