Teach Now is a full-year clinical internship program for education majors. USI partners with the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation to offer this experience. Teach Now clinical interns are placed in EVSC schools and are assigned to a cooperating teacher for the fall and spring semesters of the senior year.
Teach Now clinical interns begin the fall semester on the calendar of the EVSC school. During the opening days, interns participate in all professional development and faculty meetings with the cooperating teacher. Interns work in the assigned school every day until the start of USI’s fall semester. At that time, interns work in the elementary school on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays till the end of November.
Clinical interns begin the fall semester doing focused observations and working with individual students and small groups. As the semester progresses, responsibilities grow to include planning, whole class instruction, using assessments, and communicating with parents. Eventually the intern is immersed in all classroom activities.
Teach Now clinical interns begin and end the spring semester on the USI calendar. Interns work in the elementary school five days a week in the spring semester. Interns work with the same cooperating teacher and students in fall and spring semesters.
Teacher candidates must be registered for clinical practice in the fall semester of the year-long internship. Required courses for the fall semester include: EDUC 382 and EDUC 398 for elementary majors, EDUC 384 for secondary education and P-12 minors, EDUC 422 for special education majors, and EDUC 398 for early childhood majors. During the spring semester, Teach Now clinical interns are registered for the clinical internship course (formerly called student teaching course) and EDUC 458.
Clinical interns are supported by the Teach Now faculty advisor and the Director of Clinical Internships. During the spring semester, interns receive additional support from a university supervisor. Financial support is given in the form of a scholarship that is awarded to Teach Now clinical interns in both fall and spring semesters.
Applications for the clinical internship (Teach Now and the traditional one- semester internship) are submitted each January by students who are eligible to complete the internship the following academic year.
The Teach Now program is an opportunity to get a rich experience and extended time in an elementary classroom. Graduates of the program praise the experience, and principals are eager to interview and hire Teach Now interns.
Students who are interested in the Teach Now program or have questions about eligibility for the program should contact either Dr. Elizabeth Wilkins or Mrs. Joyce Rietman.