Internship

A period of preprofessional, onthe- job training under the supervision of one or more experienced mentors. Internships usually follow the award of a professional degree at the conclusion of academic training but precede the award of a state or professional certificate permitting the trainee to practice. Normally lasting a year and offering only token monetary compensation, internships are required elements of training for the practice of medicine. Although not universally required, most state systems require internship equivalents before issuing teaching certificates.
Variously called CADET TEACHER, practiceteaching or induction programs, internships require trainees to work for a full school year in the classroom as teacher aides or substitute teachers, presumably under the mentorship and supervision of experienced teachers. Many such programs have come under criticism for their failure to provide interns with adequate instruction and supervision. Budget constraints, however, sometimes provoke school districts to put interns to work as unsupervised, fulltime teacher replacements.