Please remember in your contacts with school officials and students, you are representing yourself, the department, and Tyler Junior College. You are expected to conduct yourself professionally at all times. You are a guest on their campus and should go out of your way to act courteously and to help, not hinder. Some of the rules of the road are as follows.
1 The department will schedule your internship. When you get your assignment, check out your assogmed campus webpage on the Internet. It should have the name and telephone number of the campus principal. If in doubt, contact your instructor via email. A few of the principals will have designated someone other than that principal as the campus contact person.
EXAMPLE: St. Louis School contact person is Scott Fair
Bonner contact person is Sharon Limmert
2 Schedule an appointment to discuss your internship. Be prompt; don't miss that appointment.
3 Dress appropriately. Low cut, short, tight, suggestive, torn or dirty clothes are not appropriate in a professional setting. Avoid heavy makeup, perfume, and jangling jewelry. Comfortable clothes and shoes are strongly suggested.Ê(Most campuses have a dress code. Ask for a copy of it.
4 Never take your cell phone into a school. Leave it in the car! Women, it is best to leave your purse in the car. Most schools do not have a secure place to keep it.
5 Missing an assignment or being late for an assignment is a reflection on your professionalism, commitment to the department, and organizational ability. School officials will be reluctant to reschedule missed assignments. In the event of unforeseen emergencies, please notify school officials as soon as possible. (Repeated missed assignments or late arrivals will disqualify you from further field hours.)
6 When you arrive, check in with your contact person, introduce yourself, and remind them of your reason for visiting.
7. Take your TJC ID badge with your picture on it and your Attendance form. They have received a copy of the Interns Handbook.
8 Ask for a copy of any rules, regulations, codes of conduct that are in place on your campus. Before your first assignment, you will have studied the rules governing campus behavior. (Breaking any of those rules Ð drugs, weapons, inappropriate language, inappropriate student contact, etc. Ð disqualifies you from further field hours.)
9 Please observe confidentiality in what you observe and record. Do not ever record student names.
10 As you know, educators are required to report suspected child abuse. This applies to you as well. However, if you believe a child is exhibiting signs of child abuse, you must report that to your supervisor. Your supervisor will take care of it from there.
11 Most teachers/supervisors are happy to talk to interns but take care not to interfere with their job.
12 Feel free to offer to help but get involved only with the teacherÕs/supervisorÕs permission.
13 The school day may begin as early as 7:45 a.m. and end as late as 4:00 p.m. At times, there will be unexpected interruptions and cancellations due to teacher/supervisor absences, last minute meetings, field trips, or testing schedules that take priority. Be flexible.
14 Always be polite and thank your supervisor at the end of the day.
15 Never meet with students alone and never meet with students after hours or off campus, this includes giving students a ride in your car or going to their homes. This is strictly forbidden to TJC interns.
16 Before leaving campus, your teacher/supervisor must sign your Attendance Form. Any weaknesses noted on that form by your teacher/supervisor must be discussed with your instructor before another field assignment.
17 Your Intern Report and Attendance Form must be completed and turned in to your instructor on or before the due date. No credit will be given for internships unless your Intern Report and Attendance Form are completed correctly and on time. Internships do not get "partial" credit. You either complete the entire assignment or no credit is given.