The Educational Internship Program
What is EIP?
If you are interested in participating in the Educational Internship Program, take a look at the information below and talk with Ms. Taylor and some current students to get more information. You can also follow us on Twitter @LPS_EIP to see what interns are doing this year. Please complete this application by February 6, 2024, and have two staff members complete recommendations for you by February 6th. Please access recommendation forms HERE. Print out two copies, give them to two teachers or staff members who can comment on your character and abilities, and ask them to return the forms to Melissa Taylor's staff mailbox by February 6th. You will register for Edu Intern Program Theory and Practice (semester 1) and Edu Intern Program Field Experience (semester 2) with your guidance counselor. EIP requires 2 hours each semester so that you will have time to travel to your school and back to the high school if necessary.
"EIP has been the highlight of my senior year. The students and teachers have welcomed me with open arms, and they are so eager to learn and make me part of their classroom. I was thinking about becoming a teacher before EIP, but now I know that it is my career path. Since EPiC has all the students in one classroom, it has given me a different outlook as I've gotten to know so many students' unique personalities. I love going out to recess because I get to have a different kind of interaction with them. Even the shyest students talk to me each time I see them, and I love the connections I've made with them. My mentor teachers are the best possible teachers for me, and I love the way they utilize project-based learning in their classrooms. They are such expert educators in so many ways, and I know I will be better teacher because of my time in EIP with them."
"EIP has been such an impactful experience for me! Before my senior year, I decided that it sounded like a really fun opportunity, and I have had nothing but fun all year. I can't believe how rewarding it has been for me. Every day I look forward to seeing the kids in my class. It is a great feeling knowing you have impacted the lives of the next generation. EIP had been the best possible class for me going forward into an education degree. I get to make relationships with the coolest students and help provide support to the ones that need it. EIP has provided me with ideas and plans of what I want to do with my career in teaching and in my life. I have learned about so many topics that matter and affect me. Not only has it prepared me to be a successful teacher, but it has helped me develop valuable leadership skills that can be used in all aspects of life. Because of EIP, I can now be confident about what I want to do with my life and how I want to go about doing that. I am grateful for my time in EIP and will be forever thankful for the opportunities that it brought me."
Should I take EIP if I don't want to be a teacher?
communication and public speaking
cultivating a growth mindset
leadership
proactivity
how to help others
collaboration
conflict resolution
responsibility
creativity
patience
understanding and empathizing
confidence
real world problem-solving
self-reliance
reading higher-levels texts
research
writing
learning how to interact with children
adapting to new ways to integrate technology and changes in teaching and learning
"I didn't really know what to expect from EIP. I had heard great things though, and I wanted to get a real world learning experience in high school. It's basically reassured everything I felt about education, and I know being a teacher is what I want to do. I've had people try to push me toward other career fields, but EIP has shown me how impactful education is and the importance of being a great educator. Regardless of whether you want to be a teacher or not, this class is so focused on learning and personal development. We also focus on talking with other interns on a social and worldly level. I'm practicing how to interact and have real conversations, and I'm learning without being told to do it. This class has taught me how to be an independent learner, and that's something I did not expect. I know I will be much more prepared for college because I was part of EIP."
What will I do during EIP?
1. What do great teachers do?
2. How does our society and government create barriers and opportunities in education?
3. How do we help students grow?
4. How do I become a great teacher or professional?
What do you do from a student's perspective? Here is a list from EIP students:
Help kids with tests and homework
Gain teaching experience
Work on creating your professional identity
Examine learning and psychological principles and theories
Make connections with students
Do reflective assignments to help you understand the field of education
Experience life as a teacher
Critique our current educational system
Analyze the inequities and problems in education
Create materials for student learning
Go to recess
Visit different educational sites and classrooms
Explore educational careers
Assess student learning
Work with small groups
Work with individual students
Teach the entire class
Go on field trips
Do crafts and art projects
Preview student experiments
Review student projects
"EIP is definitely the best choice I've made going into my senior year. While I already planned to be a part of EIP during my junior year, I had no idea how much the experience would change myself and my perspective. I can easily say going to see my kindergarten and 1st grade students is the best part of my day. There's nothing better than being able to see young students laugh, smile, and show their curiosity. Through EIP, I got the opportunity to teach and form friendships with my students. It's heartwarming to see my students light up when I walk into the classroom, to see them eager to learn from me, to see them excited to play with me. I impact my students' lives through their minds and hearts. When you're in the classroom, the students really do look up to you. They don't only see you as a teacher or as a mentor, but you're also their friend and someone they can trust. I have lots of my students who will tell me stories, or tell me how their day's been, or will want to play with me at recess. All of it is endearing to see, and you can't get that experience anywhere else other than from doing EIP. It also feels amazing to know how much help I give to my placement teacher. Not only do I get to observe my placement teacher do lessons and use certain techniques, I'm also making her life a little easier for the small amount of time I'm in the classroom. I've never thought about becoming a teacher in the future, but the more and more I do EIP, the more and more I'm interested in pursuing a career in teaching. EIP is something I'll never regret doing during my senior year, and I'm grateful for the moments and memories I've received through this opportunity. "
What's the best part of EIP?
Students love you and look forward to seeing you each day
Figuring out how to help that struggling student
Organizing games at recess
Gaining real world experience
Being treated like an adult
Being part of a team of teachers
Realizing you really want to be a teacher
Realizing you don't want to be a teacher
The class meetings offer a great classroom environment with lots of strategies you can use with your students
Visiting other schools and classrooms
The elementary and middle school teachers treat you like a colleague, not a student
The assignments for EIP help you as a learner and a teacher--they are meaningful
Reading books and articles that impact your life
Getting valuable and meaningful feedback
If you are interested...
- Visit Ms. Taylor if you have questions.
- Talk to some current EIP students about their experiences.
- Complete this application by February 6, 2024.
- Print out 2 recommendation forms and give them to 2 teachers or staff members who can best evaluate your character and abilities. Those need to be in Ms. Taylor's mailbox by February 6, 2024.
- Register for EIP with your guidance counselor. Most students register for two hours so they have time to travel to their schools. The first semester course is called EIP Theory and Practice, and the second semester class is EIP Field Experience.
- Ask questions if current EIP students visit one of your classes.
- Come to an EIP meeting in the spring or summer to meet the current EIP students. You can learn more about the program and give Ms. Taylor more details about what you hope to gain from the Educational Internship Program.