Learning to teach: Teaching internships in counselor education and supervision

This exploratory study investigated how CACREP-accredited doctoral programs in the United States prepare students to teach. A mixed-methods design was used to survey doctoral program coordinators about the teacher training their programs provide students, as well as doctoral students who have completed a teaching internship. Of the 16 program coordinators who participated, 15 programs trained doctoral students to become faculty as part of their mission. Four programs did not require either a course in teaching or a teaching internship, and 10 programs required students to complete a formal teaching internship. 

 Fourteen doctoral students participated in the study and noted completing their teaching internship as a co-teaching experience, as opposed to serving as a teaching assistant with a faculty member who was known for being an effective teacher. They also found having weekly meetings with the faculty co-instructor supported their learning process. All but one doctoral student participant found the teaching internship to be a positive and informative learning experience. Based on participant responses, allowing doctoral students to select the faculty member with whom they want to co-teach and ensuring they receive consistent supervision from this person is an important part of the teaching internship experience. Additionally, providing opportunities for doctoral students to interact with peers who also are engaged in their teaching internship was noted as helpful and informative, particularly since it provided opportunities to imagine how they might handle a classroom challenge that a doctoral peer was facing. 

Results underscore the importance of a didactic course in teaching and a co-teaching internship that fosters opportunities for students to learn how to develop graduate course materials, particularly in terms of increasing awareness about how much work was involved in developing a strong course curriculum, managing classroom behavior, and developing a teaching style and philosophy. Providing opportunities for doctoral students to present at conferences and workshops also would help with curriculum development. Study findings provide a snapshot of the state of the teaching internship in counselor education, as well as recommendations for effective teacher training practices.