The Teacher Externship Program was started in 2002 by Doug Hill, Ed.D., former director of the BIE Alliance, as a way to help connect the standards of business and industry with what students are learning in Delaware schools. Under its current director Christine Sullivan, the Alliance continues to facilitate the program in two ways: by offering a standard externship opportunity among participating businesses that teachers can choose; and by offering a custom externship in which the BIE Alliance works with a local business to create an externship opportunity for a teacher with a specific interest.
All interested teachers must register and attend an orientation session during the spring, meet with their externship mentor, and then over a week in June participate in the 18-hour externship and a follow up meeting.
“Teachers are very excited to get hands-on experience and take that experience back to the classroom,” says Lori Aldrich of the BIE Alliance. Since 2002, 237 teachers have participated in the Teacher Externship Program with 60 businesses in Delaware. Last year’s group of 52 teachers from 15 different school districts worked with 32 businesses, including museums, banks, state departments, media outlets, and non-profit organizations.
A teacher from Gauger Cobbs Middle School in the Christina School District said, “I learned more about how to make my curriculum more innovative, while keeping materials/class procedures practical.” A Glasgow High School teacher said the opportunity helped him “keep thinking about employability and authentic experiences to connect his classroom to the real world.”
Teachers who participate in the program receive 25 professional development hours that they count toward continuing education credits. If you are interested in registering for the Teacher Externship program, visit http://www.bie.k12.de.us/Externship.htm.
Vision 2015 recommends:
http://www.bie.k12.de.us/Externship.htm
Contact Lori Alrdich at laldrich@bie.k12.de.us or call 302.368.4591