PAD / Teaching Assistantships

PAD / Teaching Assistantships

You are pursuing a teaching degree? A school internship/teaching assistantship abroad has numerous advantages for prospective teachers:

• Practical Classroom Experience: Internships give prospective teachers the opportunity to apply the theoretical knowledge they've gained in their teacher preparation courses to real classroom settings. This practical experience is invaluable in building teaching skills.

• Observation and Mentorship: Interns work closely with mentor teachers who provide guidance, feedback, and support. This mentorship helps them develop effective teaching strategies, classroom management skills, and a deeper understanding of educational practices.

• Professional Development: School internships are a form of professional development, allowing interns to refine their teaching techniques, learn about best practices in education, and adapt to diverse student needs and learning styles.

• Classroom Management: Managing a classroom effectively is a complex skill that can only be learned through experience. Internships provide an opportunity to practice classroom management techniques and establish a positive classroom environment.

• Lesson Planning and Curriculum Development: Interns gain experience in planning and delivering lessons, aligning instruction with curriculum standards, and adapting lessons based on student needs and feedback.

• Assessment and Evaluation: Prospective teachers learn to assess student progress, create meaningful assessments, and use data to inform instructional decisions. This skill is crucial for measuring student learning and adapting instruction as needed.

• Cultural Competence: Working in diverse classrooms exposes interns to a wide range of student backgrounds and cultures, enhancing their cultural competence and ability to create inclusive and equitable learning environments.

• Networking: Internships allow prospective teachers to build professional relationships with educators, administrators, and peers. These connections can be valuable for future job searches and collaboration opportunities.

• Impact on Students: Finally, internships give prospective teachers the opportunity to make a positive impact on students' lives by helping them learn and grow. This sense of purpose and fulfillment can be one of the most rewarding aspects of a teaching career.

You can either apply for a place in the PAD (=Pädagogischer Austauschdienst) teaching assistantship programme (more information: https://www.kmk-pad.org/programme/fremdsprachenassistenzkraefte/studierende-aus-deutschland.html) or you can find a school internship on your own. The PAD FSA (=Fremdsprachenassistenzkräfte) programme comes with several benefits: The PAD finds a school placements for you, the internship is paid, and you are given support and guidance throughout the programme.

If you'd like to find a school internship on your own, the PASCH network might be worth checking out ( https://www.pasch-net.de/de/pasch-schulen/praktika.html), or you can have a look in our MS Teams group (which you can join via the following code: e0p2k1c), where alumni sometimes post internship opportunities at their old schools.

If you would like to do a school internship abroad and get credit for the "semesterbegleitendes fachdidaktisches Praktikum", please consult the ZfL (Zentrum für Lehrer*innenbildung) website for more information: https://www.uni-saarland.de/einrichtung/zfl/praktika/auslandsschulpraktikum.html