Teacher internshipAt — Catalyst Kids Figueroa

The intern will have the opportunity to observe and shadow the teaching team within a State Preschool setting to gain practical exposure to early childhood education practices and classroom operations.

The intern will:

• Observe teaching staff during daily classroom routines, transitions, learning experiences, and child interactions.
• Shadow teaching team members to gain an understanding of developmentally appropriate practices, classroom management, active supervision, and positive child guidance.
• Support with appropriate classroom tasks and activities while under the direction and supervision of teaching staff.
• Gain exposure to appropriate interactions and communication between educators and children.
• Engage with children only within the scope of the internship and while under the supervision and oversight of qualified teaching staff.
• Observe how teachers support children's social-emotional, cognitive, language, and physical development throughout the daily program.
• Ask questions and reflect on observations to strengthen understanding of early childhood education practices.

Weekly Debrief & Feedback

A weekly debrief/check-in will be conducted with the intern to discuss their experience, answer questions, review observations, and provide constructive feedback. This time will also be used to identify areas of growth, clarify expectations, and connect classroom observations to early childhood education practices and the intern's learning goals.

The overall purpose of the internship experience is to provide meaningful exposure to a State Preschool environment while ensuring that teaching staff maintain responsibility for the supervision, care, and instruction of enrolled children.

Training:

Training and support will include:

On-the-job training through observation, shadowing, modeling, and supervised participation with the teaching team.
Guidance on classroom routines, curriculum implementation, lesson planning, child observations, documentation, and developmentally appropriate practices.
Exposure to State Preschool tools and resources, including the Preschool Learning Foundations and Curriculum Frameworks, Ages & Stages, and DRDP assessments.
Modeling of appropriate teacher-child interactions, positive guidance, active supervision, and professional communication.
Opportunities to ask questions and receive clarification while observing and participating in classroom practices.
Weekly debrief meetings to discuss experiences, observations, questions, successes, and areas for continued development.
Ongoing constructive feedback from supervising staff based on observations of the intern's participation, professionalism, communication, and application of learned practices.
Opportunities for reflection and goal setting to identify areas of strength and establish next steps for continued professional growth.

Feedback will be provided in a supportive and professional manner, with the goal of helping the intern connect their academic learning to practical experience within an early childhood education setting.

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of the internship experience, the intern will gain knowledge, exposure, and practical understanding of the key tools and practices used within a State Preschool program.

The intern will:

California Preschool Learning Foundations & Curriculum Frameworks: Become familiar with the California Preschool/Transitional Kindergarten Learning Foundations and Curriculum Frameworks and understand how they guide developmentally appropriate teaching practices and curriculum planning.
Ages & Stages: Become familiar with Ages & Stages developmental screening tools and how educators use developmental information to better understand and support children's individual needs.
Lesson Planning & Curriculum: Observe and participate in the lesson-planning process, including how teachers use children's interests, developmental needs, observations, and learning goals to plan meaningful experiences.
Child Observations: Develop an understanding of objective observation practices and how teachers document children's development, learning, interactions, interests, and progress.
DRDP Assessments: Gain exposure to the Desired Results Developmental Profile (DRDP), including how classroom observations and documentation are collected and used as evidence to assess children's developmental progress.
Individualized Planning: Understand how assessment information and observations are used to develop individualized learning opportunities and support children's continued growth.
Family Conferences: Observe and learn about the family conference process, including how educators communicate children's strengths, developmental progress, goals, and classroom experiences with families.
Flow of the Day: Develop an understanding of the daily operations of a State Preschool classroom, including arrival, health and safety routines, meals, transitions, indoor and outdoor learning, small- and large-group experiences, rest periods, and departure.
Teacher Roles & Responsibilities: Gain a broader understanding of how teaching staff balance curriculum, child supervision, documentation, family communication, classroom responsibilities, and regulatory requirements throughout the day.
Overall Learning Goal

The internship experience will provide the intern with a well-rounded introduction to the State Preschool environment and help connect early childhood education coursework and theory to real classroom practices. Through observation, supervised participation, reflection, and weekly feedback, the intern will develop a stronger understanding of the responsibilities and professional practices of an early childhood educator.