Internship FAQ

OFE will initiate your placement search in one of the three districts identified on your Internship Application however there is no guarantee that a placement will be secured there. If that district declines to host, it may be necessary to expand the search to districts outside of those that you have selected. 

Realistically, interns who are requesting “in area” placements should be prepared for placement anywhere within Whatcom or Skagit county.

Due to the voluntary nature of hosting student teaching interns, OFE is unable to guarantee any placement location and thus may not be able to honor transportation limitation requests. Interns who have limited transportation may need to be more flexible with grade level preferences. You are highly encouraged to identify contingency plans for travel to an internship site. 

If you have a professional connection to a teacher, OFE would be happy to investigate the possibility of a placement on your behalf. Please share that information in your Internship Application or if it is already submitted by emailing OFE Placement Coordinator April McMurry.

If a classroom teacher and/or school administrator asks you about possibly student teaching, you can inform them that you will provide this information to WWU's Placement Coordinator. This does not guarantee the placement.

No, interns may not reach out to teachers or schools to try to negotiate their own placement. Many school districts designate a specific contact person to coordinate with, and when interns go outside of agreements, our partnerships and future placements are jeopardized. If you have a pre-existing professional connection or suggestion for placement, you may share that information with OFE's Placement Coordinator.

It can be weeks to months from the submission of your application to confirmation of your placement. Processing the application generally takes a month and then our outreach to districts begins. Depending on many factors, districts can find placements quickly or OFE may have to ask multiple districts before finding a suitable internship opportunity.

If you are feeling anxious, you can email ofe@wwu.edu for a placement update.

Students with identified disabilities may request reasonable accommodations during student teaching. To request accommodation:

• Register with WWU Disability Access Center (DAC)
• Indicate need for accommodation on Internship Application
• Contact the OFE Director at ofe@wwu.edu or 360.650.3099

Specific accommodations are determined on an individual basis and are developed to meet the unique needs of the student, the program, and state student teaching requirements.

Accommodation requests are treated as confidential information by OFE personnel.

Internships range in length based on your program. Elementary students are placed in year-long internships while other programs range from 10 to 14 weeks.

Secondary students always complete 14-week internships. Secondary students who intern in Winter will find that the internship extends beyond Winter quarter. You are still eligible to graduate in Winter, provided all requirements other than the completion of the internship are met. Your degree will be held until internship requirements are completed but you may still apply to graduate Winter quarter.

Your internship is the culminating experience in your path to becoming a teacher and should be considered a full-time endeavor. Once you enter the full-time portion of your internship, you will be expected to work the same hours as your mentor teacher, including before and after school meetings. Vacations/days off are not generally granted during your internship, so please plan accordingly.

You can check out the calendar for your internship quarter by going to the OFE Website and selecting your program. From there, click on the Internship Materials link and open calendars. This will give you access to specific dates.

Woodring and the Office of Field Experiences discourage candidates from holding jobs during the internship. This is for your benefit—an internship is an intense period of learning and requires your devoted attention. Your work schedule may never interfere with your internship responsibilities or you risk being removed from your internship.

Since you may not be working during your internship, you may find yourself wondering about financial supports available to you. 

The following links will provide you with on and off campus resources where you can find information on services available to support you.

WWU Financial Aid Service Center: Food, Shelter and other resources

WWU Financial Aid Department: Scholarships and Emergency Funds

WWU's Office of Student Life: General assistance with navigating on campus supports

NES/West-E Testing: Test voucher information

Career Closet: Professional clothing to support students and alumni in their career success

You should first contact your CT and UIC to make them aware of your absence. Any extended illness or absence must also be reported to OFE in addition to your CT and UIC. 

If you have an exceptional circumstance, your UIC will connect with the Office of Field Experiences to develop a plan.

In extreme situations, you may elect to postpone your internship or withdraw from the program. Please communicate directly with your program to determine the procedures. A courtesy email to OFE stating your intentions is greatly appreciated.