Orientation internship, practical school studies (SPS I and II) and company internship

• The orientation internship serves to gain experience in pedagogical professional fields of work with children and young people.
• It is recommended that the internship is completed before the degree course or during the first year of study. It must be completed by the time you register for your first practical school studies at the latest.
• The orientation internship is currently only required for the teacher training course at grammar schools and is a self-organized internship. It can be completed before you start your studies at the University of Kassel.

• It lasts at least four weeks with a working time of around 30 hours per week (120 hours in total).
• The orientation internship can be completed in several stages and at several institutions.

• State, church or independent child and youth welfare facilities, including child and youth sports facilities and schools, are eligible for the internship.
• Activities in the field of educational work with children and young people that were completed during civilian service, a social year, as part of voluntary work or a corresponding professional activity can also be recognized.
• However, internships completed during your own school or vacation time cannot generally be recognized.

• Written documentation of the observations and experiences made during the internship serves as proof of the experience gained.
• A template for the documentation, the certificate and instructions for the internship position can be found here.
• Please send your documents for submission preferably in electronic form to: orientierungspraktikum[at]uni-kassel[dot]de
• or to: University of Kassel Center for Teacher Training (ZLB), Teacher Training Student Advisory Service, Nora-Platiel-Str. 1, 34127 Kassel
• Please submit the internship report in good time (if possible before registering for the SPS I).

• The registration deadlinescan be found on the website of the Department for Practical School Studies.

• The module examination regulations of the University of Kassel provide for three internships, the practical school studies, for the teacher training courses for grammar schools and vocational and business education.
• The practical school studies I (with block internship, SPS I for short) are assigned to the educational and social science core study program (module 10).
• The educational science practical school studies I are prepared, accompanied and evaluated by seminars.

• The SPS I with block internship can be completed after successful completion of module 1a or 1b.

• Schools and mentors for the block internship are assigned to students by the Department of Practical School Studies in cooperation with the internship supervisors at the University of Kassel.

• The internship schools are located in the wider Kassel region.
• The seminars for the block internship usually take place at the University of Kassel.

• The practical school studies I consist of a preparatory seminar, a five-week internship (block internship) at a school and a follow-up seminar.
• The five-week work placement at the school takes place during the lecture-free period. The block internship usually begins in the 3rd semester, but can also be started in the 2nd semester.

• The Department for Practical School Studies is responsible for registration for the Practical School Studies I
• Registration for the SPS I is only possible online via the link: www.refsps-uni-kassel.de, which is only available during the registration deadlines .
• Registration for the winter semester takes place in April/May.
• Registration for the summer semester takes place in November of each year. The registration period is 3 weeks.

Special feature

• Special internships can be specified when registering for SPS I. It is possible to complete SPS I and SPS II in one teaching subject as an intensive internship. In this case, the practical part is carried out at a school within six months.

• This eliminates any waiting times for SPS II and the bond with the pupils and the school is more intensive. The block internship can also take place in cooperation with trainee teachers. In this case, the students not only have a mentor, but also a trainee teacher as a partner.

  The Department of Practical School Studies offers various special internships, the schedule and content of which can be found on the website of the Department of Practical School Studies or in person during consultation hours.

• The examination consists of the internship report, which includes the following aspects, among others:

1. Lesson planning and reflections,
2. developmental observations of lesson observations,
3. a pedagogical topic related to the internship school and a reflection on personal development,
4. as well as a brief description of the internship school.

• The module examination regulations of the University of Kassel stipulate three internships, the practical school studies, for the teacher training courses for grammar schools and vocational and business education.
• The practical school studies II are completed in the subject didactics of both subjects.
• The subject-didactic practical school studies II (SPS II for short) are prepared, accompanied and evaluated in seminars.

• The subject-didactic practical school studies II (SPS II for short) are completed in both subjects. In addition to some subject-specific requirements, the successful completion of SPS I (block internship) is a general prerequisite.

• Schools and mentors for the SPS II are assigned to students by the Department of Practical School Studies in cooperation with the internship supervisors at the University of Kassel.

• The accompanying seminars usually take place at the university.
• The school internship takes place at schools in or around Kassel.

• The subject-specific didactic SPS II are usually completed during the semester; attendance is compulsory at the placement school for all lessons in a class specified by the lecturer in one subject per week.
• In minor subjects, it may be stipulated that all lessons of two classes must be attended (more detailed specifications are regulated by the subjects, the requirement may vary slightly depending on the subject).
• The SPS II are accompanied by a seminar.

• Registrationfor the SPS II takes place via the Department for Practical School Studies one semester in advance!

• Exceptions: Subject teaching, sport and physics as well as the main subjects economics, electrical engineering and metal technology! Please contact the departments directly for information on deadlines and modalities.

• Most subject didactics departments set a preliminary meeting date before the start of SPS II. Please inform yourself about the date for the preliminary meeting when you register in the didactics departments of the individual subjects.
• On the homepage of the Department of Practical School Studies you will find the link to the registration form and further information.

• The examination for the completion of SPS II is an internship report.
• Please refer to the module examination regulations for the individual subjects for information on the content and form of this report.

• The self-organized work placement is intended to provide insights into areas of life and work that have no points of contact with the professional field of school.
• The work placement is required for the degree programs Teaching at Primary Schools (L1), Teaching at Secondary Schools and Realschulen (L2), Teaching at Grammar Schools (L3) and Teaching Special Needs Education with a focus on inclusion (L5). This does not apply to students studying to teach at elementary school and secondary modern schools who started their teacher training after 2014 and before 2023.
• This internship is not required for vocational and business education courses. Instead, company internships of 48 weeks are completed there.

• Service, processing, trading and production companies are recommended as internship locations.
• The duration of the internship is at least 8 weeks. The internship can also be divided into two parts, e.g. 4 weeks each at two different internship locations.

• The examination consists of the internship report. Instructions for writing the internship report can be found on the homepage of the Hessian Teachers' Academy.
• The internship certificate must also be submitted there by the time you register for the first state examination at the latest.
• The Hessian Teachers' Academy is also responsible for the recognition of the work placement.