In this more involved program, teachers are responsible for completing a project with their company, as well as developing lesson plans and revising curriculum. In addition to operating on a tight budget, recruiting teachers has been one of the greatest challenges of the program. However, businesses are eager to participate in the program because they can make a contribution to education in the community, and still receive a return on their investment through the completion of a teacher project. They sometimes prefer to host teachers as interns, before students, because they feel teacher internships will result in more systemic changes. Relationships between the school system and industry have been strengthened through these extended teacher internships.
Many students later perform internships or pursue employment with their teacher s former employer.
The interaction of these two programs demonstrates how one-day internships and more intensive teacher internship programs can support and strengthen one another through coexistence. Real World Mathematics , sponsored by New Visions for Public Schools in New York, New York, provides internships for approximately 50 middle and high school math teachers. The program strives to support teachers in learning math applications in the workplace and integrating these examples into their curriculum. Publications Finch, Curtis, B. June Schmidt, and Margaret Moore. Teacher Expertise and Professional Development Needs .