Your Internship Year

An additional requirement to achieve your full teaching certification includes Internship Projects that you will submit to Texas Teachers. These projects encompass the learning objectives of a specific group of courses and are authentic assessments of the skills teachers must exhibit to be proficient in their field.

Click below to learn more about each project.

As you are now officially an Intern, you have successfully completed your Pre-Service Requirements. During your Internship Year, there are specific coursework and other requirements that must be met.  These requirements are driven by your admission date to Texas Teachers. Elective hours (determined by your certification area) are required to complete the fulfill the state-mandated, 300-hour requirement. For most certification areas, this is between 30 and 54 hours of electives.

During your Internship Year, you will be required to take one final state exam, the Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities (PPR) exam. All teachers in the state of Texas must pass this exam in order to become fully certified and receive their Standard Certificate.

This exam does not test you on knowledge in a particular content area, but rather addresses the theory of various aspects of teaching and what a first-year teacher should know. You will take the PPR exam once you have been hired and are teaching on the Intern Certificate.

Districts prefer you to have passed this test within your first semester for contract renewals. Putting off this exam could jeopardize your employment for the following school year. We recommend completing the online review within the first 3-4 months of teaching to ensure you stay on schedule.

To assist you in preparing for this exam, Texas Teachers provides a comprehensive online review. You will have access to this review through your Intern Portal, once you begin teaching. After you complete the online test review and pass the included practice exam, you will automatically be approved to take the PPR test (version # 160).

We strongly suggest that you use at least one other study resource to prepare for the exam. We’ve compiled a list of private test prep resources that offer additional study support. Texas Teachers is here to help you prepare and ensure that you are successful in passing this exam!

Texas Teachers will provide you with a Field Supervisor to support you in the classroom. Field Supervisors are experienced educators and administrators who will offer strategies and guidance to help you succeed in the classroom.

You receive a Field Supervisor once you are hired as the full time teacher of record. They will contact you to set up your first meeting and periodically visit your classroom to observe your teaching. You can rely on them for advice on how to handle all the aspects of being a teacher and work with them to improve your instructional skills.

We believe that providing you with consistent and positive support is one of the most important resources we offer. Texas Teachers and our Field Supervisors are there to help you in every way possible.

At the end of your Internship Year, your Field Supervisor and supervising campus administrator will submit a recommendation for your Standard Certificate. Although this is a necessary step to receiving your certification, no action is required on your part; Texas Teachers will handle everything for you!

At Texas Teachers we are proud of the personal commitment and relationship we have with each of our candidates and interns. Our relationship with you is founded on the basic principals of mutual respect, accountability and responsibility. As a teacher in the state of Texas, you are bound by the Educator’s Code of Ethics and Standards under Texas Administrative Code Title 19, Part 7, Chapter 247. As stated within, “the Texas educator, in maintaining the dignity of the profession, shall respect and obey the law, demonstrate personal integrity, and exemplify honesty.”

Click below to read more on the state’s Statement of Academic Integrity and the Educator’s Code of Ethics.