From Student to Intern: My Teaching Internship Experience

My department instructed all the students to complete an internship as part of our academic requirement. Since we were asked to finish this internship during our semester holidays after the fourth semester, I chose to do my internship in the primary school where I completed my primary education from class one to class five. Returning to the same place as an intern felt very special to me because it brought back many old memories and at the same time gave me a chance to understand how a school functions from a teacher’s side. From the first day itself, I felt proud that I got an opportunity to learn and work in the school that shaped my early years.

During these twenty days, I experienced and understood many things about teaching, handling students, preparing lessons, classroom management, and maintaining discipline. As an intern, my role was to observe, learn, assist, support, and try some tasks on my own. This experience helped me see how much responsibility a teacher carries every single day.

I spent most of my time inside the classroom, helping the class teacher with different activities. I observed how she started the class, how she greeted the students, and how she managed them patiently. I learned how to make students listen through kindness and clear instructions. Later, I understood that teaching is not only about explaining lessons but also about understanding the minds of young children.

Throughout the internship, I prepared lessons, wrote notes, corrected books, arranged materials for activities, prepared small assessments, and assisted students who needed extra help. I also organised the classroom, distributed worksheets, checked homework, and supported the teacher during classwork. In addition to this, I used PowerPoint presentations to teach simple topics, showed educational videos through the smart class to make learning interesting for the students, and used flashcards to improve their reading and word-recognition practice. I also prepared simple charts for classroom display, guided students during group learning activities, conducted short reading practice sessions, and used digital resources to explain certain concepts in an easy way. These small tasks made me realise how much background work is needed before entering the classroom. A teacher has to plan everything properly so that the class goes smoothly. I learned that preparation is one of the most important parts of teaching.

I also got the chance to interact with students during their free time, lunch breaks, and activity periods. They asked me many doubts. I listened to them patiently and guided them whenever I could. Sometimes, I helped students arrange their notebooks, taught them small rhymes when they asked, and helped a few children complete their pending classwork. This helped me develop confidence in handling young children. It also made me feel responsible because they looked up to me as an elder who could help them. Their innocence and energy made every day enjoyable.

The teachers in the school were very supportive. They guided me whenever I had doubts and appreciated my efforts. They shared their experience with me and told me how teaching is a profession that requires patience, dedication, and love. Listening to them helped me understand the real meaning of being an educator. Their encouragement made me feel more confident in my abilities as an intern.

As the days went by, I became more comfortable with the routine. I learned to manage time properly, handle multiple tasks. I also learned how important it is to observe each child individually because every child has a different learning speed and behaviour. This understanding helped me become more sensitive and careful in dealing with students.

This internship also taught me the importance of discipline, punctuality, and responsibility. As an intern, I tried my best to follow these qualities so that the students would learn from my behaviour as well. Overall, this twenty-day teaching internship was a wonderful and meaningful experience for me. It gave me practical knowledge that I could never learn only from books. It made me appreciate teachers on a deeper level because I saw how much effort is needed to guide young children. Working in the same school where I studied in my childhood made the experience even more emotional and memorable. I feel proud that I completed my internship successfully, and I am grateful for everything I learned during this period. This internship has given me confidence, clarity, and a strong understanding of what teaching truly means.