Register now: ALSO - Alternative Teaching Internship in the school year 2026/27

Teacher training students can now register for the upcoming 2026/27 school year in the OPAL course ALSO - Alternative Teaching Internship East Saxony. Registration for the cross-semester course is possible until May 15, 2026. As in previous years, the internship is expected to begin after the fall break.

The alternative teaching internship at selected schools in Eastern Saxony (ALSO) was launched at TU Dresden in summer 2024 with 13 future teachers at two schools as a project to test a better theoretical-practical link in the teacher training program. In the 2024/25 school year, 44 students traveled to a school in Neusalza-Spremberg, Görlitz, Zittau or Löbau every Friday after the autumn vacations and accompanied a school class in a team of four for a whole day of learning. In the current school year 2025/26, 116 TU Dresden students are gaining early practical experience at 15 schools in rural areas. On the project website for the semester-accompanying teaching internship you will find all the details on enrollment and the course of the project so far.
In various lectures at the beginning of the semester, interested students can gain an overview of the process and the modalities in the 2026/27 school year.

During the semester-accompanying internship, participating students can grow into the role of teacher and learning guide and are supported in their professionalization through events at TU Dresden. In addition to an accompanying seminar, this includes peer-to-peer counseling.

During the semester-accompanying A internship, the teachers in training do not hold subject lessons, but support the students with additional learning opportunities in smaller learning groups. Content includes, for example, reading promotion, project work or independent work in so-called learning offices. In the 2026/27 school year, the B internship is also possible in an extended period over almost an entire school year. As with the classic block internship B, the focus here is on teaching subject content.

In the ALSO alternative teaching internship, students benefit from the experience gained with the semester-long internship at Dresden University School, made possible by its status as a school trial. Prof. Anke Langner is continuously developing the format together with the students, participating schools and partner organizations at administrative level to improve the link between theory and practice early on in the course.

Internship A always on Fridays - That's why I'm here!

© Pixabay / Analogicus

"I do 3 hours of work experience one day a week and the other 3 hours are paid work." | Philip, participant in the pilot project (May-June 2024) at the Richard-von-Schlieben secondary school in Zittau

© PantherMedia / Andriy Popov

"I can cope with my seminar work easily and continuously, because I'm always at school on Fridays throughout the school year instead of doing a block internship of 4-6 weeks in September or March." | Olivia, participant in the pilot project (May-June 2024) at the Richard-von-Schlieben secondary school in Zittau

© PantherMedia / Fabrice Michaudeau

"I don't write a long internship report, but a 2-page internship reflection together with a dialogically accompanied reflection throughout the placement period." | Anna, participant in the pilot project (May-June 2024) at the Bruno-Bürgel-Oberschule in Weißwasser

© Stadt Görlitz / Martin Langhorst

"I get free accommodation near the school. This means I can prepare together with my class team the evening before and I don't have to be on the train at 4 a.m." | Marla, participant in the pilot project (May-June 2024) at the Richard-von-Schlieben secondary school in Zittau

© PantherMedia / Yuri Arcurs

"In well-equipped schools, I work together with enthusiastic teachers and pupils. It's great fun." | Laura, participant in the pilot project (May-June 2024) at the Richard-von-Schlieben secondary school in Zittau

© Kreiselternrat Görlitz

The project to improve the link between theory and practice is supported by the Görlitz District Parents' Council and numerous stakeholders in eastern Saxony. Read more

About the University School Dresden

Dresden University School is a joint project of the state capital of Dresden and the TUD Dresden University of Technology. It is a public and free community school run by the city, where innovative forms of teaching and learning are tested under academic supervision. In addition, it is a training school for future teachers and, in the future, a further education school for teachers. The school trial is being scientifically supported by the ForUS research center at TU Dresden.

Information on the research project at TU Dresden: https: //tu-dresden.de/gsw/unischule
Information on the Dresden University School: http://universitaetsschule.org

You can find insights into the research project and everyday school life on various social media channels under @unischuleTUD: Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn. News from the University School Dresden project can be found regularly in the GSW newsletter.