Educator externships are short, high-impact professional learning experiences that immerse teachers in real-world industry settings. By connecting educators directly with employers and workplace professionals, externships help teachers better understand the careers, skills, and industry expectations shaping today’s economy. Educators can then bring those insights back to the classroom through more relevant lessons, stronger career-connected learning, and clearer connections between academic content and economic opportunity.
This playbook is a helpful tool for chambers of commerce, school districts, employers, workforce organizations, and other local partners to design, launch, strengthen, and expand educator externship programs across Tennessee. It outlines practical goals, design principles, implementation steps, and examples that partners can adapt to local needs. The related resources below are intended to help communities move from interest to action by identifying the tools, templates, and guidance needed to build high-quality externship experiences.
Educator Externship Toolkit: Resources & Templates
- Business and Industry Partner Recruitment Overview
- Educator Recruitment Overview
- Educator Externship Application
- Educator Externship Agreement Form
- Business Host Agreement
- Educator Externship Orientation Agenda Template
- Sample Educator Question Bank
- Educator Extern Daily Journal Template
- Educator Externship Action Plan Template