The role of the internship in the reconstruction of professional identity

Starting from the concept of identity, we reflect on the teaching identity and its articulation with the process of learning to be a teacher, embodied in the professional internship, the object of multiple perspectives, which are explored in their evolution throughout the professional experience of six former interns. The commitment to professional identity was rebuilt through actions, values and dispositions to learn, always in an attitude of reflection-action, to which the intervention of the cooperating teacher within the community of practice greatly contributed. The personal and professional development of the new teachers had a solid and consistent start, which proved to be proficient for the exercise of the profession in other contexts. During the internship, conditions must be met to provide trainees with emotional support (proximity or scaffolding measure) and to promote the achievement of growing autonomy (distancing or fading measure). Only in this way will trainees be able to properly prepare themselves for the difficulties and uncertainties of the profession, demonstrating the capacity for agency to intervene in the context and promote transformation.