Pre-Teaching

Internship Program

An HSTP
Lehman College Collaborative

Dr. Anne Rothstein, Director,
Dept. of School/College Collaboratives, Lehman College
Laura Tringali, Coordinator, DSCC
Maxine Johnson-Harris, Principal, High School for Teaching and the Professions
Pat France, Coordinator, HSTP

"Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life."
–Anonymous

Students ...
who pre-teach get to experience life "on the other side of the desk."

During the term they may:

Pre-teaching is for any student who:
  • loves to learn
  • enjoys helping people
  • has good grades and good attendance
  • is willing to be a role model for other students

Teachers ...
who work with the pre-teachers make everything possible! They are our "cooperating teachers."

Cooperating teachers
  • love kids
  • love teaching
  • love the subject they teach

A cooperating teacher’s role is to:
  • make the pre-teacher feel like a younger colleague
  • involve the pre-teacher in stand-up teaching as soon as possible
  • teach the pre-teacher about lesson planning
  • demonstrate some classroom management tricks
  • engender in the pre-teacher a respect for education and the teachers who provide it
  • enjoy the experience!

    • Teachers change lives.

      The Pre-Teaching Program has a long and distinguished history. It was born in the fall of 1984 right here on the Walton campus. Since its birth, the program has been recognized as "exemplary" and replicated throughout NY state and the nation.

Practical Matters ...

Teacher FAQs

How will I know what to do with my pre-teacher?
–Teaching pre-teachers is a lot like teaching swimming. You get them to the beach, lead them to the water, let them stick their toes in, get their feet wet, and then get them in the water. We give you a little guidebook that contains all the details you will need.

Will I be overwhelmed with paperwork?
–Absolutely not. You fill out a simple evaluation form early in the term and come up with a final grade for your pre-teacher (who gets academic credit for learning how to teach.)

Who can I go to if I have problems?
–Both coordinators (at HSTP and at Lehman College) stand ready to help at any time.

Student FAQs

Do I get extra credit?
–You get regular academic credit and may also be eligible to take college-credit-bearing education courses at Lehman College. These college courses are FREE and the credits are easily transferred to other colleges.

Are there a lot of after-school meetings?
–Usually there is only one, at the beginning of each term, to prepare you for the wonderful adventure that awaits you.

What about that journal I have to keep?
–Writing in a journal lets you share with the program coordinators what you’re doing and how you’re feeling. Journal contents are always confidential. Student journal writings are showcased at least twice a year in the program newsletter "Chalk Talk."

What if I have problems?
The coordinators are always there for you, both at your high school and at Lehman College.

"But I don’t want to be a teacher...."

Through pre-teaching, high school juniors and seniors gain experience teaching their favorite subjects with their favorite teachers.

Many pre-teachers enter the program with no desire to teach when they grow up. That’s okay. The skills needed to be a good teacher are the same ones needed for success in any career.

Think about it: Lawyers need to know how to research their cases and speak persuasively. Doctors need to relate to their patients and to make informed decisions. Professional athletes need self-discipline and dedication. Artists need to see a total picture and then present it so that others get it. Rappers need to be aware of the world around them and then to find the right words to tell their story. CEOs need to be highly organized and to master time management.

As Dr. Anne Rothstein, Director of Lehman College’s Center for School/College Collaboratives, points out, "Teaching is the essential profession, the one that makes all other professions possible. Without teachers, there would be no doctors or lawyers or engineers or writers."

Since teachers need to develop all these skills and abilities, the program has the potential to work for every student.

What people are saying:

from former pre-teachers

"It’s funny how much I brag about pre-teaching to security guards, my mom’s boss, and other outside people. I think I’ll get myself a t-shirt with capital letters ‘PRE-TEACHER and PROUD!"

"Pre-teaching has taught me how to behave in my other classes. I realize that when I am unprepared and unwilling to work, I’m making the teacher’s job more difficult."

"If I were to grade the Pre-Teaching Experience, I would give it an A+!"

from cooperating teachers

"First time cooperating teacher: I turn to erase the board, it’s done. I start to write the heading, it’s there. I’m about to distribute papers, she does it for me. I’m free to teach and in a short time, she can do that for me, too, if necessary. The enthusiasm, the help, the support my pre-teacher demonstrated with our students made me ready as a first-time cooperating teacher to repeat the experience again and again."

"As a cooperating teacher I see enthusiasm, determination, and perseverance in my pre-teachers. I see myself in them. They are full of the spirit, caring, and hope that make great teachers and I feel so proud of them and of a program that has the power to foster those qualities. Watching the pre-teachers reinforces my commitment to the profession and assures me that there’s nothing I would rather do."

Return to Home Page-Teaching & Professions
Return to Home Page - Center for School College Collaboratives
Return to Home Page - Pre-Teaching Academy
Return to Home Page - Lehman College

Last Updated Jan.12, 2006 by Roz Krakowsky
Disclaimer