The Lindblom Teacher Apprentice (LTA) Program was created to expose high school students to the craft of teaching and provide student leaders and role models in the classroom. The program pairs 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students with a practicing teacher so they can observe, support, and contribute to the classroom environment. Over the past seven years this program has grown from nine LTAs to over one hundred today. In the short term, this program has increased student voice in our curriculum and empowered students with essential communication and leadership skills. A long term goal is to encourage more students from diverse backgrounds to enter the teaching profession.
In addition to an overview of the program, this session will include examples of how LTAs have contributed to classrooms, evidence of the outcomes for both LTAs and mentors, and logistical information about how the program has been built and maintained over time.
Participants will learn about how a public high school in Chicago built a teacher apprentice program in order to empower student leaders and increase student voice in our classrooms.