WHAT: Pre-Service Training (PST) is an intensive summer training program that prepares you with the foundational skills necessary to be an effective teacher.
WHEN: June 9 - July 18, 2025
WHERE: The PATH School
You must be present in Indianapolis for the duration of PST, so be sure to check out the Relocation Guide to ensure you are planning for housing for the duration of PST. Marian will offer some short term housing options and financial aid may be available to you for housing through Marian. If you are interested in learning more about housing opportunities at Marian, we should be getting information about this in March. In the meantime, please contact housing@marian.edu.
You must have a laptop or device with Microsoft Word for the duration of PST. This device is critical to your success during training. You should also purchase an adapter for your computer that will allow your computer to project to HDMI and VGA.
There are several costs associated with Pre-Service Training, so be sure you are planning for daily meals, a $65 CPR class, and any supplies you envision needing for your summer school classroom.
Before you begin teaching summer school, we’ll send you the Pre-Service Training Handbook to help you make the most of your summer training experience. The Handbook will also include more more comprehensive information about Marian University, including details about tuition, certification requirements, yearlong training, and ACE.
Indianapolis Teaching Fellows will hold orientation the first day of PST. At orientation, you will learn more about teaching and living in Indianapolis, effective instructional strategies, and the education landscape in Indianapolis. There will also be several opportunities for you to meet members of the cohort, alumni, staff, and other individuals working to achieve educational equity for all kids in Indianapolis.
This summer, you’ll begin your commitment with a rigorous training program that is centered on field experience - daily teaching. You will study proven teaching techniques that great teachers use every day to advance student learning and can expect to practice these techniques intensively, both with peers and with real students in summer school classrooms.
Rather than overwhelming you with training that is a mile wide but an inch deep, our instructors and coaches will prepare you to teach by focusing first on mastery of foundational teaching skills before shifting to more advanced practices.
Outstanding local teachers will prepare you to manage a classroom, to deliver the content your students must learn, and to keep students focused on meeting high academic expectations. You must demonstrate proficiency in these fundamental skills by the end of pre-service training to earn teaching eligibility for the fall.
Our training is tough. But that’s because we know that teacher quality is the most important factor in raising student achievement, and only individuals with clear potential to be successful new teachers should earn the privilege of entering the classroom. By holding a high bar and helping you to meet it, we ensure that Indiana students get the great teachers they need and deserve.
Our training incorporates techniques drawn from the classrooms of some of America’s most successful teachers – strategies that typically take new teachers years to learn. Two practice examples are provided below:
Pre-service training is a full-time commitment, running from approximately 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM each weekday. The program is extremely demanding and does not allow for absences.
Fellows often find that the training schedule is too intense for them to hold a separate job during the training period.
Check here regularly for details including dates and schedules. A sample training day schedule is shown below.
Morning Prep and Huddle 7:30 - 7:55am
Field Experience (Teaching) 8:00am - 12:00pm
Scholars' Lunch 12:00 - 12:45 pm
Coaching Groups 1:00 - 1:30 pm
ITF Training Session 1:30 - 2:45 pm
ITF Training Session 2:45 - 4:00 pm
Beginning in pre-service training and continuing through your first year of teaching, your coaches will be your most critical line of support as you apply lessons from training sessions with students in your classroom. All coaches are experienced, local teachers with a track record of raising achievement in challenging classrooms.
Our coaches will observe you regularly in your classroom, providing real-time guidance to improve your teaching. After class, you will meet to debrief and discuss concrete strategies you can apply in future lessons. Coaches will also pull you into small skill-building sessions to address your high-priority development needs.
Our desire is to help you develop the skills to identify opportunities for growth in your teaching practice. Whether working through lesson planning or striving to improve your classroom management skills, your coach will focus their expertise on helping you quickly get up to speed in that area. This rich feedback and personalized support will help you grow quickly into an amazing teacher.
As you prepare to embark on your career as a teacher, once you secure a position, you can look forward to a competitive salary and excellent benefits. Prior to that, making the transition into the classroom requires careful and proactive financial planning for many candidates. This includes being prepared to manage 2-3 months without income. We encourage you to plan carefully to save for your living expenses during pre-service training, particularly since your first paycheck after you begin teaching may not be distributed until several weeks into the school year. Budgeting Resources
Indianapolis Teaching Fellows does not provide housing during pre-service training. You are responsible for securing and paying for your own living expenses during pre-service training and the school year. Housing/Relocation Resources