18 Middleton High School students took the Intro to Teaching and Education class this year – a year-long, dual-credit course with Madison College – that requires 50 hours of classroom observation.
“The students complete their observations at Kromrey, Northside, Elm Lawn and Sauk Trail,” said teacher Jen Mathison-Ohly. “Our elementary and middle school teachers graciously welcome them into their classrooms and provide wonderful mentorship to our students.”
Students get hands-on experience and a sense of what it’s like to be a teacher.
“It gave me valuable insight into how classrooms function behind the scenes,” said Middleton High School junior Yan Yang, who took the class. “I learned how to observe, watching for all the little actions teachers would take to manage their classrooms that I usually wouldn't notice.”
The class is meaningful for younger students too.
“The grade school students think it's pretty cool to have high school students helping out in their classrooms,” Mathison-Ohly said.
It’s the third year Middleton High School has offered the course.
“Many of the students that take the course want to go into teaching, or see what a job in education might look like, but some students take the class just to explore what it's like working with kids,” said Mathison-Ohly.
She said some students plan to go into nursing, the medical field, social work, counseling or physical therapy.
Yang plans to major in art education. She said the class can help students considering any career path that involves working with children.
“It can give you firsthand experience in how younger kids function and interact with each other,” Yange said. “Whether you want to be a teacher, psychologist, pediatrician, or social worker, this is truly a unique and amazing class.”
Middleton High School junior Calvin Klaeser, who took the class, agreed.
“The Intro to Teaching and Education class is so much more than getting an introduction,” Klaeser said. “I'd become a member of that community for the week or two I was with them, and that was my main reason to continue.”
“My favorite part of teaching this class is introducing students into the world of teaching and education, and then watching and learning from them as they develop as pre-teachers while observing and learning from students and mentor teachers throughout the district,” said Mathison-Ohly.
In the 2025-2026 school year, the Intro to Teaching and Education class will be integrated into Middleton High School’s Center for Advanced Professional Studies (CAPS) program. The program immerses students in a professional environment, where they get hands-on learning opportunities under the guidance of experienced mentors.
“The biggest change will be this class will now be a semester class offered over a double-block period, rather than a year-long class in a single block,” Mathison-Ohly said. “This change will give the high school students larger chunks of time to observe elementary students, resulting in even deeper learning and connections.”
Yang appreciated the opportunities this year’s class provided for connecting with younger students.
“Socializing with the students was the best part because I got to build connections with them while also helping with classwork and projects, which is something a teacher would do, just on a smaller scale,” Yang said.