The student teaching process may have features which actually interfere with the processes of learning. Many student teachers revealed in interviews that they went through humiliation, trauma, and disenchantment with teaching in their interactions with cooperating teachers, with other school personnel, and with children in the student teaching experience. This psychological turmoil is parallel to Van Gennep's theory of transition (THE RITES OF PASSAGE) in which drastic change in social status is handled in a three-phased way: separation from the previous context (the sense of disenchantment and loss of idealism shown by student teachers), transformation of individual social attributes and behavior (the adoption of new priorities by the student teacher), and reincorporation of individuals into the social group (the graduation to the teaching profession of the student teacher). A harsh induction into a new role may submerge the idealism of a student, or it may force his acceptance of a new reality (a coming to terms with the mythology in his beliefs) leading to his acceptance of new, more pragmatic beliefs. A study should be made to determine how damaging this transitional period is to the indoctrination which has taken place in teacher training colleges. (SM)