Anyone have any experience with Teach For America? My son is thinking about doing this for awhile.
Thanks for your input. He wants to make some money and save to go to grad school to be a Russian Professor. I agree that making some money and putting in some time in a worthwhile public service opportunity makes more sense than jumping into major debt. I am worried about the learning to teach while teaching. He is an excellent student and I am hopeful he would be an excellent teacher!
If there is any need for a Russian interpreter/teacher out there, let me know!
My daughter is in a two year commitment. It is a great program but make sure he knows it isn't like the movies. It doesn't matter how amazing a teacher you are, if kids don't want to learn they won't learn.
I am a '99 corps member. It is a fantastic program that will allow your child to engage in meaningful public service. Teaching is the hardest job I ever had--and the most fulfilling. Also, in the event that your son decides to leave teaching after his commitment ends, TFA has partnrned with a lot of graduate programs and employers who give TFA alums preference in hiring and admission.
We had a group of TFA teachers at my daughter's middle school. They were the greatest group of young men and women. The enthusiasm and exuberance were inspiring and when teamed up with the experience of our veteran teachers the results are amazing.
I didn't do Teach For America myself, but I'm a teacher and I know a lot of people going through the program. Its a lot of work and very intense, but most people enjoy the program and build strong friendships. As I said, though, teaching is very hard work and even more so when you are simultaneously doing your certification and working with disadvantaged populations. People in Teach for America also do not have much in the way of choice for where they work.
If the program sounds good to him, then he should give it a try. If there are things about it he doesn't like (such as not choosing where he works) then he should be aware that there are other roads to certification. Charter schools can hire uncertified teachers, and many have their own certification programs. I can let you know more detail about some of the local charter schools that might be hiring, if you want to write to me privately.
It is a great program. I know 2 that have gone through it.
One young man, did do his 2 year commitment, in an inner-city school. Where once a real-loaded gun was found on property. BUT, because of that experience, he was looked at for a position of the private school where he and his siblings graduated. He taught 5th grade there for a couple of years and now is the middle school assistant athletic director and assistant college counselor. *This school is PS-12. I still get tickled when I to go meetings at school and he's there as an administrator, when I saw him grow up. ;)
Through Teach for America he met his lovely new bride. She is still with the program, but now in an administrative position.
