Teachers: NYC Teaching Fellows/Teach for America

I've been thinking of applying to NYC teaching fellows fo rthe midyear program, but then I saw a chat board for NYC teachers where they were sayong terrible things about fellows. I'm concerned about this. Has anyone been a fellow or worked with fellows? And does anyone know how it differs from TFA?

ETA: I've spoken to a lot of TFAs at Kaplan and other palcesd, and I've literally heard 50% "it's wonderful" and 50% "it's hell"

Message edited 6/16/2006 9:35:53 AM.

Re: Teachers: NYC Teaching Fellows

I had looked into it about 2-3 years ago. To say it was unorganized would be an understatement.

I decided to go the traditional route and went back to school. I am very grateful. Teaching is extremely hard, and no way would I have succeeded just being tossed in there. There is no student teaching, no observations, nothing with the Fellows. They literally just toss you in there.

Re: Teachers: NYC Teaching Fellows

Re: Teachers: NYC Teaching Fellows

There are quite a few fellows in my school, one of which is AMAZING! FM me if you have any questions.

Re: Teachers: NYC Teaching Fellows

TFA tends to be mostly people who go directly from their BA into teaching. They get a summerlong crash course and then take grad courses while going to school. Fellows tend to be people who have at least a few years in the work force. Some are quite a bit older- I know one woman in another school who's in her mid-50s. There's more diversity of experience among the fellows. They get a similar summer training and then go to grad school.

I think I know the chat board you were on- teachers.net? It got a little out of hand. I think it's all how you approach it. With the fellows and TFA teachers, I've found a good deal of arrogance among *some* of them. Like, they think their degree from a fancy school means that they need no help, feedback, etc. Those people also tend to be the ones who have their azzes handed to them by the kids VERY quickly. But I've also worked with Fellows and TFA people who were great- who knew that they had a lot to learn (as we all do- I have ten years and there's so much I don't know!).

One concern I'd have about the Fellows would be your placement and how much say you'd have- you could end up in a total zoo and there would not be a lot you could do. I don't know if they place you or you get to look at schools and interview. If I were you, that would be my biggest concern because when you're just starting out you need to be in a well-organized school that is under control. That's the make-or-break thing, I think.

Sorry this was so long but I hope it helps.

Re: Teachers: NYC Teaching Fellows

It defintiely helps. I've been thinking about NYCTF and TFA for a long time and one thing that has kept me from applying is that I could end up in a really bad school, and I don't know if I'm cut out for it. I did SAT tutoring for "high needs" kids in harlem, but it was a voluntary program and the kdis WANTED to be there, so it was drastically different. I'm so small, and I have a small voice. I don't know if I can be a disciplinarian, and I'd furthermore be afriad for my own safety. I started my application though. I dunno.

Re: Teachers: NYC Teaching Fellows

There are more decent schools I think- I think that while academics leave a lot to be desired, I think there are fewer truly crazy unsafe schools. They're still out there, but there are not as many.

Do you have a preference for elementary or middle? Maybe elementary school might be a good start. I have to say, I've had only good experiences with 5th graders, I'm sure 4th is similar, whereas I've found 7th to be rough.

ETA: I also don't think it's so much about being a disciplinarian- it's about being a manager, creating structure and predictability for them, and being clear about what you want them to do and how you want it done.

Message edited 6/15/2006 10:25:02 PM.

Re: Teachers: NYC Teaching Fellows

Message edited 6/16/2006 9:34:40 AM.

Re: Teachers: NYC Teaching Fellows/Teach for America

I teach the teaching fellows at Mercy College - I'll send you an FM about it later - but definitely think about it. The fellows generally end up in high needs positions (IE special ed) with very little training. The training they really need is done AFTER they've spent a year in the classroom and have become slightly jaded.
Educational goals tend, at that point, to take a back seat to classroom management issues.

I'll FM more later, meanwhile, if you have any questions feel free to FM me!

Re: Teachers: NYC Teaching Fellows/Teach for America

It's funny, I have heard the same reaction as you. I have 3 close friends who did it. 2 absolutely hated it, and 1 loved it.

Re: Teachers: NYC Teaching Fellows/Teach for America

I started my app, and I checked the boxes for ESL, Math, Science, and reluctantly, special ed.

I'm just afriad of teaching special ed w/o training. The only thing I didn't check was bilingual because I'm not fluent in spanish, but as far as I know you don't necc have to be bilingual for ESL.

I've gone back and forth about being a teacher for my whole life. When I was 4 I would setup all of my dolls and "teach" them "lessons", or I wold carry my doll around and teach him all dya , like why it's important to brush your teeth, why we eat vegetables, etc.

When I started college I planned to do an Ed program, and then it didn't happen, and then I planned to do TFA, City Year, or NYC TF. Then a lot of people REALLY discouraged me from teaching, and I found a new outlet for those abilities, whcih was directing, which I am also passionate about, and also feel I MUST do. But I could technically teach and do theatre in the summer. And TF is only for a few years. I'm relaly divided. throw myself into teaching, or throw myself into theatre. I love them both.

My feelings on teaching though, is that the point is to teach the most needy children. I feel like if I go the traditional route and then I look for the best district in the suburbs or teach at stuyvesant or something, I'll be more comfortable, maybe, but I'll be doing a disservice (I'm not saying this as a relfection on any other teacher, but just for ME). I just feel like I should be serving the neediest students. I worked for Kaplan for years, but the most fulfilling and meaningful thing was volunteering with another org. to help underserved students get into college. I'd really like to work toward closing the achievement gap.

An image that has stuck in my mind for along time now was during my first semester, maybe within the firts few weeks at stuyvesant, there was a huge protest in the lobby. Hundreds of parents, mostly, or all, black and hispanic were carrying signs and protesting that hardly any black and hispanic kids get into Stuy. A lot of kids were so callous and joked that those parents should go back to their jobs at McDonalds. I always felt the admissions process for Stuy was the msot fair since it was a test and therefore colorblind. Yet the school was 50% asian, 44% white and 6% "other". It defintiely wasn't the microcosm of the city that it should have been.

The parents were protesting that the exam was in "white english." I thought that was a stupid argument because it was standard american english and by 8th grade the kids should have learned it in school, so it made me realize that there is something going on in these schools that serve minorities that isnt teaching them the same skills that white and asian kids are getting, and THAT's the problem, not the test, not the elite school, not white english, but that these kids were underserved. And I've always wanted to do something about that.



OMG. I think I just inadvertently wrote my personal statement for my app. LOL

Re: Teachers: NYC Teaching Fellows/Teach for America

Re: Teachers: NYC Teaching Fellows/Teach for America

Thanks so much for the insights.

I know that the problem is so much bigger than one person, or one organization, but at the same time, I helped kids from harlem get into Cornell, and we ran parent education seminars that helped parents realize their kids could go to college. It's amazing how many parents don't know about or understand financial aid, and how many kids don't understand that their unique backgrounds and experiences make them appealing to colleges.

And if you don't want to change the world, then why are you a teacher? KWIM? Teaching isn't just another job. It's one of the toughest and also one of the most rewarding, but if you're not in it to help kids, even in a small way, then there's really no point.

I have literally one teaching credit. I took the LAST a few years ago and got a near perfect score. I haven;t taked the ATS-W yet. I have to study for that one because I didn't take ed courses in college.

I might uncheck special ed. My FMIL is a paraprofessional and works with special ed, and she has mostly kids with major behavioral problems and she's always getting hurt, threatened, etc.

Maybe I should stick to science.

Re: Teachers: NYC Teaching Fellows/Teach for America

There are science jobs out there, and there is a big need for ESL. I have been thinking about getting ESL certified myself, just to round out the trio (I have Literacy K-12 and English 7-12)

Re: Teachers: NYC Teaching Fellows/Teach for America

I need ed credits though, to begin teaching, right? If i don't do NYC TF or TFA, I'd have to go back to school?

Re: Teachers: NYC Teaching Fellows/Teach for America

Re: Teachers: NYC Teaching Fellows/Teach for America

I remeber when I started college I would be able to start with just a BA, but I know things have changed. I'll have to look it up more carefully. I'd def be willing to teach math or science, though I'm not sure how qualified I am.

Re: Teachers: NYC Teaching Fellows/Teach for America

You also might try called the UFT- they do a lot to help people get their paperwork and certifications.