kaitykait: porchhag: I have a lot of issues with Teach for America : a) under-prepared teachers sent into high-needs areas b) little support/ mentoring offered while in the classroom c) the “Great White Hope” aspect of the whole program c) the assumption that teaching is a temporary job before they start their “real” careers, which does little to add to the professional respect given to my chosen (and permanent) career. But I agree with Joe Klein here, so it gets a reblog. ^ Agreed! Honestly, when I saw this I thought it was an ad AGAINST Teach for America, because that’s just it - they’re sending ill-prepared first-time teachers into the hardest-hit areas. I have a lot of issues with this program, most of which were hit on above. My biggest personal problem is the last one. I’ve seen several acquaintances/friends on Facebook talking about interviewing lately, and it makes me pretty upset. If you actually wanted to be a teacher, you would have majored in it like I did. You would actually want to take the time to learn as much as you can about pedagogy and classroom management and effective strategies. How can you, with maybe six weeks of rushed training, be able to help students that I, with five years of classes before certification, may still struggle to help succeed? Teaching isn’t just a resume builder to make you feel selfless and help you get into law school in a couple years. By continually throwing in new uncertified teachers each year into many districts that do not even have a shortage, you are effectively cheapening and lessening REAL teachers’ careers. I go to Michigan State University, which has been #1 in the country for our graduate programs in both elementary and secondary education for the past seventeen years. This is primarily because of our “fifth year internship” (aka student teaching) completed after graduation which leads to our certification. On top of this year-long student teaching, we also have field placements right from the beginning of our program - freshman and sophomores in introductory courses spend two hours a week in the classroom and it gradually builds on. As a senior, I spend three half-days of the week in the field. This time in the field is probably equally important to the strenuous courses I’ve been taking (it’s not uncommon to turn in a 30 or 40 page project - my longest was 107 pages of research, findings, and appendixes). Both first-hand experience and education actually do mean something. I just don’t understand how someone with none of these experiences can have the power to take a potential job away from me when I’ve worked so hard. It’s unsettling. Just wondering… Are you planning on taking your top-tier Master’s degree and teaching in low-income inner-city schools? If you are, you have every single right to say what you say. If you are not, first of all, I don’t blame you. As the system stands, inner-city kids to not require teachers. Very many times, they first require someone to feed them, house them, let them take a nap, get them changes of clothes, explicitly teach them emotional, social, and behavior skills, and spend every last minute thinking about how to make a day logistically smooth.  And then you get to teach. As the system stands, it is not worth spending tens of thousands of dollars on a great education then go spend every spare minute and every spare dollar on kids who will just call you a b*** for a solid semester. As the system stands, a lot of hard work and persistence and make-it-work-ness will take you about as far as you need to go in these settings. And that is perfect for young 20-somethings with no one to take care of but themselves..and now, their students. If you’re not planning on taking your top-tier education to educate the kids with the greatest challenges, then you can’t really fault TFA for trying. I’ll be the first to admit that it has faults and things to work on, and I’ll be the first to say that two-and-done is not ideal in the least, but again, as the system stands, there are so many problems that can’t be changed by teachers. So, a lot of people move on and become policy makers, lawyers, doctors, etc.—agents for change in areas that directly or indirectly involve education. A lot of people don’t. But a lot of people do. It’s one approach to ending this problem.  And one approach to TFA you should try out—aren’t we all in this together?

kaitykait:

porchhag:

I have a lot of issues with Teach for America :

a) under-prepared teachers sent into high-needs areas

b) little support/ mentoring offered while in the classroom

c) the “Great White Hope” aspect of the whole program

c) the assumption that teaching is a temporary job before they start their “real” careers, which does little to add to the professional respect given to my chosen (and permanent) career.

But I agree with Joe Klein here, so it gets a reblog.

^ Agreed!

Honestly, when I saw this I thought it was an ad AGAINST Teach for America, because that’s just it - they’re sending ill-prepared first-time teachers into the hardest-hit areas.

I have a lot of issues with this program, most of which were hit on above. My biggest personal problem is the last one. I’ve seen several acquaintances/friends on Facebook talking about interviewing lately, and it makes me pretty upset. If you actually wanted to be a teacher, you would have majored in it like I did. You would actually want to take the time to learn as much as you can about pedagogy and classroom management and effective strategies. How can you, with maybe six weeks of rushed training, be able to help students that I, with five years of classes before certification, may still struggle to help succeed?

Teaching isn’t just a resume builder to make you feel selfless and help you get into law school in a couple years. By continually throwing in new uncertified teachers each year into many districts that do not even have a shortage, you are effectively cheapening and lessening REAL teachers’ careers.

I go to Michigan State University, which has been #1 in the country for our graduate programs in both elementary and secondary education for the past seventeen years. This is primarily because of our “fifth year internship” (aka student teaching) completed after graduation which leads to our certification. On top of this year-long student teaching, we also have field placements right from the beginning of our program - freshman and sophomores in introductory courses spend two hours a week in the classroom and it gradually builds on. As a senior, I spend three half-days of the week in the field. This time in the field is probably equally important to the strenuous courses I’ve been taking (it’s not uncommon to turn in a 30 or 40 page project - my longest was 107 pages of research, findings, and appendixes). Both first-hand experience and education actually do mean something.

I just don’t understand how someone with none of these experiences can have the power to take a potential job away from me when I’ve worked so hard. It’s unsettling.

Just wondering…

Are you planning on taking your top-tier Master’s degree and teaching in low-income inner-city schools? If you are, you have every single right to say what you say.

If you are not, first of all, I don’t blame you. As the system stands, inner-city kids to not require teachers. Very many times, they first require someone to feed them, house them, let them take a nap, get them changes of clothes, explicitly teach them emotional, social, and behavior skills, and spend every last minute thinking about how to make a day logistically smooth.  And then you get to teach. As the system stands, it is not worth spending tens of thousands of dollars on a great education then go spend every spare minute and every spare dollar on kids who will just call you a b*** for a solid semester. As the system stands, a lot of hard work and persistence and make-it-work-ness will take you about as far as you need to go in these settings. And that is perfect for young 20-somethings with no one to take care of but themselves..and now, their students.

If you’re not planning on taking your top-tier education to educate the kids with the greatest challenges, then you can’t really fault TFA for trying. I’ll be the first to admit that it has faults and things to work on, and I’ll be the first to say that two-and-done is not ideal in the least, but again, as the system stands, there are so many problems that can’t be changed by teachers. So, a lot of people move on and become policy makers, lawyers, doctors, etc.—agents for change in areas that directly or indirectly involve education. A lot of people don’t. But a lot of people do. It’s one approach to ending this problem. 

And one approach to TFA you should try out—aren’t we all in this together?

Source: ljuve
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