<p>My daughter is applying early action, and hopes to be able to compete for the Teaching Fellows program. Can anyone with experience with this program share their thoughts on its usefulness and enhancement of the educational experience? Do the fellows room together, take special courses, or is it mostly sharing of out-of-school experiences (like the bus tour)?</p>
<p>Also, what was the Fellows weekend like? Group or individual interviews? Essay questions? Stress or fun?</p>
<p>I can’t comment about the Teaching Fellows Program specifically, but I can speak to the Fellows weekend.</p>
<p>It was quite an experience and really sold my daughter on Elon. There were over 200 applicants present for all of the fellows positions. They had some general meetings and then we broke up into the specific groups. I believe they all had an individual interview. The honors fellows also attended a mock class and had to write a brief essay regarding their thoughts on the class. There was also a nice meet and greet social gathering at night to meet and chat with present fellows which was very informative.</p>
<p>Overall I would say it was mostly fun with a bit of stress thrown in from the interview and essay writing.</p>
<p>My S interviewed for the Teaching Fellows, but was not chosen. We were disappointed at first, but I can now see that it would not have been the right path for him. Teaching fellows do not live together, but they do spend a fair amount of time together as a cohort. They don’t take any special classes, but they do have additional opportunities to attend outside activities such as education-related lectures and conferences. They will also be grouped together for their first semester Elon 101 course. I don’t have any specific insider knowledge of the program, but every fellow we met during fellows week-end seemed to be very enthusiastic about it. Most of the teaching fellows are female, and a majority are elementary ed majors. I think this is where my son would have felt some disconnect with the group; too many girls (if that’s possible!) and too much focus on early education (he wants to teach at the high school level.) He also wasn’t wild about being locked into the junior year J-term study abroad programs, as he prefers to do a program that fits within his major. However, the teaching fellows we met all raved about their study abroad experiences.</p>
<p>Fellows week-end is fun and not overly stressful. There was a social with the Teaching Fellows program leaders (professors and Dean) and current fellows on Friday night, and a one-on-one interview with a professor (outside of the education dept.) on Saturday. The candidates also sat in on a mock class and had to write a reaction essay. We were actually surprised that S wasn’t selected, as there were only 4 guys in the group of 40+ candidates. We know he had a good interview, because the professor came out and spoke with us after they were finished, and she gushed about what a great conversation they had and how it was so evident that he was meant to be a teacher. I think it was the Friday night social that killed it for him; he is not real comfortable in that type of networking situation and he probably didn’t exhibit a real passion for being selected (ie, he didn’t schmooze enough or ask enough questions about the program.) And it’s true, he wasn’t passionate about being selected - so they must have sensed that from him. But just know that if your D is selected to interview, that she should be prepared to make the most of the meet 'n greet reception. </p>
<p>If your D attends Fellows Week-end, it will be in place of attending one of the two accepted students week-ends (and it is earlier than the other 2.) Fellows candidates miss out on a few things because of that (like getting their ID card), but nothing major. What really surprised us was how many of the fellows candidates were not fully committed to Elon, and how much “selling” of the school there would be during the programming. Since S was an ED admit, this was a bit superfluous for us. (his status as an ED admit may have also hurt his chances of being selected, as it was pretty clear that they were using this program to help lure the bright stars to Elon.) But as is typical of Elon, the week-end was very well organized and well worth the time and trip. There were a number of parent programs planned while the kids were interviewing and attending class, and there were opportunities to socialize as well (S went out to dinner with a bunch of kids that hooked up through facebook.) </p>
<p>My S is independent and likes to forge his own path and pursue a variety of passions and interests, which is why we can now see that he wouldn’t enjoy being locked into this particular group and program over the course of the four years. But as I said, all the fellows we met seemed to be highly enthusiastic about the experience. I would also note that Elon offers many opportunities for non-fellows to be engaged in their field of studies, and a student does not have to be a fellow to reap the benefits of engaged and experiential learning. Sometimes that is hard to remember when the school is promoting all the attributes of the Fellows Programs.</p>
<p>Good luck to your D!</p>
<p>Great info!</p>
<p>I would only add that I did not feel the social meet and greet played any role in the selection process. We never felt like my daughter was being evaluated in that setting. It was merely an informal opportunity to chat with the other Honors Fellows about their experience. Perhaps the Teaching Fellows social is different.</p>
<p>I would agree that “enthusiasm” was the common thread among the students we met. While I would not describe my daughter that way, she is getting there.</p>
<p>You are right mnm, the social was lovely and informal, and I actually have no idea if it has any bearing on the selection process. Either way, I still suggest that students make the most of that opportunity to learn more about the fellows program they are interviewing for. I think S came away from that evening questioning if it was right for him based on what he heard and saw. Ironically, I think it was all the “enthusiasm” that gave him pause…</p>
<p>As in any admissions decision, it’s often hard to know what the selection criteria is. My advise is to enjoy the process and trust that it will all work out for the best.</p>
<p>JohninPA</p>
<p>My D is a Teaching Fellow!!! She LOVES it! She is majoring in Elementary Ed with a double minor in Psychology and Poverty & Social Justice. The program is just wonderful in terms of enhancing their education. In all of our research and comparing programs at other schools, the Elon Teaching Fellows program hands down is superior to other education/teaching programs. Her cohort (She’s a sophomore) has a great mix of students pursing all different areas of study (elementary, middle, high school and several doing special ed. or foreign language) They do not room or live together although many of them end up that way by choice. They are required to have so many tutoring hours per semester starting the spring of their Freshman year and many of the education classes require off campus teaching. If your daughter gets into this program I recommend you allow her to have her car on campus because it was difficult for those who didn’t to depend on others for rides to the local schools. Each month the Fellows are required to participate in on campus events and convocations. This is an excellent way for them to be part of campus life while fulfilling their fellows requirements. They also get to attend socials and team building functions. Their Freshman year they are treated to a nice dress up dinner with all of the faculty in the education department. Each Freshman Fellow is given a sophomore and a junior mentor. This year the fellows, in conjunction with the Business Fellows all took the LEAP class together. They went on a retreat together which was followed up with a one hour class for the 2nd half of the semester. The History Study Tour winter term of Freshman year was amazing; one of the best trips my daughter has ever taken. She will be taking a class on campus for winter term this year and then leaving for Costa Rica March 2 where she will spend the semester teaching in a local school and taking classes at the University. Honestly, I highly recommend it and believe it is one of Elon’s flagship programs. I would be happy to answer any other questions you have.</p>
<p>John, Clara has given you an excellent look into the teaching fellows program! I must say that her remarks definitely reflect what we heard from the teaching fellows we met, tons of enthusiasm about the program and the study abroad trips. I think this is testimony that Elon doesn’t just talk the talk, but it walks the walk too. I would add that anyone in the education program will benefit from a car starting sophomore year; my S is currently going 2x/week to a local high school for one of his education classes (1st semester sophomore yr.)</p>
<p>Wow, can 50 somethings apply? </p>
<p>The amount of classroom hands-on experience sounds amazing. My daughter intends to major in math, and dual major or minor in education, to train for teaching math in high school. Any thoughts on Elon’s math department?</p>
<p>If your D plans to major in education and is a Teaching Fellow don’t wait till sophomore year for the vehicle. 2nd semester Freshman year my D had 50 hours of classroom time! That was between a math education class, her teaching fellows hours and another required education class. She was going 3 times a week. I have not seen another program out there that puts their freshman in the classroom! Elon definitely has the premier education program.</p>
<p>Around here at least, high school teachers are encouraged to get their college degree in their substantive area of choice (math, in my daughter’s case), and merely pursue a teaching certification, or obtain a masters in education. </p>
<p>It appears that at Elon, Teaching Fellows must major in education, and so this plan would not be an option (nor would it provide her with the early teaching experiences she desires). Yet, dual majors in education and math sounds quite challenging, especially with the teaching time that Elon provides for and expects from its future teachers. </p>
<p>Any thoughts?</p>
<p>When we were doing college searches, some of the LAC’s (Centre College was one), didn’t even offer a BA in education. They did just what you said . . .a major in your content area with a minor in education and then they had a cooperative program with Vanderbilt to go to Peabody College for 1 year to finish coursework for a master’s and obtain teaching certification. Their reasoning was that the education majors were missing out on the broad based Liberal Arts education. I loved that idea in theory, but you have to weigh it against the additional cost of a year of graduate school and the hardship of paying off those loans on a beginning teacher’s salary, not to mention the fact that schools don’t generally like to hire new teachers with master’s degrees because they cost so much more. </p>
<p>My daughter is also considering secondary teaching in math/education, and in order to do that, you don’t have room for much else in your schedule. But, for students who know what they want to do, it’s worth it to get that degree in 4 years, and Elon’s education program is impressive.</p>
<p>JohinPA - At Elon, those that want to teach at the high school level combine their major with “teacher licensure”, which provides the necessary education courses to be certified to teach at the HS level (including a semester of student teaching.) There is no Education major or minor for those pursuing secondary certification. This does not preclude a student from being considered for Teaching Fellows. Clara may be able to provide more specifics, but I think a Teaching Fellow with a major outside of Education would not have room in their schedule for outside electives beyond general core requirements, and even those would have to be carefully planned. My S was more interested in exploring a variety of liberal arts classes during his first few semesters, before getting into his education courses. As a fellow, I don’t think he would have been able to take some of the courses outside of his major which he has really enjoyed. It sounds like your daughter is eager to jump into the education program and would embrace the wonderful opportunities provided by the Teaching Fellows program. You may want to suggest to your D that she contact the teaching licensure program coordinator in the Math Dept. to get more information about course mapping over the four years and how that would be affected if your D was invited to be a Fellow. We actually met with the coordinator in the History Dept. during a campus visit, and it was very helpful.</p>
<p>My d was invited to apply for both the Leadership Fellow and the Arts and Sciences Fellow programs. She submitted everything, but we haven’t heard back yet, other than that her applications were complete. Anyone know when we might hear if she was selected for the interview process? And if she was selected, is there anything she can do to prepare? Should she bring additional letters of recommendation that are targeted toward the program and/or press clippings regarding some of her accomplishments? She is not yet 100% committed to Elon, so I hope she will get a chance to go interview, meet other prospective students, faculty etc.</p>
<p>We heard that students who are selected to be finalists, and thus invited down for Fellows Weekend, will be notified roughly one month before the weekend (the second weekend in March). So, that would mean notification in early February. </p>