I got in!
I got in as well and got my top choices!!! OKC and elementary.
ESL! But still don’t have an age range. ESL/ELL/TESOL is only 2 or 3 main age ranges though (K-6 7-12 and adult).
I’ll be in San Jose teaching Special Education
I got in but my subject says students… does anyone know what that means or if that is a typo? congras everyone. anyone else in mississippi arkansas ?
I’ll be teaching Pre-K in NYC
Soooo, for anyone who didn’t get into TFA, what are your plans now?
I just signed up for my interview, anyone else interviewing in North Carolina?
I just applied for the most recent deadline, and got invited to an interview. I got an email from a recruiter about setting up a 30-minute meeting with an alumni/recruiter. Right now I’m torn between doing a virtual interview or an in-person interview. I’m relocating to NYC because my fiancé lives there, and he refuses to leave the city. I’m from the Midwest. Coincidentally, I’ll be in NYC Nov 8-12 (when interviews are held). Is there any benefit to interviewing in the city I’d like to teach in/that’s my #1 choice? I feel the virtual interview is less intimidating. Also, did everyone get the recruiter email? Do they only send that email to certain applicants? Thoughts anyone?
@elydawn19 I was really, really glad I did the in-person interview. The 5 minute lesson was much easier to facilitate with in-person participants.
Also recruiters generally reach out to everyone. It’s a great way to chat with someone and get some questions answered!
@elydawn19 I definitely recommend doing it in person, if you can! I honestly felt less nervous once I got there and met everyone. They were all super supportive and engaged in everyone’s lesson, so I went from being super nervous to actually enjoying the teaching lesson.
Is there any real benefit to interviewing in NYC since that’s my #1 choice / my fiancé refuses to leave? I come back home on the 12th, so I’d still have time to interview in person on the 13th.
I’d also like to ask, can I increase my placement chances in NYC if I list my preferred teaching subject/grade levels which are high-need subjects in that area? I’m super interested in ESL and SPED, all grade levels.
@elydawn19 I doubt that interviewing in NYC is going to increase your chances of getting NYC. Also, you are not guaranteed to be qualified to teach a subject you want in a state/region, nor are the subjects available to you (on the map) the ones that you are GOING to teach. It’s up to schools and districts and their shortages.
Also note that NYC is a big big big city with many universities, colleges, and TFA headquarters. If you need to move to NYC for your fiancé (you are going to get married, so it’s a big commitment), then you’d put NYC as a special circumstance and explain that it’s where your fiancé lives and works.
They typically honor special circumstances. I got mine (but also I am in a high-needs region).
I have a question for all of you applying to or accepted to TFA…As I begin to explore career paths and was looking at TFA bc of positive things I had heard of - from recruiter at my school and some alum of TIA Im coming across so much HATE of TFA and anger towards it/warnings against being fooled into wanting to be in it…do you all not believe the criticism - some sounds legit - is 2 years in and out a help to kids? are ppl just in it for their grad school resume? some criticism- like TFA teachers take jobs from union established teachers I don’t agree w/ bc I think unions are a problem in keeping some bad teachers employed…but the debate and rage has made me question my desire to go for a job w/TFA - it is so hard to get - but do I want it?
@444444 I read a lot of similar stuff in between the time I decided to apply and the time that I accepted. I also spoke with numerous TFA alumni. Each of them confirmed that there is definitely some animosity toward TFA teachers because they didn’t have that “right of passage” in going to school for education/student teaching/put in the work for it. Many view it as a quick easy way into education. And honestly, it is, but that’s why I’m doing it (I can’t afford to quit working full time to student teach). I also read the argument about it taking away jobs from other teachers, but the thing is that TFA members go into the rough districts. The districts that often times have difficulties hiring and maintaining teachers because of the low performance and other issues. So, I don’t personally view TFA as a negative there because we are guaranteeing someone will be there for those kiddos for at least two years, which is a lot more than some teachers put in. I’m not saying TFA is perfect by any means. I have read and heard from alumni that support from TFA is scarce and you do kinda get thrown to the wolves. But, I think TFA is an important program that helps so many. Because it is not traditional and because of the way teachers are generally represented and treated, I am not surprised that there is so much hate for TFA out there. Take it into consideration, but don’t let it make the decision for you. Good luck!
I heard of the criticism against TFA before and the reason I was skeptical and didn’t apply right away after graduating was because I’m against them if they’re taking away jobs from regular teachers. And yeah, I also do agree that we need credentialed teachers with experience to fight back education inequality over recent graduates who are just thrown straight into teaching.
But after working here in my hometown for a year now, there are just no job opportunities here. The advice they give you in college is to just major in whatever you want and people often end up working in careers in something entirely different anyways. But that advice is just not working for me at all. I’ve worked a couple of jobs and I’ve learned there are a lot worse things organizations and companies can do and when I look at TFA now, I feel that TFA at least has good intentions. So I’ve chosen to lower my expectations when it comes to choosing careers.
I do genuinely want to become a teacher though and I don’t feel like I’m exploiting anyone by joining TFA. If I were to take the traditional route of being credentialed, it would just suck for me. I would either have to pay back student loans or borrow my parent’s retirement money to go back to school and that would just break my heart to do so when they’ve already worked hard for me. Anyways if I still plan on reapplying for TFA next year, I would want to see with my own eyes if the criticisms against TFA are true or not. And if they are, then I think it’s possible to change things from the inside if you work your way to the top. I think TFA can be really helpful for low-income students who don’t have many opportunities and I’d like to improve that if possible. I guess it may be a little selfish of me to join TFA for my own personal gains but the job market sucks and I genuinely want to do something good with my life.
Honestly, I still am very skeptical of TFA, but I think like @HopingForTFA2019 said, I can’t afford to just go through more schooling with no job in order to be a “traditional” teacher. Heck, my brother, who is studying undergraduate to be a history teacher and plans to go the whole route of master’s is also planning to work full-time while studying for his master’s. He most likely will apply to something in an area that needs teachers and he will work hard at it.
Also, I am obtaining a master’s while in the corps which is a big commitment and move. I do agree that it tears apart the idea of teaching as a profession which is part of my skepticism, atop the general apathy towards unions (I support teacher unions because they provide a sense of protection and support to teachers who aren’t finding it elsewhere).
I also feel like my region is a big reason for accepting. Buffalo is very pro-union and I would be joining the Buffalo Teachers Federation. Buffalo also focuses a lot on local people being recruited and while I’m not local (only about 25% of us can be according to them), I plan to really move to Buffalo, join communities, and get to know it. I view this as something for myself to dive into with language education.
However, points where I feel very uneasy with TFA are particularly the 2 year program and out. To go into a community for two years and then leave isn’t ideal for me as I acknowledge that teaching is very personal, very local, and to just leave an area because it was just a 2 year service trip for you isn’t something I vibe with.
I also have been through so many corrupt education systems and because of actually how I’ve learned how to learn, I don’t fear so much of it. Some say TFA throws you to the wolves and they probably do, but also I think it’s a personal choice with teaching and the state of education in the US right now. Education and teaching in the US isn’t considered nor treated like a profession currently. So while it’s not right that’s happening, I think intentionality behind one’s choices is critical. I intend to accept because I view this as what I can do as an individual within a structure that gives me at least an outline of a timeline to follow, so I can pursue a Master’s in Education, TESOL and pursue teaching ESOL and find if it’s what I’m doing forever, or maybe in a few years realize there was something else (but definitely not going in with intentions to leave right after two years).
Good luck to those of you interviewing this week! You’re going to crush it.
Let us know if you have any questions or concerns. We’d love to help out!