Has anyone ever done or know someone who has done the Teach for America program?

It is a teacher recruitment program....basically you get placed in rough areas. I would probably be placed in Newark, NJ. But the starting salary is decent, comparable to what I make now and they help you get your certification and help pay for your Masters. I just missed the deadline - it was 2/25.

Teach for America

I work in a school that used to hire a lot of TFA people. I spent the last three summers working in their summer institute as a 'Faculty Advisor.' It was like student teaching- I had three or four teachers in my classrooms and they did all the teaching. I observed them and gave feedback. Overall, I enjoyed it and I think I have as much of an inside view that one can get without actually being in the program.

The Summer Institute is VERY intensive. I think it goes for six or seven weeks. When summer school is in session you teach, but then you have your own classes and preparations, etc. I think the corps members I worked with probably got about 4-5 hours of sleep a night with very little free time.

You will go into your school in Sept. with very little experience under your belt. The summer experience is not all that authentic, IMO. Our summer classrooms had about 12 kids, compared to the regular size (25, if you are VERY lucky) classes you would have in your real position. I also don't feel that you get a real feel for classroom management, which is key- without that you can't teach.

I have seen some TFA teachers really flourish and some tank. I think TFA has some very liberal philosophies and those often don't work in an inner-city classroom where school is the only real structure that kids have in their lives. Last summer when I met with my corp members to discuss management, I told them that I didn't let my kids out of their seats without permissiom. I could tell that they thought I was evil. But I had 37 kids (6th graders) in my room, and those kids were in check. I used to see what happened with the science teacher who did not have such a rule. Those same children would run around the room.

In general, management has been the most major weakness that we've seen with the TFA teachers. But that is something you have to develop on your own. Most of them are super smart and the ones who don't succeed (a few here and there) have no control over the class and/or just aren't meant to be teachers. I think TFA tends to equate intelligence with being a good teacher, but if you choose to do this program I am sure you will meet people who are brilliant but don't have the personality to be a teacher.

I would still apply anyway; you never know.

ETA- Marymoon is right about the placement; TFA refused to place people in the first school I worked in but they always sent many people to my current school because it was so well run. Wendy Kopp (the TFA founder even mentioned it in her book 'One Day All Children'.