NWR: NYCTF

has anyone applied to the new york city teaching fellows or is anyone currently a part of it? i'm seriously considering it and working on my application and was wondering if there were any tips anyone could offer.

thanks!

My best friend did it and my fiance is going to apply for next year. my advice is to be flexible and open minded. know that you will be going into the toughest schools (high poverty, high crime, high immigration) areas. you need to have a sense of humor and be willing to work hard. but on the flip side, the kids need you so mcuh and you really have an opportunity to make a difference. my friend said you really need to be a time manager because you are working full-time, going to school, as well as being a first year teacher and all the planning/work that entails (that's like a full-time job in itself!)

many people get burned out... and leave teaching. many love it... my friend is at the same school she was placed in. 5 years later she has moved up to an administrator.
GOOD LUCK... it will be a great experience.

thanks, i'm looking forward to it. i'm not afraid of all the work either - i know it'll be hard but worth it. plus i'm the kinda person who needs to be doing something ALL the time - i'm working full time as a teaching assistant and taking 3 classes right now, and still have too much time on my hands. =0P in college i had classes 2 jobs and an internship. i'm a little crazy but excited to put all this energy to good use!

now i just have to get accepted!

I just finished up my commitment with the fellows, I'd be happy to talk to you about my experiences if you'd like!

I just finished the summer program and will be starting my job on Tuesday! If you want to know details, FM me!!!

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Posted by AlBaBride

I was a NYCTF...the program has changed quite a bit since I joined...don't only look into the Fellows program, look into Teach for America and other alternate route programs too...NYCTF's is not exactly what they advertise it to be IMO.

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what do you mean?

A few years back the NYC DOE changed the terms of the NYCTF program. DOE used to pay the entire tuition to complete the Master's program. As Fellows, there were many colleges and universities througout the city that participated in the program, including Fordham, St. John's, and even Columbia at one point. Now though fellows only receive partial tuition paid, and I don't think the participating universities are as prestigious as the one I've listed above. (We were also promised an Americorp Scholarship, but it was taken away a few months into the program due to budgetary constraints.) Some may say who cares, but if you ever want to leave the city or continue for further degrees, it might make a difference where your Master's Degree comes from.

In addition, it is my opinion that the training that you receive from the NYCTF's program does not prepare you for the reality that you face once you enter some of the toughest classrooms in the city. Most fellows get placed in Bronx, Brooklyn, and upper Manhattan...schools with low retention rates. Your commitment to NYC public schools is only two years, which is definitely a plus, but there are other alternate route to education programs out there...explore all options. I would really look into Teach for America, similar to TF, but I believe they still pay for the entire Masters.

Teaching really is a wonderful profession, and I love it. BTW I'm still a NYC public school teacher. Whatever route you decide to take, best of luck to you!

hm... i'll look into teach for america, but i'll probably still apply for nyctf. thanks for the info though.

as for the schools, i think now the private schools rotate. my two cousins got/are getting their masters from fordam, one did it a while ago and one's in her second year of commitment. i think they just added the americorps educational bonus back on too, at least for the midyear fellows.

and i'm a little nervous about the training and then going into the classroom. i think i'll be ok b/c i have some classroom experience and a LOT of experience with kids in general. i'm more worried about all the beaurocracy and dealing with meeting certain standards and stuff. i'm sure i'm gonna be stressed for two years straight though. =0P i can imagine it's worth it though.

thanks again!