http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2013/2/11/rethinking-teach-for-america/
I've had a number of students express an interest in Teach for America. Some fit the traditional profile: high-achieving students who are looking for a recognized experience before a career in business, medicine, law, etc. A few others have been upperclassmen who decided late they want to be teachers, and they're looking to alternatives to the extra semesters of coursework and student teaching they'd need if they went through the School of Education. But what I think this article tries to stress is a decision not just to become a teacher, but to become a *good* teacher. Some research suggests that although the few TFA teachers who make it five years in the classroom are not measurably different from traditionally-trained teachers, what about all the students who suffered with below-average teaching while the TFA teacher learned on the job?
I've had a number of students express an interest in Teach for America. Some fit the traditional profile: high-achieving students who are looking for a recognized experience before a career in business, medicine, law, etc. A few others have been upperclassmen who decided late they want to be teachers, and they're looking to alternatives to the extra semesters of coursework and student teaching they'd need if they went through the School of Education. But what I think this article tries to stress is a decision not just to become a teacher, but to become a *good* teacher. Some research suggests that although the few TFA teachers who make it five years in the classroom are not measurably different from traditionally-trained teachers, what about all the students who suffered with below-average teaching while the TFA teacher learned on the job?