TEACH FOR AMERICA??? Forum

[haveaniceday111]

I'm in Peace Corps, not TFA, but I do education, so it's similar. There are a few people in my group who joined to "travel" or to "take time off before grad school." They hate it, and their schools are really dissatisfied. They don't understand why the rest of us are always busy doing enrichment activities, grading, planning, or hanging out with students. They play video games all the time and just show movies in class and generally complain about how dull life is.

Only do something public service oriented if you're in it for the service- otherwise, it's a waste of everyone's time.

@Eugenie - I'm an education PCV as well. Where are you located?

And yes, this is totally accurate.

I read somewhere that one of the best ways to get into a law school and have a fulfilling, meaningful career is to do what you love. If you don't love it, if you don't have a passion for it, it'll show, and no one wants to work with/hire a miserable person. Figure out what you're passionate about, and the rest will fall into place.

That said (sorry I know that was a bit cheesy-inspirational and shit), many law schools give TFA applicants fee waivers, which will definitely help out, considering they can cost anywhere from $60-$100 each (+$12 LSAC fee for each).

Good look to you, OP

[glewz]

Hmm, I've heard mixed views about TFA.


scratch that...Every Single Account has been negative. So...do it if you are passionate about it! not just to pad your resume.

[Cade McNown]

To be honest, teaching is probably the single hardest job on the planet.

I have some friends that are/were teachers and based on my conversations with them this statement is pretty inaccurate.

It's pretty easy to be a mediocre teacher. Becoming a very good teacher is hard work. TFA tends to select for people who aren't content to be mediocre teachers.

Oh come on, really? People do TFA as a 2-year placeholder. Sure they're motivated, but it's driven by resume-building. Sad to say but actually teaching is of secondary importance, and so I would think that TFAers are indeed content to be mediocre or even poor teachers so long as it doesn't deter their long-term professional goals (and for some so long as it doesn't interfere with weekend binge drinking).

That said, OP if you do indeed have T-10 numbers then why not give yourself the added soft factor and wait 2 years. Hopefully the legal market can only rebound and you'll be sitting in much better shape as a 2016 JD.

[RTFM]

To be honest, teaching is probably the single hardest job on the planet.

I have some friends that are/were teachers and based on my conversations with them this statement is pretty inaccurate.

It's pretty easy to be a mediocre teacher. Becoming a very good teacher is hard work. TFA tends to select for people who aren't content to be mediocre teachers.

Oh come on, really? People do TFA as a 2-year placeholder. Sure they're motivated, but it's driven by resume-building. Sad to say but actually teaching is of secondary importance, and so I would think that TFAers are indeed content to be mediocre or even poor teachers so long as it doesn't deter their long-term professional goals (and for some so long as it doesn't interfere with weekend binge drinking).

That said, OP if you do indeed have T-10 numbers then why not give yourself the added soft factor and wait 2 years. Hopefully the legal market can only rebound and you'll be sitting in much better shape as a 2016 JD.

You clearly don't know TFA teachers. A lot of TFA teachers may indeed be mediocre teachers, but they don't feel content about it.

[HITeacher2]

To be honest, teaching is probably the single hardest job on the planet.

I have some friends that are/were teachers and based on my conversations with them this statement is pretty inaccurate.

It's pretty easy to be a mediocre teacher. Becoming a very good teacher is hard work. TFA tends to select for people who aren't content to be mediocre teachers.

Oh come on, really? People do TFA as a 2-year placeholder. Sure they're motivated, but it's driven by resume-building. Sad to say but actually teaching is of secondary importance, and so I would think that TFAers are indeed content to be mediocre or even poor teachers so long as it doesn't deter their long-term professional goals (and for some so long as it doesn't interfere with weekend binge drinking).

What region were you a teacher in? I'm a TFA alum as well and I can't think anyone in my corps (or the year above or below me) with anything that even resembled that attitude.

TFA is a very fickle experience. Your experience is impacted significantly by the region you get placed in and the school you get placed in, so different Corps Members have wildly different experiences. Almost everyone else I know who has done it wouldn't trade their experience for anything - hell, in my own corps, 95% of us donated to TFA at our 2nd year fundraising event, something we wouldn't have done if we didn't all believe in what we were working for.

But the points made earlier are 100% valid, especially about not doing TFA unless you're doing it for the right reasons. Most of us have had amazing, driven teachers and burned-out mediocre teachers when we were in school - don't be the mediocre teacher in someone else's life.

[Eugenie Danglars]

I read somewhere that one of the best ways to get into a law school and have a fulfilling, meaningful career is to do what you love. If you don't love it, if you don't have a passion for it, it'll show, and no one wants to work with/hire a miserable person. Figure out what you're passionate about, and the rest will fall into place.

I agree- I started out wanting to be an ESL teacher, and I loved it. I still do, and I'll probably volunteer teaching ESL forever. The injustices I saw in my students' lives and my inability to do anything about it as a teacher is what made me want to go to law school in the first place. It's what I wrote my personal statement about, and I got a lot of good feedback on it from several different schools (Yes, I know they write notes for everyone. I mean, they gave me contact info of relevant clinic directors, etc.)

This probably only applies to PI people, but having a strong inspiration is probably helpful in getting in and key to staying sane. I hope

[gunner3]

Thanks for everyone's responses. Anything else?