Spring Break
Students look to return to classroom after graduating
Katherine Martinez
Issue date: 11/3/08 Section: News
Teach for America, a two-year teaching program that recruits college graduates from all majors to teach in under-performing public schools, has a high appeal to UConn students, according to Debra Feinberg, a 7th-semester political science major and Teach for America intern on campus.
"The number of applicants has already far surpassed that of last year," Feinberg said.
UConn alumni who are currently involved with Teach for America believe that the program's appeal lies in its ability to make a difference. According to the organization's mission statement, educational inequity is a problem that strong leaders have the power to solve.
Erin Sippel graduated from UConn last May and is now a corps member, teaching second grade in Denver. While at UConn, Sippel was involved with the Human Rights program and knew that she wanted to continue on a similar path after graduation. She decided to apply to Teach for America after seeing flyers because she thought teaching would be an interesting way to help improve education in the United States.
Once in the program, Sippel, like many other Teach for America corps members, learned that teaching underprivileged children is more difficult than most people expect.
"I don't think anything can fully prepare you for it," Sippel said. "It is more work than I ever thought possible, but it's worth it."
After teachers, or "corps members," are accepted to the program and placed at a school, they undergo an intensive five-week training program called Institute, according to David Brown, recruitment director at UConn. Corps members spend the summer in one of six training institutes across the country to help them adjust to the teaching process.
"The passion and drive to help people learn is not something you can teach," said Rachel Jones, a UConn graduate student and Teach for America alum.
Jones joined the program in 2005 after graduating from New Mexico State University. According to Jones, Teach for America has a much stronger presence at UConn than it did at New Mexico.
"The number of applicants has already far surpassed that of last year," Feinberg said.
UConn alumni who are currently involved with Teach for America believe that the program's appeal lies in its ability to make a difference. According to the organization's mission statement, educational inequity is a problem that strong leaders have the power to solve.
Erin Sippel graduated from UConn last May and is now a corps member, teaching second grade in Denver. While at UConn, Sippel was involved with the Human Rights program and knew that she wanted to continue on a similar path after graduation. She decided to apply to Teach for America after seeing flyers because she thought teaching would be an interesting way to help improve education in the United States.
Once in the program, Sippel, like many other Teach for America corps members, learned that teaching underprivileged children is more difficult than most people expect.
"I don't think anything can fully prepare you for it," Sippel said. "It is more work than I ever thought possible, but it's worth it."
After teachers, or "corps members," are accepted to the program and placed at a school, they undergo an intensive five-week training program called Institute, according to David Brown, recruitment director at UConn. Corps members spend the summer in one of six training institutes across the country to help them adjust to the teaching process.
"The passion and drive to help people learn is not something you can teach," said Rachel Jones, a UConn graduate student and Teach for America alum.
Jones joined the program in 2005 after graduating from New Mexico State University. According to Jones, Teach for America has a much stronger presence at UConn than it did at New Mexico.
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