NYC Teacher Fellowship??

Question

I was wondering if anyone has tried to apply or has gotten into the NYC teacher fellowship program. I wanted to get into after I finish my bachelors degree. I know they take people with all different degree backrounds but i wanted to know if anyone has applied what your backround was, what they look for during interviews etc. Any info will help. THANKS

Answer 1

the school i teach at frequently hires nyc teaching fellows...the question you have to ask yourself is are you prepared to become a teacher or are you just looking for a job?...if you want to enter the program because you have always had a deep desire to teach then you are on the right track...however, the fact that you did not pursue a teaching degree in college leads me to believe that you are one of the people who think they can just "become a teacher" overnight...

the fellows program was designed to staff the worst schools with the lowest performing students...something many people entering the program either do not know or are not prepared to handle...if you have never taught before teaching at a good school is difficult...teaching at a school where most of your kids are 3 to 4 yrs behind grade level AND serious discipline problems is more than most people want to deal with...

i have seen many people enter the program and do good things, only to leave once they have started to actually get the knack of teaching, and i have seen other people go down in flames on the 1st day and never learn the ropes...there is no set formula for passing the interview...although it does seem to help if you are from the midwest...math and science are the 2 highest need areas...the interview may be difficult or it may seem easy based on the interviewer, some of them are dead set against the fellow's program and thus find ways to eliminate candidates...others are so willing to get fellows in that they overlook many things that would raise a red flag in a normal teaching interview...

Answer 2

I applied to the NYC teaching fellow back in November. They wanted to have an interview with me but I declined the offer because it was most probable that they would place me in the Bronx. I chose not to go because of the environment and the intense pressure and schooling at the same time.

You have to submit your resume, and a 500 word essay answering a few questions. For the interview, they have you "teach" a lesson plan for 5minutes, discussion and answer session, and individual interviews.

My degree was Health Science with a concentration in Disability studies. I applied to be a elementary special education teacher.

So, after all this, I ended up applying to Hunter for early childhood special education and will be attending this fall.

Good Luck to you. Just think about what path is right for you.