In 2012, more than 48,000 applicants applied to Teach For America for just over 5,800 positions. With fewer than 1 in 10 students from low-income families graduating from college today, our country’s children need the most talented people teaching them. If your dream is to join Teach For America, this book is for you.
Whitman, a TFA alumnus and former recruiter, will teach you how to join this movement by helping you build the skills that Teach For America values most. The book includes advice from more than 20 current corps members and alumni, step-by-step methods to gain leadership skills, and real preparation strategies for your application and interviews.
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With this step-by-step guide, learn how to:
Best exhibit the seven core qualities that Teach For America uses in its admissions process Craft a letter of intent and resume that will blow away the selection team Secure a meeting with the recruitment director, and ask the right questions Plan the Five-Minute Lesson for the final interview using backward planning Become a leader in your quest to join Teach For America ----------------------------------------------------------
Teach For America ranked 16th toughest job interview in America, more difficult than Facebook! - Reported in Forbes Magazine, July 26, 2012
Teach For America ranked the #7 best company with which to launch a career by Business Week!
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Table of Contents
Introduction
Preparation Timeline
Part 1: Understanding Teach For America and Where You Fit In
Chapter 1: Deciding to Apply to Teach For America
Chapter 2: Teach For America's Mission and Vision
Chapter 3: The "Ideal" Applicant
Chapter 4: Developing the Skills to become a Successful Applicant
Part 2: Recruiting, Applying, and Interviewing
Chapter 5: The Recruitment Process
Chapter 6: The Application Process
Chapter 7: The Application
Chapter 8: Online Activity and Recommenders and References List
Chapter 9: The Phone Interview
Chapter 10: Choosing Locations and Subjects
Chapter 11: The Final Interview
Chapter 12: I Got Accepted! Now What?
Afterword
Appendix 1: Book Recommendations
Appendix 2: Sample Letter of Intent
Appendix 3: Sample Resume
Appendix 4: Sample Extracurricular Activity Submission
Jake Whitman is the author of Destination: Teach For America; Building Leadership, Mastering the Application, Acing the Interviews. Jake was a Teach For America corps member in North Philadelphia, where he taught high school special education math. Since leaving the corps, he has continued to fight for education reform by founding a nonprofit organization and working alongside education leaders in Philadelphia to promote pro-student policies. Jake worked on the Teach For America recruitment team as a Campus Campaign Coordinator at the University of California, Santa Barbara. While on the team, UCSB had the second highest growth of accepted applicants among all Teach For America recruitment teams in the nation. For the past two years, Jake has run the Institute for the Philadelphia chapter of the New Leaders Council, a national nonprofit that trains and promotes the progressive political entrepreneurs of tomorrow. Jake graduated magna cum laude from the University of California, Santa Barbara with a B.A. in Business Economics. He also holds a M.Ed. in Special Education from Chestnut Hill College and is dual-certified to teach secondary math and special education.
