Training and development

With over 19 years of experience in preparing corps members to be successful teachers in low-income urban and rural areas, we are at the forefront of teacher training and professional development. Teach For America trains more teachers for low-income communities than any other organization or institution in the nation. We help corps members prepare for teaching during our summer institutes and continue working to support and develop them throughout their two-year commitment. While we cannot make teaching in a low-income area easy, Teach For America provides a comprehensive pre-service training and ongoing professional development program to support our corps members’ success.

• Pre-service training and support

  We operate a rigorous five-week summer training institute where corps members develop the foundational teaching skills and knowledge needed to be highly effective beginning teachers. At the institute, corps members teach in summer school programs in local school districts, receive feedback from veteran teachers, and participate in a regimen of seminars and practice sessions designed to build the capabilities required to advance student achievement.
  
  In addition, we help corps members acclimate to their regions by hosting local orientations before and after the summer institute. Corps members meet in assigned regions and connect with local current corps members and alumni, regional staff members and local community leaders. They have time to locate housing, discuss issues of personal safety, and orient themselves to their neighborhoods. Most regions host a wide variety of events throughout the year with the purpose of creating a strong network for socializing and collaborating.

• Ongoing professional development

  Building on the pre-service training, Teach For America's regional support network provides ongoing professional development to corps members throughout the two-year commitment to ensure that they succeed as teachers. Corps members are assigned regional program directors who observe them at least four times a year and serve as a source of support, guidance, and feedback during the corps experience. In addition, corps members are placed in learning teams led by successful teachers to discuss ongoing challenges and share best practices. Corps members also receive toolkits and access to our private secure website, TFANet, that include sample assessments, standards, and teaching resources.
  
  One of the most powerful mechanisms through which Teach For America helps corps members realize their potential as teachers is the support network that forms among corps members. Teach For America strives to place corps members in schools with other corps members and alumni, thus enabling them to collaborate on projects and to support each other's development. In addition, many regions organize a variety of professional and social events for corps members, such as monthly training sessions, weekly dinners, and networking events.
  

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