Today, 4,400 corps members are working in 25 regions to ensure their students have the educational opportunities they deserve.

Becoming an exceptional teacher

Over the past 17 years, we have come to understand what differentiates successful teachers in the communities in which we serve, and this knowledge informs the training and professional development corps members receive. While we cannot make teaching easy, Teach For America helps you move up the inevitable learning curve as quickly as possible. As a result, more and more corps members are ensuring their students make significant academic progress. The most rigorous study on Teach For America shows that corps members are having a greater impact on students than typically would be expected in a year. Read more

We have found that the most successful teachers in our communities are those who operate as a successful leader would in any context. They set big goals for where students will be academically at the end of the year, invest students, parents and others in working hard to realize that vision, plan purposefully and work relentlessly with a sense of urgency to maximize class time in pursuit of the vision, and continuously increase effectiveness to reach the vision in spite of the multiple challenges and obstacles along the way. Knowing this, we carefully select those individuals who we believe have demonstrated strong leadership and therefore have potential for success in the classroom.

Hear corps members and alumni talk about what it's like to be a teacher.

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