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The Ideal Teach For America Candidate

Seeking: Leaders who believe in the potential of all kids and are committed to making it happen. Sound like you?


By The TFA Editorial Team

January 30, 2024

While Teach For America alumni and corps members come from diverse backgrounds and experiences, our network is united by the belief that all students deserve an excellent education. No matter where you grew up or what college major you pursued, this core belief is essential.

Corps members partner alongside students and their families on a daily basis. Along with having strong conviction in our mission of expanding educational opportunities for all kids, we have found that a particular set of skills and mindsets will enable you to rise to the job and work alongside students. Here is a look at the characteristics that make up the ideal TFA candidate. Some are requirements, as listed below, and some are simply traits we’ve seen in those who have significantly expanded opportunity for students in the classroom and beyond.

Core Beliefs

You’re not required to have experience working or living in the place where you teach, but you must have a deep belief that all kids deserve the opportunities that a good education affords. With this comes essential principles:

  • Belief in the potential of all kids. You are committed to doing whatever it takes to expand opportunities for students, often with a perspective informed by experience partnering with communities impacted by systemic racism and/or poverty. You have an understanding and continual desire to learn about the systemic challenges of poverty and racism.
  • Respect for individuals’ diverse experiences. You have the ability to work effectively with people from all backgrounds and approach new experiences with a respect and humility for the people with whom you are working.
  • ​​​​​​​Long-term commitment to reaching goals & the capacity to set and attain ambitious goals. You have strong self-awareness and desire to improve and develop, both personally and professionally. Along the way, you take ownership for your own successes and failures, and you try new approaches to accomplish your goals. To improve the systems that hinder student learning, knowing how to establish and to exercise the belief, energy, and strategic-action needed to achieve ambitious goals is necessary to move the needle forward.
  • ​​​​​​​Openness to feedback. You have a willingness to assess your potential for growth. We believe in constant reflection and we know that learning never stops.
  • Desire to learn about the community where you are placed and understand its historical context.

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Leadership Qualities

Corps members are the decision-maker of their classroom, overseeing all aspects of student learning while delegating tasks appropriately. Corps members witness first-hand the inequities students face due to the systems that perpetuate racism and oppression and therefore work hard to disrupt unjust educational systems to better serve their students. The following are discernible leadership qualities we’ve observed in successful corps members:

You have imagined and achieved results that are meaningful to you or others  such as your strong academic history or experience leading an extracurricular activity,—and can recount the specific steps you took to get there, either individually or collectively.

  • Long-term commitment to reaching goals. You have strong self-awareness and desire to improve and develop, both personally and professionally. Along the way, you take ownership for your own successes and failures, and you try new approaches to accomplish your goals.
  • Capacity to set and attain ambitious goals: To improve the systems that hinder student learning, knowing how to establish and to exercise the belief, energy, and strategic-action needed to achieve ambitious goals is necessary to move the needle forward.
  • Ability to think critically about any situation. You're able to imagine multiple paths toward solving a problem and can identify the clearest solution. You’re also great at delegating leadership appropriately since success cannot be achieved alone.

Personal Skills and Abilities 

To be a corps member you must be innovative in the classroom. When one lesson plan doesn’t work, you refine and reimagine your approach and try new things. Some particular personal skills make this easier to accomplish, including:

  • Innovation in the face of challenges. You’re able to adjust course quickly when in a challenging situation and flexible along the way.
  • Openness to feedback. You have a willingness to assess your potential for growth. We believe in constant reflection and we know that learning never stops.
  • Ability to work in partnership with others. You will need to work in partnership with other teachers, school leaders, and families, and should be able to work across lines of difference to create collective change. You are also a good listener and able to take on the perspective of others.

Finally, the Essentials

You don’t need to have completed any specific courses in undergrad in order to be a successful corps member. Corps members have pursued countless college majors at hundreds of colleges around the country. However, you are required to hold a bachelor’s degree by the first day of your summer training, with a GPA of at least 2.50 in a 4.00 scale. Read more about application prerequisites, including citizenship requirements, on How To Apply.

It’s important that all corps members bring their own background and skill sets to their classroom. The unique personalities and experiences that make up TFA allow us to grow and thrive. Alongside fellow corps members, you’re on the front lines of change, doing everything you can to make sure students succeed.

Read more reflections from our CEO, Elisa Villanueva Beard, about what it means to be part of TFA today. Preparing your application for the corps? See our application and interview tips.

 

This article was originally published in 2020. The publish date reflects the most recent update.