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TNTP Teaching Fellows

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Bitter-Sweet - Teaching Fellow TNTP Teaching Fellows Employee Review

2.0
Oct 8, 2017
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

You will have a full time teaching position in the fall making full salary. The 6,200 you pay for it is MUCH cheaper than anything you would ever pay at a college. Plus in Baltimore you get 75% of it back (as long as you're still teaching for the 2 years after receiving the refund). Many reviewers on here seem angry that they were cut or weren't aware how much hard work goes into teaching. The only people who were cut from our summer training were either totally unprofessional or clearly had no idea what they were doing in the classroom after 6 weeks of training. Do what they tell you to do and you'll pass. I was also lucky enough to be in a great group of fellows and a good coach.

Cons

The summer program was the worst 6 weeks of my life. The other fellows and some of the coaches are great, but teaching from 8:00 - 11:30 and then sitting in session from 12:30 - 6:00 was awful. To be fair I only actually taught for one hour in the morning, but I was still expected to be planning and working at the school while I was not teaching. Other people were not so lucky and had to teach for 3 hours a day and make 3 times as many plans as me. I don't know how they survived considering BCTR makes you write lengthy lesson plans where it would take anywhere from 1 - 2 hours just to make an hours worth for me. It is kind of a toss up what your summer teaching will be like and it can make it or break it for you. Some people I knew who would have made great teachers quit because their summer placement was so terrible. Also, I was teaching 7th/8th graders yet my license is in elementary education. Technically, in Baltimore you CANNOT teach above 6th grade with an elem license. I was very unhappy with this placement as it did not reflect the age group I would be working with in the fall. If you have any problems like that, you'll get a scripted response and told to deal with it because they shove down our throats that we need to be "adaptable" (which they use as an excuse to make us do whatever they want and to cover for their own incompetence and lack of planning). However, I think these issues have more to do with City Schools as a whole, which are a bureaucratic, awful mess. Overall, I did not feel prepared for the fall and too much time was spent on class room management and not actual teaching. Not to mention all the "work culture" nonsense they force you to participate in which comes off as forced and phony.

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5.0
Jan 29, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
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Pros

So Excited! Amazing opportunity to work and grow!

Cons

None at the moment at all!

5.0
Jun 28, 2014
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

I entered this program with some prior teaching experience, but having never received any formal training and in need of a teaching certificate to move forward in my career. TNTP academy provided extremely practical, hands-on training that prepared me for success in my kindergarten classroom. The coaching and mentoring was excellent. I was given clear and specific advice and feedback and I was consistently challenged to do my best. I really enjoyed that, through my weekly classes, I became part of a network of peers. I learned so much just from talking with other teachers. I also enjoyed the emphasis on practice and self-reflection. Teachers are extremely busy and can easily become isolated, forgetting to take time out to examine what they are doing well and what they need to do differently. TNTP Academy provided the structure and support I needed to make sure that I was pushing myself, which ultimately benefited my students. I am very happy with my choice to enroll in TNTP Academy. I love my school and I love teaching kindergarten. I am really excited about this new stage of my career and I owe my success in large part to the training and support that I received through TNTP Academy.

Cons

This is a highly demanding program that requires a serious commitment. There is an expectation that teachers devote a significant amount of time to their planning, to their coursework, and to making their classroom highly effective in the first year. If you are able to embrace feedback and get comfortable with constructive criticism, then this is the program for you!

4
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