Pros
This job is for people who want to be educators, but do not have the formal training such as a Master of Arts degree in Education. During the Summer Cohort, you will be given the tools to succeed in the classroom. The Summer Cohort is meant to impart 6-8 weeks of training and experience in a classroom setting that normally takes two years to accomplish. You must be passionate about your subject area and have the ability to be flexible and relate to students and their parents in all settings both in and out of the classroom. The ability to work in groups is very important.
Cons
Time....you must be truly committed and be a people person. No whiners, no grumpy people allowed. During the Summer Cohort, you are working with a group of people who will be your backbone throughout the next year or so. Activities are planned so that you can interact with these people...participation is strongly encouraged. If you are a single parent, then I strongly suggest that you develop a network amongst the people you are training with. This will be key to your child's adjustment and success as well as your own success because you will have established a great support group. The single members definitely had an advantage when it came to making lifestyle adjustments, but parents probably had the advantage when it came to making the transition from cohort to classroom. Again... there is a huge time commitment, you will be expected to attend classes after the classroom so you must have a plan in place for outside time commitments such as soccer practice, dinner, and bedtimes. This job is not for the unorganized.
