Washington, DC
First Year Fellow
My story is a little different– I already had my teaching credential from California, but because I had never actually taught, it wasn’t valid in D.C. Although I had spent four years studying education, I had only spent 16 weeks in a classroom as part of my teaching placement.
Urban Teachers appealed to me because of all of the coaching; that really sets it apart from other teacher training programs. The master’s degree was also a big draw, as well as the certification in special education.
I knew I was interested in special education and I asked to be placed in a special education classroom for my residency year. The residency year is invaluable because you are immersed in a classroom all day. The biggest thing that helped prepare me was the coaching. My coach was so beneficial. She had a special education background, especially working with students with autism and that’s what I’m doing now. There’s so much that can only be learned by watching and being coached by experienced teachers.