Dallas / Fort Worth
First Year Teaching Fellow
I did City Year after I graduated college and that convinced me that I wanted to become a teacher. I was accepted to a couple teacher training programs, but I chose Urban Teachers because I wanted to have the ability to learn and grow. I wanted to be able to practice in the classroom. I didn’t want to let kids down.
The residency year was long, but it wasn’t as difficult as I had imagined because of my cohort. We really held each other together. We quickly became huge family. As far as the coursework and classroom balance, it was really well planned. I would learn something in class on Tuesday and be able to implement it on Wednesday.
Now I’m teaching fourth grade. I don’t think anyone’s first year of teaching is easy, but I feel much better equipped than if I hadn’t done my residency year with Urban Teachers. Some of my colleagues are just learning skills I already have in my tool belt. The coaching is a phenomenal help. I always feel like I leave my coaching sessions with reachable next steps. And since your coach is also your professor, there’s a level of comfort there.