Breakthrough Houston

Teaching Fellow

June - July 2020 • Houston, TX

What I liked

I liked the connections I made with mentors and fellow Teaching Fellows as well as the focus on teacher education and working with students.

What I wish was different

I wish I had gotten to spend more time with students and teach more lessons.

Advice

Be confident in yourself and your abilities, it’s hard work but it’s rewarding especially if you give it your all.

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Teaching fellow

June - August 2019 • Houston, TX

What I liked

The feeling of impacting others lives and giving back to the community

What I wish was different

The salary

Advice

Do it. Even if you don’t want to be a teacher, you learn so much about yourself and how to be a leader

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Teaching Fellow

June - August 2019 • Houston, TX

What I liked

I loved the diverse team that I got a chance to work with and the community.

What I wish was different

Advice

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Teaching Fellow

June - August 2018 • Houston, TX

What I liked

Working with kids (7th grade) was really rewarding, especially as you begin to form relationships with them. Collaborating with and becoming friends with the other teaching fellows was also an amazing experience as they come from a variety of states and Universities and collectively form a dynamic community.

What I wish was different

I often felt very overwhelmed by the amount of things that were expected of me on a daily basis. They train you based on a specific teaching method, and I wish there were more room to implement different things. More than anything, I wish the training leading up to the program had focused more on practicing the teaching methods they were instructing us to use. This would have helped me feel more prepared/competent to be in the classroom.

Advice

It is definitely worthwhile for anyone interested in education! It is important, however, to start on the right foot by prioritizing collaboration. Otherwise the job can become overwhelming and daunting.

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Teaching Fellow

June - August 2018 • Houston, TX

What I liked

I loved the opportunity for me to be able to practice and learn a different approach to teaching and what it means to truly be an educator. I was able to work with a team of college aged individuals under a seasoned educator who was able to share his experiences, monitor our progress, and provide consistent feedback at every step of the way. This program will build you from the ground up and will push you through two weeks of intense training to prepare for the six week long summer program. It is designed in such a way that you do not need any prior knowledge of being an educator, only a passion for your content area.

What I wish was different

I wish we would have received the lessons plans prior to summer orientation to begin that extensive process early.

Advice

It's an experience for all and will really put your heart, soul, and mind to the test, in a really supportive and diverse environment.

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Teaching fellow

June - August 2018 • Houston, TX

What I liked

I loved building relationships with the sixteen students I taught, the staff I worked with, and my host family.

What I wish was different

I wished to spend more one-on-one time getting to know the students.

Advice

Don’t be resistant to unfamiliar situations. Embrace them because there is growth and beauty.

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Teaching Fellow

June - August 2018 • Houston, TX

What I liked

I loved working the the students and learning how to work with my colleagues. Also, the environment is one in which mistakes are expected which somewhat takes the pressure off of trying something new- like teaching! I got so much feedback from every level of supervisor that I left feeling really confident in knowing what my strengths and weaknesses are!

What I wish was different

I definitely wasn't prepared for the amount of work that I was going to do, and I wish that I had known the kind of emotional investment that I was going to put into the program.

Advice

This experience is so beyond worth every hour spent on it, but get ready to eat, sleep, and breathe Breakthrough. You're going to form really close relationships with your students, and you're going to want to put into the time. Make sure that you're ready to put in 110%+ though because the kids deserve it and know if you're phoning it in which really isn't fair to them!

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