TFA - Follow Up

As I spend more time posting on my blog, I like checking my stats. I notice a lot of my traffic comes from my Teach for America posts. I thought I'd write a little follow up post. I sub

I'll know more as of the ninth after they complete the phone interviews and release the details of the locations and the sample teaching session. A sample teaching session, five minutes in front of 12 other interviewees and the panel.

My interview was in March of 2009. I prepared a sample teaching session discussing how to conduct an interview. I figured since I had the background from my producion education and the topic could be applied to any interview it would work well. It was probably a pretty decent sample lecture.

Before the interview I read a fewTeach for America books, sorry I can't remember which ones and learned about the program. I also read a bit of Savage Inequalities, worth the read, if you get the chance.

The biggest thing I remember about that day was how NERVOUS I was. All I could focus on were the nerves. I thought I would forget my lecture, that I wouldn't have the right answers to the interview questions or that I would be the least qualified person in the room. Or all three things.

Maybe all of those things could have happened, but if I would have just taken a deep breath and focused on the opporunity and experience I might have walked away with a different outcome. Or not but I would have enjoyed the experience more. I was so nervous, I barely remember it.

I wasn't accepted to Teach for America. I'm not sure that I fit who they were looking for. I still wonder if I would have been open to a high need area if I would have been accepted. It worked out for the best. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me! And GOOD LUCK!

edit: My best advice, BREATHE. Don't psych yourself out. I tried chilling the night before with some meditation, but stay so wrapped up in my own head it didn't work. I've learned since then a large part of any interview is your personality, and to be true to that and yourself. Oh and maybe check out this post from Yes & Yes, chill the eff out.