“The gradual nature of the program was very important: I wanted to enter the classroom in the most responsible way I could since any mistakes I made would impact the education of young people in a high-need area.”
In an article for Chalkbeat, former Fellow Adriana Garcia talks about her participation in the NYU Teacher Residency program during her fellowship year at Great Oaks-NYC. Unlike other programs that provide a crash-course in teaching and then place members in classrooms, the NYU teacher residency program allows learning and classroom experience to go hand in hand. Under the guide of a mentor, residency members gradually gain the ability to command the classroom; since the program is a year-long, it allows its members to build relationships with their students-an important part of teaching-and eases them into the role of a teacher.
Adriana is now a teacher at Lower East Side Preparatory High School, an alternative school that seeks to serve students, often English Language Learners, who struggled in district schools. We wish her the best in all her future endeavors and thank her for her service at Great Oaks.
Photo by Andrew Zimmerman.