Who We Want

Working as a DC Teaching Fellow is more than a job; it’s a commitment to students who are counting on your help to beat the odds and achieve their full potential. Each day will bring unexpected challenges and immeasurable rewards.

There is no one profile of an ideal candidate. You could be a high-achieving recent college graduate who majored in economics or physics and now wants to share your passion for these subjects with D.C. students. You may have built a successful career in business or engineering, and now wish to give back as a teacher working with high-need students. You may have experience working with young people as a social worker or tutor, and now wish to make a career in education. Whatever your background, you share a commitment to improving student achievement and changing the lives of students in D.C.’s traditionally underserved communities.

Because we know that great teachers are the key to student success, our program is highly selective. We look for highly-motivated individuals with diverse personal and professional backgrounds who have the capacity to be successful teaching in one of the districts’ critical-need subjects; these change annually, but typically include math, science, Spanish, and special education. We review every application carefully, looking for candidates with the essential traits and skills needed to thrive in some of our city’s most challenging classrooms.

Our essential traits for Fellows include:

·         The belief that you can become an excellent teacher and lead high-need students to high levels of academic achievement, including students with disabilities and those who are performing below grade level

·         The demonstrated ability to incorporate feedback to rapidly improve

·         The ability to think critically, make sound judgments, and generate multiple solutions to challenges

·         Exemplary professionalism, including reliability in meeting commitments and deadlines, professional oral and written communication skills, and professional interactions with others

As part of our selection process, we ask candidates to demonstrate real teaching tasks to assess baseline proficiency in our Fast Start skills – the essential instructional skills that we believe new teachers must master before making a strong start in the classroom in the fall.  Our Fast Start skills are as follows:

·         Clearly communicating academic content

·         Ensuring that class time is used well

·         Ensuring full and purposeful student engagement at all times during a lesson

·         Ensuring that student behavior is positive, respectful, and productive

Successful candidates will enroll as Fellows in our Pre-Service Training, where they will build mastery in the Fast Start skills and prepare for a strong start to the school year. However, these Fast Start skills are only part of the complete set of skills and strategies that effective teachers deploy in their classrooms every day, and Fellow development will not stop with the Fast Start skills. As teachers in the fall, Fellows will build mastery in other, more advanced skills through TNTP Academy and other development activities. 

If you have what it takes to inspire, motivate, and get results for students, we strongly encourage you to apply now.