Teach for America Corps Member Interview

Interview Details People say TFA's application process is "very rigorous", but honestly, it was one of the easiest interview processes I've ever been through. Starts with an online, written application [personal statement (my advice: don't over-analyze the personal statement! say what you mean, mean what you say--if you're speaking from the heart, it's simple. don't get me wrong, you should edit just to make sure there aren't any grammatical errors or misspellings), description of leadership positions (very important to have leadership experience!), and a resume (try to tailor it a bit for TFA by highlighting any leadership positions or education-related experiences)]. Next is either an invite for a phone interview or final interview (I went straight to the final interview, so I'm not really sure what the phone interview entails). Final interview is a day-long process that starts with teaching a 5-minute lesson (my advice: KEEP IT SIMPLE!! Teach something very basic, elementary-level--use simple handouts, make sure to check for understanding by asking questions throughout to "the class" and/or finding some other way to check for understanding), next is a group activity (pretty simple--I'm not positive what they were looking for in this activity, but I'd emphasize being a team player (don't try to overshadow one another), give positive feedback, and keeping in mind TFA's ultimate goal of closing the achievement gap. Last is the 1-on-1 interviews--just be open and honest. Be sure to look at the 7 traits on the "Who We Look For" section of the TFA website and try to convey these traits in your answers. Good luck future TFA applicants :)

Reason for Declining – Love TFA, but I was unable to relocate.