Teach for America Interview Questions & Reviews

Interviewed Mar 2011 (took 4 months)

The first part of the application process consisted of formulating three short essays. While writing the essays it is important to come across as empathetic toward the plight of students in an underserved community. Make sure you talk about things like giving students a chance to achieve the American Dream.
The more blustery, the better. Also, make sure you read the info on their website. The answers to the essays are basically in the information provided to you. The second part of the process is a phone interview. I found my phone interview to be the most rewarding part of the process. I was speaking to someone who actually had real life experience outside of the classroom. During the phone interview, you will be asked about leadership roles, a tough situation that you had to overcome, problem solving, role play,
and why you want to join. The last part of the interview is a day long interview consisting of 4 seperate parts. First you will have to teach a five minute lesson. I was the only one of twelve to complete my lesson in time. Next you will have a group discusion based on assigned readings. Everyone will want to talk over each other. Make sure you are forceful enough to make one concrete point. Next is a problem solving activity. You will have to analyze data compiled on an Excel spreadsheet. The last part is a personal interview. Perhaps I was too relaxed at this point. The interviewer engaged in a game of gotcha. Please make sure to enter the interview with a dayplanner, and be prepared to elaborate on how you organize your planner. I don't have a specific method for organization. I'm perfectly capable of remembering everything that needs to be done for an extended period of time. However, I think they would like to see that you actually do an organizational method. It would have been nice to whip out a dayplanner and say, "see this is how I keep track of all I need to. I was disappointed with my interviewer. He seemed educated, but lacked the ability to comprehend the real life experiences that I had, and how they would have translated nicely into the profession of teaching. I think if anyone from my group was accepted, they are probably going to get eaten alive while teaching in an underserved setting. Hope this helps.