Six months ago, while advising a friend on his Teach For America application, it dawned on me that there are very few readily available resources for potential applicants. Teach For America provides some advice, but I have found that it is often not comprehensive enough for prospective applicants to fully understand the process. The information that other people have posted online is only marginally helpful at best, and harmful at worst, to applicants looking for help.

So, I decided to write a book entitled Mastering the Teach For America Selection Process to help applicants build leadership skills, develop their application, and excel in the interviews.

I was in the corps and saw firsthand the impact that great teachers have on their students. Teach For America is one of the best ways to quickly gain exceptional training and enter a classroom. I believe wholeheartedly in its mission and vision, and in the current education landscape, we need the best and the brightest to apply, enter, and excel in the corps.

Check out my blog: Becoming Teach For America

Book Outline

1.  Do you want to be in Teach For America? - I discuss why people apply, show a day in the life of two corps members, and offer questions readers should ask themselves to determine if Teach For America is the right fit.

2.  Teach For America's Mission and Vision - Nothing is more important than understanding fully what Teach For America is striving to achieve.

3.  The Qualities Teach For America Looks for - Teach For America has seven core qualities on which they evaluate their applicants. I explain each one in detail and discuss how applicants can build those qualities and present them effectively.

4.  Developing the Skills to Become a Successful Corps Member - Dozens of corps members and alumni lend their candid insight about what they believe are the most important skills for getting accepted into TFA and excelling in the classroom.

5.  The Recruitment Process - I give tips and advice on communicating with your local recruitment team, a critical first step in applying to Teach For America.

6.  The Application Process - Strategically choosing an application deadline  and understanding the full application process is more important than you might think.

7.  The Application - In addition to helping navigate the application itself, I provide detailed guidelines on building a resume that appeals to Teach For America selectors and writing an exceptional letter of intent.

8.  The Phone Interview - The phone interview is a crucial step in the application process. Knowing how to prepare for it is half the battle.

9. The Final Interview - The final interview lasts a full day and can be very intimidating. You will feel prepared for the 5 minute lesson, the discussion, and the 1 on 1 interview after completing my worksheets and step-by-step guides.

If you are applying to Teach For America and you follow the book from beginning to end, I can guarantee you will be ready for every step of the selection process.

Thank you for your interest in Mastering the Teach For America Selection Process, and thank you in advance for your support!