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What Fellows Teach

 
Because effective teachers dramatically increase their students' academic success, the NYC Teaching Fellows program prepares high-quality, dedicated individuals to become teachers who work in the classrooms that need them most. NYC Teaching Fellows teach a wide range of subjects in the New York City schools.

The NYC Teaching Fellows program has historically accepted candidates to teach the following subject areas:

Bilingual education
English
ESL
Math
Science: Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, Physics
Spanish
Special education

NYCTF is especially dedicated to recruiting applicants eligible for and interested in teaching one of our high-need subject areas.  While the size and subject composition of the June 2010 program are still to be determined, applications are reviewed and interviews are granted on a rolling basis. Based on the current needs of the NYC Department of Education, most Fellows who begin training in June 2010 will train to teach special education and science. While in the past we have accepted English and ESL Fellows, we cannot guarantee that we will include these subject areas for June 2010.

Below, you will find more information about all the subject areas that Fellows have historically trained to teach and the basic eligibility requirements for those subject areas.

 
Special Education

Why teach special education?

In the words of a Fellow...
"They are just like any other kid - they are funny, they are excited to be at school. Its just that they have something else going on that makes school a bit more challenging for them."
- Julie, 2003 Fellow

Special education is one of the most challenging and rewarding fields in which to teach. The student population served by special education represents a spectrum of abilities and disabilities, from mild learning disabilities served through "pull-out" programs to severe physical and mental disabilities that require full-time attention and medical services. While working with students in special education classes may be more challenging than working with students in general education, these classes are typically smaller than others (usually twelve students at most) and are staffed with a teacher and a paraprofessional.

 

Fellows who teach special education provide important academic opportunities to students who have historically been among the most underserved in the New York City public school system. Today, 22% of all special education teachers in New York City are Teaching Fellows.

Eligibility:
All candidates, regardless of their undergraduate degree, are eligible to teach special education.

 

Science
New York City schools have an especially critical need for qualified science teachers. Science Fellows will be working with middle or high school students and may be accepted to teach general science, biology, chemistry, physics, or earth science. Today, 18% percent of all science teachers in New York City are Teaching Fellows.

Eligibility:
Candidates must possess a science-related Bachelor’s degree in order to be considered for a Fellowship to teach science.

Science Immersion Program
To increase the pool of science teachers, the Fellowship offers an Immersion program to help selected candidates who have science-related backgrounds but did not major in science gain the credits they need to teach science in the New York City public schools. Learn more about the Science Immersion Program.

Eligibility:
Candidates for Science Immersion must have:

• At least 18 credits in science coursework

Science courses:
Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Earth Science, Astronomy, Geology, Meteorology, Ecology, Botany, Zoology, Anatomy, Evolutionary Biology, Animal Science, Natural Science, Agricultural Science, Forestry, Marine Sciences, etc.
 
Related Majors that are automatically allowed for Science Immersion:
Animal Science, Natural Science, Agriculture and Life Science, Conservation, Forestry, Wild Life and Fishery, Biotechnology
 
Courses that DO NOT count as Science Credits
:
Anthropology, Psychology, Sociology, Human Behavior, Nutrition, Environmental Science (social and policy oriented courses), Human Ecology

Math
Students need a strong math understanding in order to open doors to future opportunities. Most Math Fellows train to teach 7th-12th grade math; however, some universities train math Fellows to teach middle school math only. Today, 26% of all math teachers in New York City are Teaching Fellows.

Eligibility
Candidates must possess a Bachelor’s degree in Math or have obtained at least 30 credits in the field to be eligible for this subject area.

Math Immersion Program

Similar to Science Immersion, the NYC Teaching Fellows Math Immersion program helps selected candidates who are interested in teaching math but who did not major in math gain the credits they need to teach math in the New York City public schools. Admission to the Math Immersion program is highly competitive; successful candidates often have a math-related major, significant experience with higher-level math coursework, and/or a professional background in a math-related field such as engineering and finance. Additionally, strong candidates for the Math Immersion Program often have experience tutoring students in math or math-related concepts. Learn more about the Math Immersion Program.


Eligibility:

Candidates for Math Immersion must:

• have earned a B or better in at least four college-level math intensive courses 
AND
• at least two of those must be calculus or advanced-level math courses


Bilingual Education
Almost fifteen percent of New York City public school students are English language learners (ELLs). Because of New York City’s diverse population, teachers who are fluent in another language (generally Spanish) are frequently in demand in the public schools. The bilingual education program was established to ensure that students do not fall behind in other subjects while they are learning English. These students enter school at every grade level with varying levels of language proficiency. Bilingual Fellows teach the range of regular curriculum subjects (elementary math, science, social studies, etc.) but to do so in Spanish as well as in English.

Eligibility:
All candidates, regardless of their undergraduate degree, are eligible to teach bilingual education as long as they are fluent in both English and Spanish. Bilingual education Fellows may be asked to pass a written and oral proficiency exam during summer training.

Spanish
Spanish Fellows teach Spanish as a second language to middle or high school students. 

Eligibility:
Candidates must possess a Bachelor’s degree in Spanish or have obtained at least 30 credits in the field to be eligible for this subject area.

English as a Second Language (ESL)
ESL Fellows work with English-language learners in either an elementary or secondary setting. ESL courses are offered to students whose primary language is not English. Many ESL programs for elementary education focus on the English alphabet and phonics through a combination of visual and auditory presentation. Computers in the classrooms play a large role in implementing ESL programs for students of all ages. Please note that we may not be accepting Fellows to train to teach ESL for the June 2010 program.


Eligibility:
Candidates must have at least six months teaching experience in an ESL setting in order to be considered for this subject area.
 

English
Fellows teaching English work with middle or high school students to teach the mechanics of prose, as well as classic, world, and contemporary literature. Curriculum varies by school and program. Please note that we may not be accepting Fellows to train to teach English for the June 2010 program.

Eligibility:
Candidates must possess a Bachelor’s degree in English in order to be considered for this subject area.

For more information about subject eligibility, please click here. 


For more information about subject eligibility, please click here.