More than 3,000 Teach For America (TFA) teachers, including the Teach For America South Carolina (TFASC) incoming cohort, are participating in Pre-Service, an intensive summer teacher training before entering the classroom.
“TFA is known for our intensive training and support to ‘non-traditional’ teachers early in their careers, which is a critical time in their development,” said Troy D. Evans, executive director of TFASC. “Grounded in the belief and potential of all students, Pre-Service is our best-in-class program to prepare teachers to make a significant impact in their classrooms.”
Throughout the summer and the first 90 days of teaching, this training is designed to support TFA educators in becoming anti-racist teacher leaders, providing students with a high-quality education, and pursuing a lifelong commitment to educational equity.
“Throughout the Pre-Service experience, TFA teachers engage in a variety of synchronous and asynchronous sessions on a range of topics, including foundations of teaching, DEI, leadership development, and community and context building,” said Tess Holt, senior managing director of leadership development at TFASC.
Pre-Service balances standardized learning with regional experiences for TFA teachers. This training occurs in five phases: Onboarding, Kick-Off, Centralized Learning Series I, Practicum and Centralized Learning Series II, and the First 90 Days and Centralized Learning Series III.
“Pre-Service provides you with the opportunity to connect with other teachers across the region and nation and put your minds together to solve problems. All of these connections are so beneficial to your growth and learning,” said Haley Kantor, TFASC first-grade teacher at Meeting Street Elementary at Brentwood.
The Practicum phase of Pre-Service gives TFASC teachers their first opportunity to work directly with students and families in the state. Last month, TFASC educators taught virtual summer school for Legacy Early College as part of Practicum, which imparted teachers with instructional and pedagogical best practices before entering the classroom.
During Practicum, TFASC teachers were also paired with a veteran educator coach – starting a coaching relationship that continues over the next two years. According to a survey from the 2020-2021 academic year, 93 percent of respondents felt that TFASC’s training and resources, including coaching, contributed to their development as a teacher and leader.
For more information on Pre-Service and additional training opportunities for TFASC teachers, visit tfascolddev.wpengine.com/how-we-work/training.
