Interview #2: TFA Interview Day

A couple weeks after my New York City Teaching Fellows “interview event,” I also interviewed with Teach for America. Crazy differences. TFA was so starry-eyed, feel good, and fluffy. I walked away with a bad taste, certain I would pursue NYCTF instead, if given the choice.

The interview format was the same, but the questions asked and scenarios posed seemed so far removed from any reality we might face in the classroom. They asked us to analyze a proposed educational policy for a fictional congresswoman for the writing sample. The small group discussion was all theory. We discussed what indicators we thought most impacted student performance. It’s a great topic for any potential teacher to be thinking about, but the question didn’t seem like one that could lend many insights into how much teaching potential someone had. It was very academic and I thought disconnected from what they should have been looking for. I liked the way NYCTF tried to get at how each candidate might work with difficult parents, challenging administrators, and behavior problem or academically lagging students. Having or not having those skills will determine one’s success as a teacher. Not their ability to analyze ed policy. Sure, both involve critical thinking and seeking the best possible approach, but NYCTF seemed to get at the heart of it more directly and effectively.

The TFA interviewers each offered lengthy, heart-warming success stories of their brief stints as TFA corps members, compared to the curt and blunt introductions of the NYCTF interviewers. Everyone in the TFA room wore a half smile as they imagined themselves touching the lives of each student they encountered. I sensed more urgency, seriousness and maybe even some fear in the NYCTF interview room. It felt very real. The highlight of the TFA day though, I have to admit, was getting the opportunity to feel like an individual during the one-on-one interview. It wasn’t rushed, and my interviewer asked very pointed, personalized questions that really tested how well I could think on my toes. He tripped me up a couple times, and I appreciated that.

The after-interview survey asked “How inspiring were the marketing materials you received from TFA?” I wrote that I disliked them because they were too Dangerous Minds-esque and gave an unrealistic picture of what the job would entail.

Despite enjoying the one-on-one interview, I was very certain I wanted NYCTF more. I was drawn to the no-nonsense approach of its interviewers and their honest portrayal of the work its teachers would do.

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