Celebrating Future Teachers of America Day!

Today City Year New Orleans celebrates Future Teachers of America Day! Every year, 20% of our AmeriCorps members become teachers in New Orleans after their year of service. As part of the celebration, we are proud to tell you a little about being a future teacher at City Year and introduce you to a few future teachers and a current City Year alumna teachers.

WHY ARE AMERICORPS MEMBER GREAT FUTURE TEACHERS?

City Year AmeriCorps members are highly trained and deeply motivated to support students. Through their City Year service, they gain exposure to the unique challenges of high-need schools, acquire skills to meet student needs, and work closely with teachers on classroom management and lesson planning. After a year of full-time service in the classroom as a tutor and mentor, City Year AmeriCorps members are more informed on what being a teacher in New Orleans entails, more prepared to be a successful first year teacher, and more likely to persist in the field.

Meghan Connors, a kindergarten teacher and 2015 City Year alumna says, “City Year took my post-college plans and turned them upside down in the best way possible. City Year gave me the opportunity to spend a year in a kindergarten classroom, where I learned from an experienced teacher and gained knowledge of the content and curriculum. Seven years into teaching kindergarten and I am continually grateful to City Year for illuminating a passion and a profession I may not have otherwise discovered.”

THIS YEAR’S FUTURE TEACHERS

Nicolette – or as she goes by in front of students Ms. Rogers – currently serves in a 2nd grade classroom and wants to be an elementary teacher in the future.

Ananya is an AmeriCorps member in the 2020-21 corps and a future teacher. She shared this about her future teaching plans, “Before City Year I was planning to go to law school and work in juvenile criminal defense because of the impact I could have on the lives of kids. But since joining City Year New Orleans, I’ve realized that I can have an even greater impact as a teacher.”

REPRESENTING OUR ALUMNI TEACHERS

This is Tabitha’s second year celebrating Future Teachers of America Day! Last year, as a member of the City Year New Orleans corps, Tabitha was planning to be a teacher. Now, Tabitha is teaching 7^th and 8^th graders at Mildred Osborne Charter School – the same school she served in as an AmeriCorps member.

Support the future teachers in our corps!