Two paths to teach

Though also a gateway into the education field, the University’s Program in Teacher Preparation attracts significantly less attention from undergraduates than Teach for America (TFA).

While 22 students graduated with a certificate in Teacher Prep in 2009, certifying them to teach in New Jersey public schools, 173 members of the Class of 2009 applied to TFA. Of those applicants, 29 were accepted, yielding an acceptance rate of 16.7 percent. TFA has seen a steady rise in the number of applications to it, while the number of students enrolling in Teacher Prep “goes in waves,” said John Webb, director of the Program in Teacher Preparation.

“For this particular year, we will graduate 10,” he noted.

The program requires students to complete courses in general education areas as well as specific courses in teaching.

Qin Zhi Lau ’11, who is currently enrolled in Teacher Prep, said in an e-mail that the comparatively lower volume of participants may result from a “lack of awareness.”

“Many of my friends are even surprised it exists,” he said.

Webb said that the disparity results from a fundamental difference between the two options.

“Teacher Prep and TFA really have two different goals,” he explained, resulting in a lack of overlap in participation in the two programs.

Webb characterized TFA as a “Peace Corps for teaching,” while he said that the Teacher Prep program was designed for “people who really have an interest in education as a career path … not necessarily classroom teaching.”

Students who join the Teacher Prep program are often interested in teaching from the beginning of their undergraduate careers. Though students may enroll at any point during their four years, Webb said, sophomore year or early junior year is an “optimal” time to sign up.

“I’ve always been interested in education since high school and have always enjoyed teaching,” Lau said, explaining his reasons for pursuing the certificate. “While I may not ultimately choose to become a teacher as my career goal, I certainly appreciate having that option available and the experience that comes with being in the Teacher Prep program.”

TFA, in contrast, recruits a wider range of applicants.

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“We have sort of a two-pronged approach,” said Victor Wakefield ’07, a former TFA corps member and current recruiter on campus. “Our main method of recruitment is personal outreach and cultivation. We target the top student leaders and students with high achievement records on campuses,” he explained, adding that TFA also accepts applications from all students in addition to students it targets from recruiting.

Wakefield noted that he originally intended to join TFA, complete the two-year commitment and then go to law school.

“I had done an internship program through the Princeton Internship in Civic Services program senior year, where I got to work in a middle school in East Harlem,” Wakefield said, explaining his reasons for applying to TFA. “I witnessed first-hand kids with incredible potential.”

Wakefield said he applied to TFA because he “wanted to have a direct impact,” but then found his classroom experience “so powerful” that he changed his mind about becoming a lawyer.

Webb said that joining Teacher Prep will aid potential educators in the job search.

Most employers “will prefer clearly someone who presents themselves as an applicant who already has a certification,” he said.

While many TFA participants will remain in the education field as he did, those who do not may become lawyers, doctors or administrators, Wakefield said.

Even those who do not stay in education “know what it’s like to teach effectively in a community and serve children long-term,” Wakefield said.

Those who do want to remain in the education field, though, can obtain a certificate during their undergraduate years or following graduation, Webb said.

“Anyone who has received a degree from Princeton — graduate or undergraduate — can come back and receive certification from Teacher Prep,” Webb said.

“This enables them to earn certification either by the time they graduate or [by coming] back for one semester after,” Webb added. Since financial aid is available, the extra semester doesn’t cost much for those who choose that option.

Lau said he hopes awareness of the Teacher Prep program will increase.

“I think many people get Teacher Prep confused with TFA and think it’s just another outside recruiter — it’s not. It’s an academic program here at Princeton,” Lau said. “Hopefully, this lack of awareness will change in the near future!”