Monday, January 05, 2009

Polishing the Résumé


A recent visitor comments,
I find that TFA attracts those who want to polish their resume. Most of them aren't really passionate and care about inner-city/urban issues. Most of them BS the interview process and just cause they're from "Harvard", they get into TFA!
I have had that thought, actually, having read a variety of stories and commentary by participants. It reminds me of how back in my college days (and possibly through the present) certain students, graduating from elite universities but without the academic credentials necessary to get into the graduate programs of their choice, would spend a couple of years in the Peace Corps. Whatever the motivation for participating, the de facto "quid pro quo" can be a win-win for the public service group and the student. Whether it benefits the targeted community? I expect that on the whole it does, although I'm sure there are some notable exceptions that, I would hope, get weeded out.

5 comments:

  1. "Most of them aren't really passionate and care about inner-city/urban issues. Most of them BS the interview process and just cause they're from "Harvard" . . .

    With apologies to Teacher Patti and the other exceptions, how would this would make the TFA crowd different from the "traditional inner city teacher" crowd? (Other than the fact that most inner city teachers didn't go to Harvard?)

    CWD

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  2. Oh CWD, I wish you could spend a day at my school and see some of the crap that goes on. I mean, my room is fun and full of learning(of course!!) but you would see some stuff that would make your stomach hurt.... (I just got caught in the crossfire of a teacher screaming really insulting things at her class, and my stomach hurts)

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  3. TeacherPatti: Sorry to hear about the incident today, hang in there.

    All: Don't get me wrong. I'm not singling inner city teachers out in this regard. Most people go to work for a "non-altruistic" reason, i.e. a paycheck. Lawyer's don't stay in the profession (in general, I'm sure Aaron is an exception) in order to bring legal services to the poor and to support the constitution. They do it because it pays the bills.

    CWD

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  4. Perhaps it's that recent college grads, whether from Harvard or their local community college, have some understanding of how fortunate they are to have had the opportunity to attain a good education and have chosen to give back some good karma? Perhaps recent college grads still have a bit of idealism left in them and want to participate in something unselfish and fulfilling before they get into the "real world" and begin to hate their lives as much as the rest of the average working shlubs who work to get a paycheck rather than feeling good about what they do?
    Say what you will about TFA, but understand that they are there trying to be part of the solution, not the problem.

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  5. "Perhaps it's that recent college grads . . . understand . . .how fortunate they are . . . still have a bit of idealism left in them and want to participate in something unselfish and fulfilling before they get into the "real world" . . .are there trying to be part of the solution, not the problem."

    It would be pretty to think so . . .

    CWD

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