Teaching Fellow Application
OUR TEACHERS ARE STUDENTS, TOO!
At Breakthrough Twin Cities, our teachers are students. Through our Teaching Fellowship, we recruit and train college and select high school students who are passionate about education themselves – and can truly relate to our students like no one else. Sound like you? Join us!
Breakthrough’s highly rated Teaching Fellowship takes place every summer. With its “all-day, every day” nine week commitment, Breakthrough’s trademark summer Teaching Fellowship is very intense. It is a lifestyle more than a job… an unmatched opportunity to have a real impact on students. Fellows teach two core courses, plan field trips and special events, and participate in parent conferences. By the end of this experience, you will definitely know if teaching is the right path for you.
AS A TEACHING FELLOW, YOU’LL RECEIVE
- An opportunity to teach rigorous academic courses in Math, Science, Literature, Social Studies, and electives with the support of an experienced Instructional Coach!
- 100+ hours of training in lesson planning, classroom management, and student-centered teaching.
- $5000 living stipend ($5500 for returning Teaching Fellows), housing options, and the opportunity for an Americorp service award.
- An opportunity to work with a fun, supportive, diverse faculty comprised of other amazing students.
- Leadership opportunities related to special events, fields trips, and committees.
- Opportunity to earn additional Stipend: The BTC Buddy Pass is an exciting opportunity for participants to earn extra money by referring friends to the program. For every person that you bring to the program, you will receive a bonus of 50 dollars. To qualify for the bonus, the person you refer must successfully complete the summer program and mention your name in their application. The bonus will be added to your last stipend during the summer. It’s important to note that there is a limit of 4 referrals per person. Take advantage of the BTC Buddy Pass and earn some extra cash while sharing the amazing experience of the program with your friends!
WHAT TO EXPECT
More than anything else, our Teaching Fellows can expect to experience tremendous personal and professional growth throughout their summer at Breakthrough. We firmly believe in the power of preparation, hard work, and dedication, and we encourage our staff, teachers, and students to embody these values every week. By fully immersing themselves in the Teaching Fellow experience, individuals have the opportunity to not only develop their own skills but also to witness the incredible impact that a dedicated team can make. This deep commitment and sense of community create an environment where learning becomes not only educational but also enjoyable and life-changing for our students on a daily basis.
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ELIGIBLE CANDIDATES
- College undergraduates or current juniors or seniors in high school (the last summer of eligibility is the one following your college graduation, so college seniors are eligible to apply)
- Have a demonstrated passion and talent for the subjects they study in school and a desire to share them with middle school students
- Crave the opportunity to try out teaching as a career (though you are not required to be an education major)
- Possess the maturity to engage in significant personal growth and self-reflection
- Are dependable and completely committed to the program
- Represent and respect all types of racial, ethnic, and economic backgrounds
- Are motivated by a desire to impact the lives of our students for the better
- Do not have a teaching license when applying to teach in the program
HOW TO APPLY
Be the difference. Apply today and change the course of a young mind or two (or a hundred).
Because it is an opportunity unlike any other available to high school and college students, the Breakthrough Teaching Fellowship is competitive, and the application process is rigorous. It is modeled after the fellowship experience itself, and it places teachers in circumstances they will encounter during the summer. To do well, a candidate must present themselves effectively in multiple settings.
Step 1: Do The Research
The first step in applying for the Breakthrough Teaching Fellowship this summer is to learn everything you possibly can about it. Please do the following before beginning an application:
- Sign up for our mailing list for updates and reminders!
- Review the entire “Teaching Fellowship” section of this website.
- Learn more about the fellowship at the Breakthrough Collaborative website (see link below).
- If you have questions that have not been answered through the website, please contact us at teach@breakthroughtwincities.org.
Step 2: Complete the Online Application
The ONLINE APPLICATION is completed through the national Breakthrough Collaborative website. In order for Breakthrough Twin Cities to have the right to consider you first, please select Breakthrough Twin Cities as your #1 site preference nationally. Write your essays in a Word document and paste your responses into the online application when you are finished. Follow all instructions closely. Depending on which sites you apply to, there may be two application deadlines:
- Application Open: October 12, 2023
- Early Action Deadline: January 18, 2024
- Regular Decision Deadline: February 29, 2024
Step 3: Submit Recommendation and Transcript
You will be asked to provide the contact information of a reference during the application process. Your recommendation will be completed electronically. You will also be asked to provide an unofficial transcript in electronic format in advance of the interview.
Step 4: Complete the Remote Interview Process
Interviews are conducted on a rolling basis in a group setting over Google Meet. The interview includes behavioral-based questions and a team exercise, lasting approximately 90 minutes.
Step 5: Await Notification
You will be notified of the decision by your first-choice site in mid-March at which time you will be offered a position or passed to your second-choice site. Your second-choice site will make a decision in late March. If your second-choice site is unable to offer you a position, you will be passed to your third-choice site. You will receive final notification in early April.
Some applicants who are not offered a position by one of their ranked preferences AND indicated that they were willing to teach anywhere will be placed on the national waitlist. You will be notified if you are placed on the national waitlist. Offers can be extended to national waitlist applicants at any time and final notification will occur in early June.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Where is the program conducted?
Breakthrough Twin Cities has three sites in the Twin Cities:
- Mounds Park Academy – 2051 Larpenteur Ave E, Saint Paul, MN 55109
- Saint Paul Central High School – 275 Lexington Pkwy N, Saint Paul, MN 55104
- Chaska High School – 545 Pioneer Trail, Chaska, MN 55318
The summer and school-year program will take place at their respective host schools. Teaching Fellows will indicate their site preferences during the interview process.
I do not live in the Twin Cities, but want to teach at Breakthrough Twin Cities. Are there housing options available?
We work with local colleges and universities to locate housing options for students with financial needs. Additional information will be requested from those who choose to pursue this option at the time that any position is being offered.
I am interested in teaching, but I do not have a car. Are there options for transportation?
At the beginning of every summer, we help faculty members arrange carpools. There are also reasonable Metro Transit options for our St. Paul sites (lightrail, bus routes). In the past, all of our teachers have been able to arrange necessary transportation.
I might have another job or take classes while teaching at Breakthrough. Is this acceptable?
No. Teaching at Breakthrough is a lifestyle, not a job. In order to ensure the quality of instruction for our students and for you to grow as a teacher, you need to dedicate all of your energy to your work here and cannot have concurrent job or school responsibilities.
Do teachers design the courses or is there a predetermined curriculum?
At Breakthrough Twin Cities the staff and instructional coaches work prior to the summer to prepare objectives for each core course area to ensure that our students receive rigorous instruction. We have curriculum available in all four core subjects (math, science, literature, and writing). Content and activities in lesson plans must be adapted by the Teaching Fellow with the help of their Instructional Coach, and creativity is highly encouraged!
How is it decided which subject I teach?
In the online application you have an opportunity to list which core subjects you are “excited”, “able to” and “not willing” to teach. Our Selection Committee considers these preferences in combination with the needs of the program, and offers positions accordingly.
I am a senior in college, am I still eligible to apply for this summer?
Yes. You must be an undergraduate at the time that you apply. The summer following your graduation from an undergraduate institution is your final summer of eligibility to teach at Breakthrough.
I already taught at a Breakthrough Twin Cities site previously. How do I reapply?
We ask returners to use the same national application as new teachers, but from the perspective of embracing new challenges with a growth mindset and innovating on the excellence from your previous summer(s). Use the essay questions to express how you would be excited to build off of the lessons you previously learned as a Teaching Fellow. You will be asked to provide a reference, and you should list an active BTC Program Staff member (we will access your evaluation from last summer). The interview process will consist of a phone interview with BTC Staff. We will also take your last exit interview into consideration.
