Here you will find resources to help you out as you complete your application.
Many applicants describe how challenging the lesson plan can be. In order to support you we have provided a few templates that will guide you in the right direction. Please make sure to use the guide to assist your development of ideas and design of learning procedures and assessments. Be careful not to borrow too much from these templates. The lesson plan is an opportunity for you to demonstrate your passion for a skills-based approach to teaching.
Breakthrough New Haven History Reseach Methods Curriculum Guide
March 9, 2010 at 5:13 pm |
Hello, I was invited to interview for a position as a teacher, but I don’t know if I have to turn in a teacher recommendation and a transcript before or after the interview.
March 10, 2010 at 10:09 am |
Hi Ahmed-
I encourage you to do two things:
1. Send the form to your recommender and ask him/her to complete the form and be ready to forward it to the Site Director upon your go ahead.
2. Respond to the Site Director who invited you for an interview and ask if s/he would like to receive the eRecommendation from your recommender.
Best!
March 5, 2010 at 9:28 am |
Hello,
I see from an earlier comment that our teacher can email his or her recommendation directly to the person who asked for it. But, I cannot find the recommendation form. Where can I tell my teacher to find the form?
Thanks,
Josh
March 5, 2010 at 10:24 am |
Hi Josh-
In the automated emails you received when you started your application and submitted it there was a link to the form. I’ve also put it up here: http://teachbreakthroughs.org/apply-to-teach/
Best,
Dave.
March 2, 2010 at 4:42 pm |
How formal should I dress for the interview?
March 2, 2010 at 6:34 pm |
Hi Heather-
Good question: I’d go for business casual.
Good luck!
February 28, 2010 at 6:56 pm |
Hello!
Just need some clarifications on the letter of recommendation. When the recommender is done filling out the letter, do they email it back to me and I’ll print it out or email to the site director? Also is the letter due at the same time of the application?
March 1, 2010 at 9:44 am |
Hi Kevin-
Great questions: Recommenders send eRec forms directly to the Site Director who has requested it. The eRec forms are due when they are requested not by the application deadline.
Good luck!
February 28, 2010 at 3:23 pm |
Does the application have to be done by tommorow or does the appliciation and the letter of recomendation and essay have to be done by tommorow. I was given the idea that we didn’t need the letter of recomendation until someone e-mailed me back so I don’t know what to do since I can’t get a letter of recomendation in a day..
February 22, 2010 at 4:35 pm |
I am willing to work at any location for summer 2010, but my school year isn’t ending until June 9th. Is it possible for me to check the box indicating that I would work at any site, but only if the start date is after June 9th?
February 22, 2010 at 5:07 pm |
Hi Taryn-
Unfortunately, our application doesn’t have that functionality this year but it’s a great suggestion for the future. I’ll definitely make a note of it. Good thinking!
February 19, 2010 at 11:23 pm |
Hi,
where can I download the recomendation form?
February 22, 2010 at 5:09 pm |
Hi Patrice-
When you began your application and then again when you submitted it (or when you will submit it), you received an automate email from our database with a link to the eRecommendation form and directions for its use.
Good luck!
February 16, 2010 at 9:53 pm |
Hello Dave!
I haven’t been able to find much information on the different locations. What criteria should I use in choosing my top four locations, other than where I already have housing?
Thanks!
~Erica
February 17, 2010 at 1:31 pm |
Hi Erica-
I would encourage you to look at the Site Roster inside the application next to the logout button. In this link you’ll be able to get a lot of information about the individual sites including homestay details, aged and number of students and percentage of teachers selected last year among others.
Best,
Dave.
February 15, 2010 at 5:47 pm |
Hi,
Do we need letters of recommendation?
February 16, 2010 at 1:32 pm |
Hi Eddie-
This is a great question and one that needs some clarification. Please send recommendation forms only to Site Directors who ask for them specifically. If you are asked for an in person interview you will most likely be asked to have your recommender send your recommendation to the Site Director. Since we are using an eForm which allows a recommender to pick from a drop menu certain responses recommendations that come directly from applicants are inauthentic. You must ask your recommender to email the form directly to the Site Director who solicits the recommendation.
Please do not ask you recommender to send forms to Dave Bryson.
February 15, 2010 at 2:20 pm |
Hi!
This program sounds amazing and I am interested in applying to work at the Cambridge site! But unfortunately, I already have a trip planned this summer for about a week in early July. Does this mean that I can’t participate in the program?
Thanks!
February 19, 2010 at 2:33 pm |
Hi Katie-
Full participation is a key component to gaining selection as a teacher candidate. Think about it this way, if you were one of our students, would you want your teacher to take off for 1/6 of your summer? We want to make sure that we are maximizing the instructional time for our students. Every moment counts! Missing an entire week of program will make your application much less attractive to our directors.
February 14, 2010 at 7:12 am |
Hi,
I’m an F-1 international student. Would I be able to apply for a teacher position?
Thanks
February 19, 2010 at 2:31 pm |
Hi Alison-
Yes, you are allowed to apply as long as you have INS clearance. I encourage you to check in with your Office of International Students to determine what forms you need to gain INS support.
February 8, 2010 at 10:51 am |
hi!
i was wondering if essays are allowed to be more than 500 words if it is still inside the 3,000 character limit?
thanks!
February 8, 2010 at 10:53 am |
Hi Jordan-
The 3000 character limit is the true limit. 500 words is a rough approximation of that.
Best.
January 19, 2010 at 4:20 pm |
Thanks so much for your reply!
Yin
January 17, 2010 at 6:46 pm |
Hi,
Regarding the lesson plan, I am just wondering what you mean by a “skills-based approach to teaching”?
Thanks,
Yin
January 19, 2010 at 11:57 am |
Hi Yin-
Great question! Many times-specifically in humanities classes-young teachers tend to focus so much on what content they will teach (i.e. the Civil Rights Movement, the short stories of Junot Diaz or a rocket launching project) that the academic skills (e.g. SQ3R reading method, active annotating, dividing fractions or graphing functions) get at least put to the side and at worst ignored. While content is specific, skills are transferable beyond the 6 week summer program.) At Breakthrough we want to ensure that our students academic skills are as sharp as they can be to set them up to succeed in the most challenging academic environments in their area. The way we do that is to identify first the academic skills that our students need to practice and employ a body of content that will allow us to teach those skills.