There is an urgent need for excellent science education in our nation—and your talent and training are in high demand. If you are considering graduate study in the biological or biomedical sciences in preparation for a career in academia or industry, consider Teach For America. By committing two years to teach in an urban or rural community, you can have a significant impact on students’ understanding of science and its real-world applications at a time when schools in low-income areas find it challenging to staff these departments with teachers who have content expertise. By demonstrating to your students that science is relevant and engaging while leading them to meaningful academic growth, you will pave the way for future scientists in schools that currently produce few students who successfully pursue such careers. When you then move on to a career in academia or industry, you will be better positioned to develop informed initiatives that will expand and diversify the pipeline of future scientists. You will also have the unique opportunity to serve as a credible lifelong advocate for systemic changes that will lead to equity in our public education system.
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I began college with the intention of going directly to medical school. I knew, however, from my experience as a teaching assistant at the University of Colorado at Boulder, that I had a passion for teaching. After discussions with my undergraduate research mentor, who encouraged me to investigate alternative career paths before graduate school, I decided to join Teach For America.
It was early during my first year as a corps member that I began to wrestle with the issues associated with the achievement gap. As a 9th grade biology teacher, I was charged with inspiring my students to look at the natural world around them, observe patterns, and ask questions. Yet my students often dealt with more pressing issues, and therefore were less focused on thinking critically about science. It was only when they saw the connections between their lives and the scientific methods that biologists employ that we began to make progress. For example, to teach the scientific method, I invented a scenario where the class had to apply this method to determine whether or not a character on a popular television show would be hired for a job. Within minutes, the students were spinning hypotheses and proposing ways to test them. That day I felt the scientific culture gap in my classroom shrink from miles to meters.
In addition to these professional lessons, my two years as a corps member had a deep emotional impact on me. I experienced how a group of dedicated teachers committed to the success of their students can go a long way towards closing the achievement gap. For example, in order to introduce my class to viruses and the immune system, another Teach For America corps member and I designed a hands-on activity in which the students created diagrams of viruses. When a student entered my classroom the next morning toting a 5-foot-tall replica of a bacterial virus, I knew that we’d had a breakthrough.
The two years I spent in the corps focusing on inquiry-based learning with my students underscored the importance of providing authentic research opportunities for students who have traditionally been under-represented in the sciences. Moreover, my Teach For America experience gave me important perspective that helped me choose a career path that is fulfilling and enjoyable. Having completed an experience so challenging, I was better prepared for graduate school and for my current position, which is a combination of teaching biology at Tufts University and running my own lab. My long-term goal is to formalize mechanisms by which scientists and medical professionals can partner with teachers in order to motivate students and prepare them for the rigors of college science courses.
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I was the first in my family to go to college, and because of my education, I have had the chance to do fantastic things and meet great people. I know that this opportunity is missing for many people, so I applied to Teach For America because of my strong belief that education is empowerment.
Once I entered the classroom as a corps member, I realized that the academic achievement gap stems from complex social problems—and that education can go a long way toward solving those problems. I have always been interested in public health, and in my classroom I gained firsthand experience that deepened my interest. My school had many students with lead poisoning, and witnessing the effects firsthand brought home the importance of effective public health measures. I also learned that having a safe, healthy social environment is essential for success. In my classroom, I tried to foster the kind of community that would not only lead to better learning, but would also be applicable for my students in the real world.
One of my most rewarding experiences was coaching the school’s basketball team and tutoring the players so they could maintain good grades. Additionally, I was able to secure a scholarship for one of our star players to go to basketball camp at my undergraduate alma mater. That was the first time he had left Baltimore or visited a college campus.
My experience in the Teach For America corps gave me perspective, which has been the most valuable and enduring lesson I have taken with me from the classroom to the laboratory and all aspects of my life. After dealing with the gravity and responsibility of teaching, when I missed a couple of questions on a test or ruined an experiment in the lab, I realized it was not the end of the world. I have also found that the organizational skills required for managing research data are similar to those required for tracking grades and test scores.
Graduate schools and fellowship committees definitely look favorably on Teach For America alumni. I received a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship largely because of my corps experience. I chose to go to Princeton for graduate school and found that many successful people here did not go straight to graduate school. Joining the corps was the right decision for me and has further enabled me to achieve my life goals in the laboratory, in public health policy analysis, and beyond.
Learn more about alumni effecting fundamental change
Our science, technology, engineering, and mathematics workforce is the backbone of our innovation economy and the source of our economic and national security. We must value science, those who do it, and those who teach it— and we must tap all of the talent this nation has to offer. Success begins in the classroom. Teachers who are prepared, equipped, and passionate about the possibilities of science and mathematics offer our best hope for the next generation. Teach For America seeks to bring that sense of possibility, that passion for discovery, that spark of hope into underserved mathematics and science classrooms, and our nation will be stronger for it.
- Shirley Ann Jackson,
Ph.D. President, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Former Chairman, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
(1995-99)
A growing number of biological sciences graduate programs partner with Teach For America to offer special benefits for corps members and alumni, such as two-year deferrals. These partners recognize that alumni have gone through a highly selective process and have engaged in a challenging professional experience. Below is a list of of all biological sciences programs partnered with Teach For America. Click here to search our complete database.
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