Stumbled upon this unfortunate blog/discussion of Teach for America. I’ve heard rumblings of things like this in the past but never something so explicit.

The title of the author’s book, “Learning on Other People’s Kids” highlights the main problem with Teach for America nowdays – a lack of support and real pedagogical training for the volunteers. Kinda reminds one of graduate students, huh?

It seems that we have a consistent habit of throwing twenty-something new graduates into teaching roles without really considering whether or not they have any idea how to teach, resulting in difficulties for both primary and secondary school kids and college students.

As the author says, “Children can no longer afford to have anyone, even those with good intentions, learn on their time. That is just not acceptable.”

I find this to be just as true when it comes to our undergraduate students.