California Teaching Fellows: Afterschool as a Teaching Practicum (Part 2)

Source: www.ctff.us

By Sam Piha

We interviewed Malia Villarreal (Public & Strategic Development Manager) and Mike Snell (CEO) at California Teaching Fellows Foundation (CTFF) which views afterschool programs as a valuable experience for future teachers. Below is part 2 of this interview. You can view part 1 here.

You can view our paper on this topic here. We also conducted a webinar, which you can view here.

Q: What are the responses of teaching fellow participants to the afterschool experience and what results have you seen?    

A: Reflecting on her experience as a student-teacher during the pandemic, Erika made connections on how her experience and training in the afterschool program enabled her to rise to the occasion. Erika expressed that the culture of afterschool taught her some very important lessons, “afterschool never happens how it is supposed to, but I was taught no matter what, it (the after-school program) needs to work out for the students.” She learned early on that she must always have a plan A, B, C, and D. Her experience as a tutor first, and later as a site coordinator taught her to think on the spot and basic classroom management skills; which she admitted didn’t come naturally to her in the beginning. It took a lot of coaching and patience to master those skills. Looking back on her journey in afterschool, Erika revealed she never would have gone through with pursuing a teaching career if she didn’t have the opportunity to practice and receive consistent feedback. 

Trainings during the Teaching Fellow Academies really stuck with me, and I had the opportunity to directly apply it. There were Ah-ha moments when I went back to my school site and would witness how what I was taught was all true.”                  – Erika Martinez

Erika stated the cycle of training, hands-on practice, and feedback were the keys to her success. Needless to say, Erika credits much of her current success to her time spent working in expanded learning programs. 

Source: www.ctff.us

Q: Is this program particularly important now as a result of the COVID pandemic?

A: COVID-19 continues to teach us many new lessons while reinforcing much of what we already knew as educators and humans. Now more than ever, students need social and emotional support from our expanded learning and school staff, and our working parents need a safe and supportive environment for their children during the critical out-of-school time hours. 

COVID-19 has exacerbated the teacher shortage crisis and we’re seeing record college dropout rates which is a recipe for a student equity disaster (Carver-Thomas et al, 2021). Our role as a community benefit organization is to elevate the voices of our two critical stakeholders: K-12 students and our college students (Teaching Fellows). We know our community needs and deserves highly qualified and diverse teachers, especially in our historically underserved communities. Our experience working with diverse first-gen college students for the last 20 years has taught us that despite their navigational capital, managing the process of graduating college and entering a credential program is complex. 

The pandemic has made college even less accessible to students. When we ask Teaching Fellows why they’re dropping out of college and teacher credential programs, they say “I can’t afford college anymore.” Being mostly first-gen college students, our Teaching Fellows need to be able to work and support their families while they attend college. They say their largest barriers are test and tuition costs, inconsistent class schedules that don’t allow them to work, credential programs/college classes being (geographically) too far from where they live, and an overwhelming feeling that they do not belong. 

Expanded Learning programs and models like the CTFF have tremendous opportunities to challenge traditional teacher education models, to work to align systems that serve youth and communities and share our knowledge and experiences to further this important work and foster a sense of belonging.

MORE ABOUT... 

Malia Villarreal, Public & Strategic Development Manager, California Teaching Fellows Foundation has worked in the expanded learning field for six years at the CTFF where she has worked on a plethora of projects and strategic initiatives. She has graduated over 100 college interns in an innovative pipeline that yields talent and champions of the out-of-school time field in the Central Valley, and has built relationships with local, state, and federal elected officials, multisector stakeholders, and community influencers to promote afterschool programs and the California Teaching Fellows model in the San Joaquin Valley and beyond.

Mike Snell, CEO, California Teaching Fellows Foundation is the Chief Executive Officer of CTFF. The mission of CTFF is to inspire next-generation leaders with a passion for teaching and learning while impacting the lives of youth. Mike’s personal mission is to link talent to opportunity in the kindergarten through the college pipeline. Mike invests a significant portion of his off-work hours serving and supporting organizations aligned with his personal and professional goals and making a significant impact in California’s Central Valley. Mike serves and has served on various committees at the California Department of Education Expanded                                     Learning Division.

Erika Martinez, Teaching Credential Candidate and Former Teaching Fellow, is a first year, first-grade teacher at Williams Elementary. She is currently working on her Master’s in Social-Emotional Learning. She recently graduated from the Fresno Unified Teacher Residency Program through National University, where she obtained her Multiple Subject Teaching Credentials. Prior to that, she attended Fresno Pacific University, where she completed her Bachelor’s in Liberal Studies. She has two years of experience teaching Drama through Fresno Unified School District (FUSD), and six years of experience working in afterschool programs through California Teaching Fellows Foundation (CTFF) where she gained nearly 3,000 hours of hands-on experience and more than 120 hours of professional and personal development. 

California Teaching Fellows: Afterschool as a Teaching Practicum (Part 1)

Source: www.ctff.us

By Sam Piha

We interviewed Malia Villarreal (Public & Strategic Development Manager) and Mike Snell (CEO) at California Teaching Fellows Foundation (CTFF) which views afterschool programs as a valuable experience for future teachers. Below are their responses.

You can view our paper on Afterschool as a Teacher Pathway here. We also conducted a webinar on this topic, which you can view here.

Q: Can you describe how the California Teaching Fellows Foundation (CTFF) works?

A: CTFF at Fresno State University (FSU) links college students with opportunities for paid placements working in afterschool, summer, and regular school day programs in public schools, charter schools, and community centers. These college students gain experience working with school site leaders, students, and families so they know the climate and culture of the school well before becoming a teacher. They’re diverse and have built relationships so they’re well prepared and reflect the community they serve. We also provide ongoing monthly paid professional development via our Teaching Fellow Academies; where tutors gain access to incredible out-of-school time professionals as well as K-12 and Higher Education leaders who help professionally develop them. 

The Teaching Fellow Academies have intentionally provided additional content and training around social and emotional learning supports, trauma-informed practices, and social and cultural pedagogy. In addition to the Teaching Fellows Academies, CTFF offers the DREAM Initiative which provides personal development to Teaching Fellows. Examples of DREAM services are one on one life coaching, CBEST prep workshops, group meet-ups, home buying workshops, financial literacy, a care fund, and so many other great benefits that help Teaching Fellows reach their full potential.

Q: Can you give an example of how CTFF works from the perspective of a teaching fellow?

Erika Martinez

A: The story of Erika Martinez is a powerful illustration of the Teaching Fellows program and our quest to strengthen and diversify the pipeline of future teachers in the Central Valley. Erika is currently in the Fresno Unified Teacher Residency Program and will be a credentialed teacher with a Master’s in Social and Emotional Learning upon graduation from the school district’s program. Erika will soon join the ranks of hundreds of teachers in the Central Valley who gained early field experience working in afterschool programs through the CTFF. We are proud to call Erika a Teaching Fellows Alumni.

Erika started as a Teaching Fellow tutor working in an afterschool program in 2014. After over two years as a tutor managing a classroom of 20 students, then Erika was promoted to a Site Coordinator where she served for two more years. As a Site Coordinator, Erika managed the school’s afterschool program and a team of 12 tutors and one ASL. Her school site regularly served 220 students a day. In 2020, Erika earned a bachelor's degree in Liberal Studies. While Erika’s story is amazing, she is not unlike many amazing Teaching Fellows who take advantage of CTFF’s model. 

Q: Can you explain how the experience of afterschool workers are relevant to becoming a teacher. What advantages do these experiences offer? 

A: As Erika leaves the CTFF, she takes with her nearly 3,000 hours of hands-on classroom experience, more than 120 hours of professional and personal development via the Teaching Fellows Academies (paid professional development), and a deep understanding of school systems and the communities they serve. Erika represents the demographics we see throughout the Teaching Fellows program: diverse, educated, first-generation, bi-lingual college students, and highly motivated to make a difference in her community. As she graduates from her Teacher Residency program, Erika will be day 1 ready to teach. Erika, like so many Teaching Fellows, has tremendous capital; she is culturally competent, linguistically diverse, aspires for a better future, and is acutely aware of what it takes to work with school-age youth, families, and educational professionals. Erika’s experiences’ like so many others who work in afterschool programs, perfectly prepare her to take advantage of career path opportunities in education and position them well to navigate it. 

Erika Martinez practicing "youth voice and leadership" by signing up her students to attend the Afterschool and Summer Challenge at the state capitol to talk to Legislators and the Governor's Office about the importance of afterschool.  

(Pictured left to right back row: Sanger High School student, Malia Villarreal, Senator Melissa Hurtado, Mike Snell, Erika Martinez, front row: West Fresno Elementary School students)

While teachers have the California Standards for the Teaching Profession (CSTP), fortunately, afterschool (also referred to as expanded learning professionals) have the Learning In Afterschool & Summer’s Principles (LIAS) and California Quality Standards for Expanded Learning Programs. The LIAS and quality standards are the framework we provided to Teaching Fellows who are serving as educators and leaders for students. There are natural similarities between the standards in afterschool and the standards of the teaching profession. While more research needs to be done to connect the afterschool quality standards to the teaching profession standards, it is clear that the pre-service experiences in afterschool programs help leaders like Erika in their pursuits of becoming a teacher. 

END OF PART 1

Temescal Associates and The How Kids Learn Foundation will be conducting a webinar featuring a presentation by Brittany Collins and a panel of experts on Responding to Grief and Loss in Afterschool Programs, Thursday, March 17, 2022 from 10:00am - 12:00pm (PST). To learn more and register, click HERE.

ELPs and the Classroom Teacher Shortage, Part 2

By Sam Piha

Sam Piha

With the last economic recession, school districts across the nation and in California laid off large numbers of teachers. The recent uptake of the economy and increased tax dollars for education, districts are now experiencing a large shortage of teachers. We also know that the number of college students who have enrolled in education courses has dropped significantly. 

How can expanded learning programs (ELPs) contribute to solving this shortage? We believe ELPs are perfectly positioned to allow young workers and future teachers the opportunity to learn skills that are very important to classroom work.

In part 2 of ELPs and the Classroom Teacher Shortage, we offer interview responses from young adults who have migrated from ELPs to the teaching profession (René Ly, Graduate Student in Education and Substitute Teacher) and Anna Zimmerman (Graduate Student in Education and Future 4th Grade Teacher). In Part 1, we offered interview responses from ELP leader (Alec Lee, Aim High) and a teacher training leader (Mike Snell, California Teaching Fellows Foundation).

We also want to share this valuable and brief video that features René Ly and other young teachers who have migrated from youth work to teaching careers. 

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Q: Can you say something about why you chose to become a classroom teacher? 

RL: I chose to be a classroom teacher because of the unique experience. As a classroom teacher, I am able to be with my students and have the ability to be in community with them as well as witness their tremendous development throughout the school year. 

AZ: Becoming an educator has always been a passion of mine.  When I was in high school, I joined an ROP class called Careers in Education, I knew that this is what I wanted to do.  Being a classroom teacher is not only about loving children.  It is about loving to see growth in the youth and loving to see the changes that these young lives are going through.  Being an educator means you are a mentor and a role model for the youth.  I chose to become a classroom teacher because I am passionate about making a difference in the lives around me.  

Q: Based on your experience, why are afterschool and summer youth programs well-positioned to serve as good training grounds for young people who want to be teachers? What do they offer that the traditional student-teacher experience doesn't?

RL: Within the afterschool and summer program experiences, I was able to develop lesson plans based off of interests and hobbies all while aligned with the state standards. I remember conducting science experiments, teaching art and dance as well as reading units. Teaching in afterschool capacities allowed me to teach with less pressure in terms of institutionalized expectations. It allowed me to be creative and thoughtful throughout my planning. 

AZ: These programs allow you to experience what its like to be responsible for a group of students.  You learn that not every day is going to go as planned and you learn to be flexible.  One of the greatest lessons I learned in the after school program was to be resilient.  It is so important to know that if a lesson is not as great as you wish it was, or if a student is struggling or being a distraction, it is important to implement classroom management skills that are well suited for the environment you are in.  As an educator you must learn to be resilient and allow yourself to fail so that you can learn from that mistake.  These programs for early teachers are great for supporting teachers in the making and giving them hands on experience with the kids.  While sitting in a lecture class you can learn a lot of valuable information, however, you truly learn the most by working with the kids and learning that each kid learns and retains information differently.  By working hands on in a classroom you are allowing yourself to experience an element of what its like to be a teacher.  

Q: Based on your experience, do you think afterschool and summer youth programs are well-positioned to encourage young people to consider the teaching profession as the next step in their career? Why? 

RL: I believe afterschool and summer youth programs are great stepping stones for young people to explore the route of teaching. Both programming provide opportunities to develop your craft, share it with students and most importantly practice. The leadership within the programs are also beneficial in terms of guidance and mentorship. 

AZ: These programs allow the future teachers to be in the classroom and working with the students in whole class discussions as well as small group. Also, these programs allow the future teacher to experience what its like to see a child's "lightbulb" go off when they grasp a concept.  These are all important concepts for a teacher to see and experience.  Not only is it beneficial to work hands on with the students, but these programs also offer a lot of guidance and structure when going through classes.  The most encouraging and beneficial part for me, was that I was able to connect and build relationships with the staff and administration through different school sites.  These people became friends, mentors, and also an amazing example of what teaching is all about. 

Q: In your own words, can you say something about the value of the Aim High and the Teaching Fellows program to your development as a young teacher? 

RL: Aim High's attention and care of their staff is the first and foremost of my development as a young teacher. I had the pleasure of working with veteran teachers who were open, kind, and willing to share their best practices. Aim High also gave me the opportunity to develop all aspects of my craft as a young teacher. From lesson planning to creating community, Aim High provides a space for that. My biggest take away from Aim High is that learning is FUN, CREATIVE, and MEANINGFUL. A recipe I will carry with me throughout my teaching career. 

AZ: California Teaching Fellows provided me with more than just a classroom setting to work in. This program allowed me to gain a better understanding of the education field and also a foundation for what to expect as a new teacher. Because of this program, I am confident in accepting a position as a 4th grade teacher. I feel confident in my ability to not only deliver meaningful lessons to my students, but also how to manage my classroom and how to build relationships with each of my students.  This program has helped me make connections with valuable people in the field of teaching and it has taught me the professional side of being an educator.   

ELPs and the Classroom Teacher Shortage, Part 1

By Sam Piha

Sam Piha

With the last economic recession, school districts across the nation and in California laid off large numbers of teachers. The recent uptick of the economy and increased tax dollars for education, districts are now experiencing a large shortage of teachers. We also know that the number of college students who have enrolled in education courses have dropped significantly. 

How can expanded learning programs (ELPs) contribute to solving this shortage? (By expanded learning programs, we are referring to school and community-based youth programs.) We believe they can help in two ways:

• Serve as a training ground for students enrolled in education/teacher programs. 
• Inspire youth workers who may be interested in advancing their careers by entering the teaching profession. 

Photo Credit: Education Week

ELPs are perfectly positioned to allow young workers and future teachers the opportunity to learn skills that are very important to classroom work: 

• How to build a caring community of youth.
• How to form meaningful relationships with youth.
• How to use project based learning to advance engagement and align these experiences with the interests of youth.
• How to advance social emotional learning and character skills through youth programming.
• And more…

In Part 1, we offer interview responses from ELP leader (Alec Lee, Aim High) and a teacher training leader (Mike Snell, California Teaching Fellows Foundation). Also, Aim High was featured in Education Week for their success in encouraging youth workers to pursue a career in teaching. Click here to read the article.  

In Part 2, we will feature interview responses from teachers who began their careers as youth workers. 
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Q: Can you say something about the recent teacher shortage in California and the Central Valley? What is this and what caused it? 

MS: The teacher shortage is real. In speaking with superintendents and school

district leadership, it is a challenge to fill open teacher positions within the district. This is especially true in our more rural school districts. As increasing waves of baby boomers retire and interest in joining the teaching profession has been in steady decline, the demand and access to the quality gap is huge. 

As I connect with national after school providers across the country, they describe the challenges in their regions as being similar. Plain and simple, there are not enough young people choosing education as a career path, therefore credential programs are not able to produce the number of teachers required to meet the current demand. 

Recent studies suggest that the number of high school students interested in teaching as a career path has declined 55% in the last 10 years, from 9% of graduating seniors wanting to teach, to only 4%. I believe that those of us in the expanded learning space have a huge opportunity to influence young people’s perception of teaching as a career choice. Beyond opportunity, I believe we have a responsibility to all young people to place the best and brightest after school leaders in front of them, and my desired outcome is that this experience influences both the after school leaders as well as our young people, to promote teaching as a career choice. 

Q: How are afterschool and summer youth programs well-positioned to serve as good training grounds for young people who want to be teachers? 

MS: After school and summer present the best opportunities for those interested in education to gain tremendous real life experiences working with young people and working within the K-12 system. Year-round, after-school and summer staff earn hundreds, and in many cases, thousands of hours of classroom experience to build them up and prepare them for their career in education. Beyond experience at the point of service, our staff benefit from additional professional development and training around the systems and strategies that school districts deploy to accomplish their goals for all students.  

This is vital real world experience. They meet the school district support team, they collaborate with seasoned teachers, and often they interface with the superintendent. Developing these relationships while they are attending college and building their professional context for eduction provides a huge ‘foot in the door’ opportunity and will typically provide them advantages when competing for a teaching job against another candidate without after school or summer experience. They learn about the work, the culture, the preparation, the challenges, and they truthfully go into the profession incredibly well prepared. Here at Teaching Fellows we hear regularly from the over 40 superintendents we serve that are absolutely looking to our after school and summer staff as the best training ground and talent pool for future teachers in their respective districts.  

AL: Summer is a time to be different and step away from traditional classroom learning environments. At Aim High, our class size is 15-18 with two or three teachers in each classroom. Our curriculum is project-based and culturally relevant. We do two weeks of professional development before the kids come through the door. As a non-profit, we are freed from the constraints of public schools. We position ourselves at the intersection of rigor and fun. Young people are paired with lead teachers who have the opportunity to mentor. Summer can be a teaching laboratory. Lastly, many summer programs are community based and provide the opportunity to really know kids and their potential, issues and challenges very well.

Q: How are afterschool and summer youth programs well-positioned to encourage young people to consider the teaching profession as the next step in their career? 

MS: The population of millennials, which is our current college-age population, will far outsize the baby boomer numbers. The generation that follows the millennials will be even larger. This population trend coupled with the national rise in after school programs and systems of support will be the key to attracting, train and retain generations of future teachers. With after school and summer staff leaders now in this space, we have the tremendous opportunity to leave a lasting impression and challenge students to follow in our footsteps, to choose a career that shapes careers. 

The Teaching Fellows are uniquely positioned to encourage young people a few different ways; Teaching Fellows match the demographics of the students they serve so there is a built-in level of trust. Furthermore, Teaching Fellows are college-attending role models for young people, students look up to Teaching Fellows and think ‘if they did this, then I can do this too’. That type of influence is powerful. These two factors uniquely position Teaching Fellows, and many other after school and summer staff to be in positions to encourage and inspire young people into the education profession, and to pursue their dreams.

AL: Young youth workers in Aim High are given tremendous responsibility and opportunity. They also experience a culture of feedback and growth. Lastly, they work side by side with professional educators.

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About Aim High
Aim High is committed to closing the opportunity and achievement gaps in Northern California through their transformative summer learning program. They envision every middle school student having access to joyful summer learning, inspired and innovative teachers, and the support they need to succeed in school and life. Aim High creates life-changing opportunities during the summer and beyond. Their community:

• Nurtures the promise and potential of middle school students from low-income neighborhoods
• Prepares students for high school, setting them on the path to college and future success
• Inspires the next generation of teachers and educational leaders

About The California Teaching Fellows Foundation (CTFF)
CTFF seeks to inspire next-generation leaders with a passion for teaching and learning while impacting the lives of youth. They work to:

• Develop teachers and leaders who contribute to positive changes in the lives of students, their schools, and their communities.
• Produce diverse teaching professionals who implement innovative, effective teaching strategies.
• Fully engage the community in education and supporting future teachers and leaders.