What is DCTF about?

DC Teaching Fellows is an alternative certification program. That means if you did not get a degree in education BEFORE you began teaching, you can study for one while you teach.

There are major differences between DCTF and Teach for America. DCTF seeks people who are interested in a career as teachers, while TFA looks for people who want to make a difference for two years. DCTF requires participants to attend classes and earn a masters in education from a designated university in DC. TFA does not require participants to earn a degree.

I am writing this blog because I myself am a DC Teaching Fellow, and when I researched the program I searched online to see what people's experiences were. There were only a few websites that had information that I thought was really useful.

I don't always write about day to day teaching life, because, I didn't want this blog to be just a journal of my experiences. I wanted it to be a reliable source people can come to for ideas about how to include special needs students (especially learning disabled students) in the classroom more.

So, from time to time you'll see a post about DCTF and some of the ideas that it trains its teachers in. Right now, the month is April, so if you applied to the program in January and were accepted, congratulations! I'll try to add posts that can help prepare you for the intense, but eye-opening summer program ahead of you.