As a GT alum, I can attest to the fellowship’s significance. It is challenging but highly rewarding. Being a teaching fellow at Generation Teach made me laugh, low-key stressed me out at times, but ultimately pushed me to be more intentional about my interactions with others and more thoughtful about the process of education.

To be honest, I never envisioned myself as a teacher prior to joining Generation Teach. The program appealed to me because of its commitment to ending educational inequity, so I decided to give it a try. Now, having taught with Generation Teach for two consecutive summers—teaching American History in Denver, CO, and Speech & Debate in Boston, MA—I consider myself an emerging educator. Generation Teach developed my aptitude for teaching and connecting with students.

For me, the hardest part about teaching was believing that I could be a teacher.

My first few days of teaching were intense, and I constantly felt insecure and inadequate because I was unable to finish my lessons. Over time, I understood the value of the growth mindset philosophy, which I learned about in my first two weeks of GT training. I began to feel more comfortable teaching as I put more effort into it. Professional teachers coached me as I taught classes of sixth- and seventh-grade students by providing daily feedback that I implemented in my performance, lessons, content and time management.

My teacher-coach, Meg, was awesome. She was always there to reassure me and offer tips on how to improve my next lesson. In my first week, we scripted out what I would say for every part of my lessons, from beginning to end. Her daily time and investment in me developed my confidence and presence in the classroom.

I learned how to manage a classroom and create an inclusive environment.

Well over a third of my students spoke English as a second language, and I now feel confident and comfortable teaching to students with varying levels of English comprehension.

I know that I have what it takes be an effective teacher—making sure students understand the importance of each lesson and that I can measure those outcomes—due to the educational foundation I developed at Generation Teach.

At Generation Teach, teaching fellows learn to teach with intent: Every lesson begins with a “Do Now” and a “Why Care.” This shows students the purpose and relevance of the lessons they are going learn. Since teaching fellows are given autonomy to control their classrooms, it is important that we’re intentional in how we interact with students. We learn that actions, no matter how big or small, affect our students, who tend to emulate us.

Something as simple as smiling and greeting students with personal handshakes as they enter classroom can go a long way in making students feel like they belong, though they may never admit it.

As a student, I never considered the amount of effort, time and persistence teachers put into preparing their lessons and managing their classes. My time as a teaching fellow strengthened my respect and appreciation for the teaching profession. The Generation Teach team showed me that an excellent teacher carefully and strategically plans their lessons to increase student engagement and foster active learning.

As a GT summer teaching fellow, I learned to be empathetic. This word took on new meaning as I got to know my students throughout the summer. In my students, I saw myself: I was a middle school student not too long ago, so I understand what it is like to be that age, navigating middle school’s social, emotional and cultural worlds.

I never thought I would enjoy working with middle school students as much as I do. To my surprise, their laughter is contagious; their smiles are uplifting; their bad days, while disappointing, are made up for by their personalities and personal growth.

Through my experience, I’ve learned that the student-teacher relationship is important: I’ve had a few great teachers, and some who were just okay, but I never once had a black, male teacher in my K-12 public school education.

I never questioned 'why' until I went to college and experienced what it was like to have a black, male teacher who looked like me and was able to relate to my experience.

I hope to serve as a role model for my student just as my black, male college professor served as a role model to me. When I taught in Denver and Boston, I was excited to teach students who looked like me, whose culture I could easily identify with. My aim as a teaching fellow was to connect with my students and show them that teachers are people they can trust and relate to.

I came to Generation Teach passionate about education and diversity, eager to try something new. I left every summer inspired by my experiences. I learned so much from my students and GT colleagues. Generation Teach provides a fellowship experience that benefits undergraduate and high school students who care about their communities and truly want to make a difference in the lives of others. It’s for those who are eager to be challenged, who don’t mind being pushed outside of their comfort zones.

As a teaching fellow, I co-created a diverse and inclusive community of learning, collaboration, mutual understanding and intellectual curiosity. I returned to college after each of my summer teaching fellowships a better student because I learned what it was like to be a teacher.