I'm lucky now that I'm learning as I'm teaching. Classroom management has been the most-difficult part of the job so far, Young says. Once they realize you care, they are more willing to help find a solution to the problem. Some members of the January class spend additional time in classrooms with experienced teachers. I think we are better prepared now at coordinating efforts.
Fellows also enter the program with more-realistic expectations of the job.
But the reality doesn't always match the hype, both positive and negative. We have to give a fair representation of the schools. One of the criticisms Doyle has heard of the fellows program is that most of the fellows are assigned to low-performing schools, and students there would benefit more from experienced teachers. City officials have had little success recruiting experienced teachers for those schools, she says. Doyle agrees that the fellows program may not be the ideal solution to the teacher shortage, but it is the best remedy officials have right now.