Frequently Asked Questions

Related to the Teach For India Model

Related to the Fellowship

Concerns

Related to the Teach For India Model:

1. Why education? 2. What do the numbers say about the state of Indian education? 3. The government can do this stuff. Why do We need a movement? 4. What is Teach For India and its theory of change? 5. TFI is not… 6. What is the TFI model? 7. So, I’m going to be a teacher. That’s it? 8. Teaching is leadership? How? 9. What is the student impact so far? 10. What are the challenges? 11. What is the reaction of the teachers to TFI Fellows teaching in their schools? 12. How does TFI find these schools? 13. Does TFI work within the school syllabus? 14. Does TFI develop study materials? 15. What kind of training is done at the 5-week institute? 16. What is TFI's organizational structure? 17. Why doesn’t TFI teach in schools in rural areas? 18. Why does TFI work with only English medium schools? 19. Why the youth? Why not get corporate professionals over 40 to teach? They have much lesser at stake than

the youth who are trying to make a career. 20. Why is TFI so selective? Isn’t TFI excluding people who can and really want to make a difference?

Related to the Fellowship:

1. Why should I join Teach For India? How will it help me grow professionally? 2. Who are they looking for? 3. What is the selection process and timeline like? 4. How rigorous is the selection? 5. Where are the current Fellows from? What are their profiles like? 6. How will I be supported financially? 7. Why does the Fellowship last two years? Can I teach for just one year if I choose? 8. Do all TFI Fellows reside together? 9. What do Fellows do after hours? 10. Is it possible to take up part-time work besides the Fellowship? 11. Will I be given a choice of location in the application form? 12. Have there been any drop-outs DURING the Fellowship? If yes, for what reasons? 13. What happens if a Fellow cannot cope and wants to leave midway?

Concerns

1. What happens after the 2 years? I’m still going to be unemployed then. What does TFI do for me? 2. Is there a way to defer paying installments for students who have taken an educational loan? 3. "I don’t have sufficient leadership/community service experience. Will TFI still consider me?" 4. "I am a fresher and don't have work experience. Will it be very difficult for me to find a job after the

Fellowship?"

Related to the Teach For India Model:

Why education? • Education acts as a refuge in adversity. It empowers. It broadens your horizon and gives you a better

understanding of the world. • The words 'cultivate' and 'civilize' are almost synonymous to the word 'educate'- it reduces social and economic

disparity, allowing progress to be equally shared. • Educated people are in a better position to contribute more positively to society and even towards the planet, as

they understand the implications of their choices and actions. • It equips us with all that is needed to make our dreams come true! • Quality basic education for all children can eliminate many of India’s present social ills – poverty, unemployment,

illiteracy, overpopulation, environmental degradation and corruption What do the numbers say about the state of Indian education? Case-stats on educational inequity:

• Only 61% of the country’s population is literate. Currently 9 million Indian children are not in school. • More than 1 in 3 children who begin primary school drop out before reaching 5th grade • 40% students in std 1 and 15% in std 2 cannot even identify letters, 35% of students in std 1 cannot identify

numbers, and 1 in 5 students in standard 7 cannot tell time • 1 in 4 teachers will be absent on any given day. Of those who are present, only 50% are likely to be teaching at

any given time. • The average class size at the primary level is 63.6, while research indicates the ideal class size as 17.

The government can do this stuff. Why do We need a movement?

Imagine if one were to channel the energy of the country's most talented, driven graduates and promising future leaders in the direction of taking on the problem of India's greatest social injustice. Allying collectively on one platform, young professionals from all over India would join hands to improve the sorry state of affairs. In this way, we shall be both creators and beneficiaries of good quality schooling. This would influence our country’s consciousness, thus priorities and ultimately policies and practices which would lead to a real change. What is Teach For India and its theory of change?

In the short run, the young Fellows act as a source of dedicated teachers in Municipal and low-income private schools. During the two-years, Fellows gain a deep understanding of barriers to achievement and challenges in Indian education which enables them to provide sustainable solutions.

Long term, TFI will build a powerful and ever-growing leadership force of alumni who, informed by their experiences and insights, will work from inside and outside the educational system to effect fundamental, long-term changes necessary to ultimately realize educational opportunity for all.

So, the idea is that because of the leadership skills that the Fellows bring with themselves to class, they have the potential to have a life-changing impact on the kids they teach. At the same time, as our future leaders, these are folks that are likely to assume positions of influence. They’ll take with them a sound understanding of the problem and of the fundamental changes that need to occur. TFI is not…

• An NGO (it is a movement) • A volunteer opportunity. Instead it is a fully paid fellowship • Only for people interested in social work/teaching long-term • Two years "off" • A program that trains people to be teachers for the rest of their lives

What is the TFI model?

1. Recruit the most outstanding university graduates and young professionals through a rigorous selection process 2. Provide Fellows with intensive training and leadership development prior to and during the fellowship 3. Place Fellows to teach full-time for two-years in under-resourced schools 4. Build partnerships to ensure Fellows have a clear pathway to leadership after the fellowship 5. Set up systems to drive and measure short-term impact on student achievement and long-term development of

leaders 6. Support alumni as they advocate for equity in education

So, I’m going to be a teacher. That’s it?

Teach For India strongly believes that excellent teachers employ the same skills as excellent leaders - Teaching as Leadership. Fellows are expected to lead students in their classrooms toward academic achievement that defies traditional expectations. Fellows foster this achievement by getting to know their students in and out of the classroom; creating instructional plans to match the whole class' and individual student's needs; delivering instruction in an engaging manner; working with other teachers, administrators and community members to build skills and obtain resources for the classroom; and administering and analyzing assessments to ensure that students are progressing towards their academic goals. “Teaching is leadership” How?

Fellows are trained to operate as leaders in the classroom by setting ambitious and measurable visions for student achievement, investing all key stakeholders, creating detailed plans, executing effectively, continuously reflecting on and improving their own performance and working relentlessly and strategically to realize their vision. What is the student impact so far?

• In the 2009-10 school year, Teach For India students: • Grew in Math: ~ 60% - 160% • Grew in English: ~ 30% - 110% • Increased their reading fluency from 27 to 62 words read correctly per minute • Increased their attendance from 81% to 89% • Showed on average 1.2 years’ worth of growth in their writing skills

What are the challenges? 1. Closing the achievement gap (between a TFI student and high-income peers) by increasing student achievement

by 1.5 years per year 2. Assisting in developing new systems for schools, provide language and skills training for other teachers and raise

funds to procure necessary resources for the school 3. Implementing a transformational community project in the school or students' community. To carry this out

effectively, Fellows will research and plan, amass necessary resources, invest students and their families, teachers and administrators, and troubleshoot the project in its execution phase.

4. What is the reaction of the teachers to TFI Fellows teaching in their schools? TFI looks for classrooms that have vacancies. So the school is more than happy to have the Fellows. The teachers welcome the Fellows too and share their challenges and experiences with the Fellows. This gives Fellows ideas for their community projects How does TFI find these schools? TFI finds schools individually as well as through the system. TFI approaches under-resourced schools where the fees are Rs.200-300 per month. It looks for schools with a high number of teacher vacancies. It also works with the system - BMC, MCGM etc. So we employ a top-down approach and make sure whatever we are doing has an impact on the entire system and not just a few schools. Example, TFI is now involved in training teachers of MCGM in better teaching methods and mindset change What is the reaction of the teachers to TFI Fellows teaching in their schools? TFI looks for classrooms that have vacancies. So the school is more than happy to have the Fellows. The teachers welcome the Fellows too and share their challenges and experiences with the Fellows. This gives Fellows ideas for their community projects How does TFI find these schools? TFI finds schools individually as well as through the system. TFI approaches under-resourced schools where the fees are Rs.200-300 per month. It looks for schools with a high number of teacher vacancies. It also works with the system - BMC, MCGM etc. So we employ a top-down approach and make sure whatever we are doing has an impact on the entire system and not just a few schools. Example, TFI is now involved in training teachers of MCGM in better teaching methods and mindset change

Does TFI work within the school syllabus? Yes it does. for example, when we go to Delhi, we need tune our Fellows to the CBSE syllabus because that's the board schools in Delhi follow Does TFI develop study materials? TFI does not write text books. However, it trains Fellows on innovative ways of teaching. For example, instead of just teaching a student what a rectangle or a circle is, our Fellows help kids to identify the door as a rectangle and a fan as a circle. There are many more ways in which our Fellows make studying fun for the kids What kind of training is done at the 5-week institute?

i. Sessions and Workshops – Classroom management studies, Assessing student progress, Lesson planning clinics, Language content, Data-tracking and analysis, Math content, Language and literacy, Co-teaching mindsets and expectations, Child development, Theater, etc.

ii. CM Debriefs – Fellows are mentored through “Collaborative Managers” in improving skills as a teacher, learning best practices from other Fellows, build strong professional relationships with collaborative members, identifying strengths as a teacher, pushing to challenge themselves and celebrating success.

iii. Leadership Forum - Fellows engage with prominent corporate, Government, social and education leaders. Past leaders include - Dr. Abdul Kalam, Aamir Khan, Nandita Das, Rahul Bose, Chetan Bhagat, Anand Shah, Wendy Copp and Aditya Natraj.

What is TFI's organizational structure?

TFI has a corporate style structure. We believe in verticals, deliverables and deadlines. Just because you are a teacher does not mean you will not have a boss to answer to and targets to reach.

Why doesn’t TFI teach in schools in rural areas?

It only takes a visit to the urban under-resourced schools to see that they are not better off than rural schools. There are no resources, no teachers, no benches and blackboards. Sometimes, students sit on the floor. Sometimes, schools do not have bathrooms! TFI’s model is based on sourcing Fellows from the best pool of talent in India, and, in the short term, the only way to do this is to place Fellows in cities. In addition, educating kids in the city will ensure more employability. This will add on to the ripple effect that these kids and Fellows will create, and eventually, the policies and initiatives they will create is bound to permeate to the rural regions. There has to be a starting point for the movement, and the cities provide us with proximity to our operations. Given the size of India and the millions of rural schools, TFI will never be able to have a Fellow in each and every school. However, what it will create is thousands of dedicated leaders who will take this movement forward and change mindsets and revolutionize education.

Why does TFI work with only English medium schools?

Working with English medium schools gives TFI the opportunity to tap into the diversity of India. Today, we have an IIT-ian from Tamil Nadu teaching in Mumbai. Would that be possible if we were teaching in Marathi-medium schools? The TFI model does not include regionalization. Instead, it is based on the premise that the educated youth across the country comes together and joins forces in this movement. We also believe that knowledge of English increases chances of employment for our kids. Would you send your children to a non-English medium school? Would you not rather have every child speak in English knowing that this skill is key to finding a job and earning a living?

Having said that, TFI’s stand does not exclude regional language schools. Once we have expanded to 8-10 cities in the next few years, we will look at broadening our mandate and will revise our stand on non-English medium schools

Why the youth? Why not get corporate professionals over 40 to teach? They have much lesser at stake than the youth who are trying to make a career.

That is a very flawed perception. The stakes get higher with age. A person over 40 has commitments to his family and so on. A recent graduate or a young professional, on the other hand, has far more flexibility with experimentation. Also, TFI’s theory of change is based on creating leaders who will strive for educational equity throughout their lives. And the best way to create leaders is not take people who are already leaders, but people who can innovate, think out of the box and who practice what they preach what the rest of their lives.

Why is TFI so selective? Isn’t TFI excluding people who can and really want to make a difference?

TFI is selective because, again, we believe in being true to our model. Our aim is not only to educate one child at a time, one school at a time, but also to create a movement of leaders. For this to happen, we look for high-calibre individuals who have proven their abilities in the past (be it at school, college or office). These abilities could be at any level, so we are not necessarily looking at only good results, or only leadership positions held.

Having said that, I would like to highlight that the TFI application form is online and is open to all. Hence, we do give everyone a fair chance and we have rejected people with great biodata as well, thus proving the fact that we are looking for passion and expertise over just impressive qualifications.

Related to Fellowship

Why should I join Teach For India? How will it help me grow professionally? First, you would’ve already proven yourself by gaining admission into a program with less than 5% selectivity.

In real terms, by presenting you with probably the most difficult challenge of your life, the TFI Fellowship helps you develop prowess in Communication, Organization, Presentation/body language, resourcefulness/flexibility, Creativity and Patience. Your problem-solving and leadership skills shall make you a high-demand candidate for any career especially management/consulting work. On a higher level, you will have challenged yourself and put yourself out of your comfort zone so many times in those 2 years, that you will be empowered enough to figure out what you want to do and how to do it best.

When you engage in a community you're not used to working with before, you have to bring out your communication and convincing skills. At the end of the 2 years, you may well find that your power to influence and capability to really make a difference is substantial.

For those considering further education, the TFI Fellowship will allow you to learn a lot more from the further degree that you might choose to do, whether it's masters in Business or a Doctorate. Fellows from TFI know what it's like to be successful, having led projects before.

Who are they looking for? Applicant must be a final year student or a young professional. Teach For India is looking for applicants who will be leaders in the classroom and beyond. We recognize that leaders come in many forms with varied past experiences, so there is no one profile of an ideal applicant. There are many ways to demonstrate leadership qualities, and we view applicants holistically by looking for evidence of demonstrated past achievement: achieving ambitious, measurable results in academics, extra-curricular activities, and/or work leadership.

What is the selection process and timeline like?

Applicants are accepted on a rolling basis so qualified early applicants will have the best chance of gaining admission and are also more likely to get their preferred training period and placement city. The selection process includes the online application, a phone interview, and then an in-person assessment, and applicants will hear back 4-6 weeks after the application deadline.

How rigorous is the selection?

For the 2009 Fellowship, 1328 completed applications were received out of which 90 finally matriculated as Fellows.For the 2010 Fellowship, 4000 completed applications were received out of which 150 finally matriculated as Fellows.

Where are the current Fellows from? What are their profiles like? Fellows are from top academic institutions and corporates as well as from diverse backgrounds: Professionals: Finance/Business Consulting, IT (skill based), FMCG/Marketing/Other, Education, Manufacturing, Experienced Professionals (28 +) Postgrad MBA (or IIT) Engineering UG Arts UG Other UG Postgrad other

We also have international representation from the US, UK, Australia, Asia comprising around 10 percent of the Teach for India Fellows. Educational institutions Fellows attended Organizations our Fellows have worked with Harvard University Princeton University, USA BITS Pilani ISB, Hyderabad Sree Ram College of Commerce IIT (Bombay, Madras, Delhi, Kanpur, Roorkee) Christ College, Bangalore Georgetown University, USA National Law School of India University, Bangalore Lady Sriram College, Delhi St. Xavier's College, Mumbai IIM, Calcutta Anna University Brown University St. Stephen's College, Delhi National Institute of Technology (Calicut, Kurukshetra, Surat, Surathkal, Tiruchirapalli) University of Leeds, UK Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies Dartmouth University, USA Miranda House, Delhi University University of Warwick New York University Symbiosis Institute of Business Management, Pune Vellore Institute of Technology

McKinsey and Company Goldman Sachs Hindustan Unilever IBM Bharat Petroleum Egon Zehnder Aditya Birla Group- Idea Cellular Hewlett Packard Axis Bank Foreign Policy Research Institute, Washington DC Citibank Religare Finvest Ltd Deloitte Consulting Ernst & Young Godrej Industries ICICI JP Morgan Chase Thermax Price Waterhouse Coopers Mahindra and Mahindra United States Consul General

How will I be supported financially? Teach For India is keen that financial need is not a barrier to matriculation for qualified applicants. Fellows will be paid a stipend of Rs. 15,000 per month. Additionally, they will be compensated fully for housing allowance (ranging up to Rs. 7,800), school supplies, internet and commuting.

For students under educational loans, TFI has tie-up with banks (SBI, UBI, Axis Bank) for Student Loan Deferrals and Zero Interest loans. Why does the Fellowship last two years? Can I teach for just one year if I choose? All Fellows must commit to teach full-time for two years in low-income schools. The two-year commitment is necessary to make the impact we wish to have on student achievement. In the first year, Fellows will refine their teaching skills and will start to establish respect and trust among various stakeholders within the school community. This work will allow Fellows to achieve significant academic gains for students and to implement their community/school project in the second year. Furthermore, Teach For India is looking for leaders who are willing to commit to long-term change and who have the perseverance to work hard in challenging situations. In this context, the two-year commitment is but a small step towards long-term reform. Do all TFI Fellows reside together? No they don't. They look for their own accommodation. Many of them share apartments

What do Fellows do after hours? They make long-term plans, lesson plans for next day, attend meetings and conferences. And yes of course, they watch movies, hang out with friends, have fun just like you and me! Is it possible to take up part-time work besides the Fellowship? The Fellowship is a 2-year full-time commitment, and it would be impossible to handle another set of responsibilities. It will call for all your dedication and attention. So you will soon realize that part-time work is out of the question Will I be given a choice of location in the application form? As offers are made on a rolling basis, if applicants were to be selected, they will have a say in where they want to be placed. In Delhi schools start earlier, so applicants who want to be places in Delhi should apply as soon as possible. Have there been any drop-outs DURING the Fellowship? If yes, for what reasons? Yes, there have been a few of drop-outs from the first batch. The fact that only 10% people opted out of the Fellowship is extremely encouraging and shows the perseverance and determination of our Fellows to make their visions real. The reasons for the drop-outs have mainly been not health reasons or the Fellows wanted to pursue other goals such as becoming a writer etc. What happens if a Fellow cannot cope and wants to leave midway? TFI really makes sure that every Fellow is comfortable and is being provided with the logistical and emotional assistance he/she needs. If a Fellow were to want to quit, TFI will make every effort to ensure that the reasons for leaving are addressed and the Fellow is comfortable enough to finish the 2 year period.

Concerns

What happens after the 2 years? I’m still going to be unemployed then. What does TFI do for me?

Sky's the limit! Because of the unique leadership development program, you will have a plethora of choices after TFI, regardless of what sector interests you. While it is important that some alumni remain in the social sector as teachers, principals or NGO leaders, it is equally critical that that most of them leave, go into business, law and other sectors because the problem can't be solved from within alone. Already numerous corporates and post-graduate institutes have tied up with TFI because they’re eager to attract the kind of talent that you will possess after two years with us.

Is there a way to defer paying installments for students who have taken an educational loan? Since the Fellowship is an extension of the education experience and not a full-time job, they can ask banks to defer repayment by 2 years. TFI also has partnerships with 3 banks that will defer repayment of the loan for the period of the Fellowship "I don’t have sufficient leadership/community service experience. Will TFI still consider me?" The fact that I have come all the way from Mumbai to talk to you shows that you are among the most outstanding people and potential leaders of India. Make sure you are doing this for the passion of changing lives and changing the country. And if you are, then that passion has to come across in the essays you write. Share your vision of the country, what you will bring to it. Probe yourself and list down everything you have done till date. Do not underestimate any initiative. What you may think is not good enough for TFI might show a lot of what your potential is! "I am a fresher and don't have work experience. Will it be very difficult for me to find a job after the Fellowship?" No it will not. In real terms, your problem-solving and leadership skills will make you very desirable for management/consulting work. On a higher level, you will have challenged yourself and put yourself out of your comfort zone so many times in those 2 years, that you will be empowered enough to figure out what you want to do and how to do it best.

Corporate tie-ups Graduate school tie-ups: McKinsey & Company Goldman Sachs Michael and Susan Dell Foundation TATA Chemicals Citibank Times of India Accenture Godrej Industries HDFC Standard Life ICICI BPCL CNBC Yes Bank Akanksha Foundation Kirloskar Fun Republic Intellecap Thermax Tata power Tv9

Harvard Business School Stanford University Graduate School of Business Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs Columbia University School of Law Princeton Woodrow Wilson School of Public Affairs Harvard Kennedy School of Government, Harvard Law School ISB SP Jain Institute of Management & Research IIM Bangalore