Alan Rosenberg, TAC, High school English-Language Arts

Facts:

Raised in North Syracuse, New York, Alan credits his mother for inspiring him to help others, particularly through public education. He studied English and theatre at Cornell University and hopes to teach both. He is particularly interested in using theatre and other art forms to help young people express themselves in creative ways. "I want to empower kids - through teaching them reading, writing, and understanding skills, advancing their knowledge, and fostering their self-expression - to exceed their potential and improve society. I specifically want to teach kids whom the system has traditionally left behind, who think they are unreachable, voiceless, or powerless."

Of the Cambridge-Harvard Summer Academy, where Alan got his first introduction to teaching through the Teacher Education Program, Alan explains "The tricky thing about the Summer Academy is that while in a way it's about getting you acclimated to a classroom, it's first and foremost about meeting the student's needs. I had trouble reconciling this. I was told "it's OK if you make mistakes, you're new, it doesn't matter," - but I felt like I was failing the kids by thinking that way. Eventually I realized that all teachers make mistakes, and that part of the craft of teaching is being honest with myself and my students about my own learning." He plans to teach next year in an urban, public high school. He'll also continue to use his free time to read, go to movies and the theatre, study history, and explore nature. "I think it's vital that teachers continue to expand their own knowledge and pursue passions outside of the classroom. Part of coming into my own as a teacher was becoming honest about my mistakes -- with myself and my students. One of the most important lessons to learn as a teacher is to balance the authority you have in your class with being honest and real with your students. It's a challenge, but in the end it's better for you and your students."

Inside Scoop:

"Teaching should be regarded highly as a profession, not because of its difficulty, though it is certainly difficult, but because the education of young people is one of the most important duties of our society, of any society. For only when youth learn about themselves, the world, and the tools to succeed in the world, will they be able not only to succeed in it, but also to make it better."

"Come in willing to learn, willing to be challenged, willing to challenge yourself. Come into the program as you would want a student to come into your class: open-minded and enthusiastic. Do advocate for the changes you would like to see in the system; if you work towards solutions to the problems you see, then people will listen to you. Don't come in with an ax to grind or an expectation that you will be shown how to be a good teacher. So much of the journey is a personal one, and if you don't immerse yourself personally in the work you won't get much out of it. Teaching requires passion. The only way to do this work is to love it."