Breakthrough Manchester

Teaching Fellow

June - August 2022 • Manchester, NH

What I liked

Working with incredible kids, actively giving back to and helping the Manchester community. You learn to teach, which is a good skill to have regardless of whether or not you want to be a teacher in the future. Colleagues are incredible, supportive team players who love the program, and you get very close to them. A lot of transparency between admin and teaching fellows.

What I wish was different

There were new things being tried this past summer, some of which did not work out, which caused a few bumps in the summer.

Advice

Very long hours and very demanding. If you are not used to working long days and putting in a lot of effort, then you may get burnt out and stressed

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High School English Teacher

June - August 2022 • Manchester, NH

What I liked

The students; they are talented, and passionate.

What I wish was different

Be realistic, truthful, on the job posting this summer job requires more than 40 hours a week of input.

Advice

Get ready to work after hours, but there is a support network from Day 1.

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Teaching Fellow

June - August 2021 • Manchester, NH

What I liked

I loved Breakthrough Manchester because it gave me the opportunity to work with students and hone my in-classroom skills. It was a unique experience to live in a new setting and become part of a diverse community alongside other driven college students. I really liked being able to innovate lesson plans and implement new ideas.

What I wish was different

I wish the summer was completely in-person so that I could see my students every day instead of every two weeks. I know this was due to the circumstances of COVID, so in the future, this will likely be different!

Advice

One piece of advice I would give to an incoming fellow is to embrace your discomfort! Try something that you aren't used to, you'll likely learn more than you thought you would.

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Teaching Fellow

June - August 2019 • Manchester, NH

What I liked

It was a fantastic and life-changing experience! Breakthrough Collaborative serves middle school students from disadvantaged backgrounds, helping to prevent summer slide and provide support on their journey to college. It also serves college students who are interested in going into the field of education who become the Teaching Fellows. At Breakthrough, you are given the opportunity to teach 2 academic classes, co-teach an elective, serve as an advisor to a small group of children, and much more. I can't think of any other job that truly lets college-aged students experience life as a teacher- you are the one teaching, grading, holding family conferences, and all the other responsibilities that teachers have. There is a huge support system from the Directors, Deans of Students, Instructional Coaches and Program Assistants. The Teaching Fellows become super close-knit and constantly arrange trips around Manchester and the local areas. I knew no one in New Hampshire before I went and now I have a community there and friends who came to teach from all over the country.

What I wish was different

Advice

Enjoy the time you have there, with both your students and fellow teachers! The 6 weeks teaching fly by so much faster than you thought they would. Although the hours may be long, the work is so rewarding.

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7th grade math teacher

May - August 2020 • Manchester, NH

What I liked

Getting to know my students individually.

What I wish was different

nothing, everything was perfect

Advice

Try new things and you will thank yourself later.

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Teaching Fellow

June - August 2019 • Manchester, NH

What I liked

I loved getting to experience teaching in my own classroom. It was really formative for me as a future educator. The environment was very supportive and encouraging. I was consistently pushed out of my comfort zone and experienced a lot of growth over the course of the summer.

What I wish was different

Nothing! It was amazing! I have spent two summers as a teaching fellow.

Advice

I highly recommend this experience for anyone interested in education. I also would invite non-education majors to consider this opportunity to work in a close-knit environment.

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