Entry-level Positions for Aspiring Educators at TNTP
Ashley, a Senior Manager of Academics at TNTP, highlights entry-level opportunities in education, citing tutoring ("a huge need") and teaching assistant roles as examples, along with TNTP's own associate role and part-time options, noting that "I started part-time...it was a really nice just kind of get introduction to what skills and context would be needed for that work."
Entry-Level Positions, Nonprofit Organizations, Education, Tutoring, Part-Time Opportunities
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Ashley D. Essary
Senior Manager of Academics
TNTP
Texas Christian University (2010)
University of Colorado at Denver, MA in Curriculum & Instruction: Pedagogy for Urban Leadership, concentration in English Language Acquisition
Fine Arts, Music
Education
Strategic Management and Executive
Honors Student, Scholarship Recipient, Took Out Loans, LGBTQ, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. Tutoring opportunities are abundant, with programs specifically designed for undergraduates to tutor K-12 students.
2. Entry-level positions in education include teaching, teacher assistant roles, and pair professional positions.
3. Nonprofits, such as TNTP, offer entry-level associate roles and part-time or seasonal positions, allowing for flexible engagement and skill development.
Transcript
What entry-level positions are there in this field that an undergraduate college student might consider pursuing?
I think tutoring is a huge need. I am very lucky; I get to volunteer once a week with an organization called Communities In Schools, which is nationwide, I believe. I have a volunteer role where I read for a first grader once a week for half an hour.
It's the highlight of my week. There are a lot of opportunities for volunteering in education, for sure. But there are also entry-level roles, like a teacher is an entry-level role, or a teacher's assistant, or something called a paraprofessional.
There are plenty of ways to get involved, and there is plenty of need. I know there are a lot of programs specifically for undergraduate college students to tutor K-12 students. So there are a lot of programs out there for anyone who's interested.
In terms of nonprofits, at TNTP, we have an associate role, which is an entry-level position. We also have a lot of part-time roles. I started part-time and was only working maybe two hours a week.
It was very part-time, so it was a really nice introduction to what skills and context would be needed for that work. I know especially seasonal roles; we hire a lot seasonally in the summer. So you can, at least at TNTP and I'm sure in many other cases, do a job for a couple of months, see how that goes, and then use that as good experience for the future.