By Rea Foster
Executive Director, Teach For America Dallas-Fort Worth
At Teach For America Dallas Fort-Worth, we know that potential is equally distributed among all students. Opportunity, however, is not. The current global pandemic has only deepened inequities experienced by underserved populations. This school year, we are working to support teachers to implement trauma-informed teaching practices so every North Texas student has the opportunity to receive an excellent education.
This fall we equipped teachers with the supplies and training needed to execute virtual and hybrid instruction in a nurturing way. We held social and emotional learning workshops focused on fostering positive teacher-student relationships. We offered courses for our teachers that showed them how to effectively and creatively engage with students virtually and maximize learning systems. We are also investing in cutting-edge technology. Just this month, we purchased access to SimSchool, a simulated classroom environment that allows us to practice social-emotional lessons on student avatars powered by artificial intelligence.
Educators are essential workers, and so our team works closely with program participants to make sure they are also receiving the care that they need as human beings. We provide resources that encourage people to practice self-care. But what makes the real difference is investing in relationships. We check in on each other. We remind each other to take care of ourselves. We motivate each other to remember why we are so dedicated to this mission so that we can recommit ourselves every day to creating opportunities for children.
The Teach For America Dallas-Fort Worth team knows we cannot do this alone. We believe that it takes a broad and diverse coalition to create real change for children. And for this reason, we are honored to say that we are not alone in this work. Every day, we are grateful for our Partners of Teachers and Alumni (PTA), a dedicated community of supporters who make this work possible. The PTA has a goal of ensuring every family that shares a passion for educational equity is able to take part in the conversation.
There’s only one way for us to get through this current crisis — together.
Join TFA DFW in supporting North Texas educators and students. Become a member of the PTA.