Application Tips

Volunteer, Work Experiences, and Activities (this section is very important in determining your next steps in the application process)

List all volunteer and/or work experience with children and youth - either in a one-on-one or group setting. Please note whether that experience was in an under-resourced community.
List all other work experiences that did not involve working with children, especially long-term commitments.
Include the month(s)/year(s)/approximate hours of involvement with children.

Essay Requirements

The essay is an important portion of your application process. It will be reviewed by Urban Teachers and the Johns Hopkins University School of Education to determine eligibility. Follow the instructions regarding word count (350 minimum/650 maximum). Other non-related writing samples will not be accepted as a substitute for the short response. You will not be able to move forward in the Urban Teachers selection process unless your essay meets the minimum standard for content and grammar/punctuation accuracy. Analysis of your writing and communication skills is an important part of the application review. A poorly written essay is one of the main reasons an application is rejected.

Essay Question

Urban Teachers works to improve educational and life outcomes of children in urban schools by preparing culturally competent, effective career teachers who accelerate student achievement and disrupt systems of racial and socioeconomic inequity.

We seek applicants who are motivated to become effective teachers and are interested in serving at least 4 years in a rigorous residency, masters program in DC, Baltimore, Philadelphia or Dallas.

Describe (1) your motivation(s) to becoming an effective career teacher and (2) your commitment to disrupting systems of inequality. Please share previous experiences and passion in your response.

Additional Questions

What does systemic inequity mean to you? How do you believe it has impacted the education systems in which we work, and what do you think your responsibility is in addressing inequitable systems?

What would you want the culture of learning to be in your classroom? Tell me what it will look and feel like. How will you know that you’ve been successful?

Essay Tips

If accepted into the program your essay may also be reviewed by our school partners to determine your school placement. Therefore, answer all parts of the question with ideas that are clear and coherent. Make sure your response is free of misspelled words or grammatical errors. We also suggest you download Grammarly, an excellent tool to ensure your essay is free of spelling and grammatical errors. (Grammarly.com) Poor grammar/punctuation is one of the most common reasons why an application does not meet eligibility requirements. The essay gives us a sense of who you are, as well as showcasing your writing skills.

Try these tips for creating a successful essay.

1. Read and reread the essay question to be sure you understanding what we are asking.

2. Brainstorm. Starting the essay can be the hardest point, so think about your personality traits, passions, and experiences that can support your response to the essay question.

3. Develop your essay. Make sure you have a brief introduction to your essay and content to support your response to the essay question, such as your past volunteer or work experiences, passions and desire to teach.

4. Be specific and succinct. Give your essay focus by figuring out how the question relates to your personal qualities and then write your essay with those thoughts in mind. Make sure your essay content fully answers the essay question in the required word count.

5. Be honest. Don't be tempted to write what you think we want to read. We want to get to know you better so write about yourself and answer the question honestly.

6. Proofread and make corrections! Read your essay over very carefully to check for typos and spelling/grammar errors. At the very least ask someone who hasn't seen it yet to proofread it as well. They are likely to see mistakes that you may not have noticed.

Both Urban Teachers and the Johns Hopkins University School of Education seek candidates who are strong writers. We are looking for well-written, thoughtful responses to a specific question, an essay that provides additional insight into an applicant’s suitability for the training and master’s program. Remember, you are applying to be a teacher to future generations!

Resume (specific information requested)

A resume provides a broader picture of an applicant as we review for eligibility. Ensure that your resume has the following:

Current phone number(s) and email address (preferably the same one you submitted in your application).
Ensure resume is free of any misspelled words or grammatical errors.
List volunteer and/or work experience(s) with children, youth and communities - either in a one-on-one or group setting(s). Please note whether that experience was in an under-served community.
List all other work experience(s) that did not involve working with children, especially long-term commitments.
Include the month(s)/year(s)/approximate hours of involvement with children.
If you are bilingual or multilingual, be sure to indicate that on your resume.
Explain any breaks in your education and/or work experience.

Resume Tips

A resume is an important part of the initial Urban Teachers application; it can be quite helpful in learning more about your background. If you successfully move through the application process and receive a "letter of intent" (offer), your resume will be shared with our higher education and school partners.

Tips for crafting a good and informative resume:

1. Pay attention to format. What you want is a balance -- a smooth, clear look that has just enough panache to stand out; a clean sleek font provides a more tightened-up presentation.

2. Make your resume count. Make yours an attention grabber! List your contact information (address, email, and phone/cell numbers) and make sure they are the same as what you listed in your application. We want to be able to easily contact you should we have questions.

3. Highlight your talents, experience and relevant skills. You want to showcase what you can do as a resident/fellow in the Urban Teachers program and as an urban teacher to our students. A qualification summary should take up the most valuable real estate on your resume in order to highlight what you want us to know about you! It’s a high-level overview of your candidacy.

4. Quality over quantity. Keep your resume to no more than two pages, unless your background and experience is highly relevant to teaching.

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