The Answer - A blog about Education, Preparation, and Commitment.

What works in selecting the most effective classroom teachers

August 03, 2010 by Jeremy Jones

For the past decade, 100% of YES Prep's graduating seniors have been accepted to top colleges and universities across the country.  The success of our students is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our most important resource: our teachers.  We believe that teachers are the single greatest factor determining student achievement and we recognize that we will always be limited by the knowledge and skills our teachers bring to the classroom.  That is why it is critical for us to attract, select and develop outstanding leaders for the classroom.

Over the past two years, application numbers for instructional positions have increased significantly.  This can be attributed to two major factors: a focus on recruitment and the acquisition of a recruitment team and our

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How To Learn the Craft of Teaching in Just 10 Days at YES Prep

July 29, 2010 by Jeanne Fruge Rodriguez

I recently read an article about a school system spending 12 months preparing their teachers for the classroom. Although there were definitely merits to this program, the reality is that we need to get top quality teachers into classrooms now. A year, even a semester, is just not fast enough to meet the demands of ensuring that 100% of our students are College Ready. As YES Prep continues to grow, the need for well prepared dedicated educators also increases. The Teaching Excellence Program meets the increasing demand for quality instruction by way if its ability to initiate, support, and develop teachers new to the profession. Where this teacher preparation and alternative certification program (ACP) stands out among the rest is in its ability to prepare novice teachers for the

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Books Kids Love!

July 26, 2010 by Katie Norwood

Imagine…It’s nearing the end of second period.  The students in your class lean forward expectantly, backpacks on, waiting for the bell.  The bell rings, and you are nearly trampled by thirty-nine seventh graders all running for…

…the bookshelf.  They are tripping over each other and running to get their hands on a book.

Think this is a dream world?  It doesn’t have to be!  You can make this scene a reality in your classroom by making sure you know the hottest young adult titles.  As school starts up again, now is the time to refresh your classroom library, stock the bookshelves, and decide what’s going to take up residence on your personal nightstand.  To inspire you, here is a list of young adult books guaranteed to grab your students’ attention.  There are three categories of

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Why I Work at YES Prep by Nella Garcia

May 19, 2010 by Nella Garcia

I do not work at YES Prep – I live for YES Prep. This organization is the epitome of change and what is right for students. Here, I feel like I have the power to enact change, nurture it, and inspire it in others. 

I started teaching here when I was 22 years old. I accepted a job for around $800 every two weeks in a leaky warehouse with no air conditioning in the hottest months of the year. It wasn’t the glamorous job I had envisioned during my college career, but it pushed me to work harder than I ever had before. It pushed me to love a group of students more than I loved sleep, rest, food, exercise and time. It pushed me to make a difference and challenge myself to somehow get them to love what I was teaching. 

Being a part of the impact that YES Prep will make and has made makes

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Five Quick Tips for Reaching all Learners

May 06, 2010 by Jeremy Jones

Great teaching means that you find ways to teach every student in your classroom, including students who have Individual Education Plans, those students needing modifications and accomodations, and even those students who know what you're going to say before you say it.  Brittney Barron, Special Ed teacher at YES Prep Southeast, put together some tips with working to reach all of your students. 

Tip #1 – Accommodating Homework Assignments

• Provide examples/sample problems on the homework assignment

• Break assignments into smaller segments or tasks.

• Reduce the number of questions.

• Pair the student with a homework buddy in which he or she can call when struggling.

• Provide teacher notes for the student to use during homework.

Tip #2 –

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