Apply to Teach at Breakthrough Manchester
Am I Eligible to Teach at Breakthrough Manchester?
Breakthrough teacher internships are reserved for students currently enrolled in a high school (grades 10-12) or undergraduate college program and who are between the ages of 15 and 23. No prior teaching experience is necessary or expected. Out-of-town residents are encouraged to apply. Be sure to read below about our homestay program. International applicants must have proper work visas and documentation before we can offer a spot on our faculty.
Our application process for the summer of 2010 has closed. Upcoming application opportunities:
- School Year Teaching/Tutoring: application available May, 2010
- Summer 2011: application available December, 2010
If you are interested in other volunteer opportunities, please contact us at (603) 641-9426.
Teaching at Breakthrough Manchester - Summer Session Information
Click to Jump to Topics:
Why Teach in Manchester, New Hampshire?
Our 2010 Summer Schedule
How We Support You as a Teacher
The Teacher-Student Relationship
Our Sense of Urgency About Rigor
Our Curriculum
Beyond Teaching
A Typical Day
Living Allowance Stipend
Homestays
Other Questions
Why Teach in Manchester, New Hampshire?
Founded in 1991 by a teacher alum of the first Breakthrough program, Breakthrough Manchester is the third oldest Breakthrough site in the nation. The longevity of Breakthrough Manchester is a testament to the strength of the program and its ability to empower young people to take ownership over their educational opportunities. Learn more about the City of Manchester.
Our 2010 Summer Schedule
Orientation: June 18-19; June 21-25
Summer Session: June 28-August 6 (Monday-Friday; Celebration on Saturday, August 7)
Evaluation Week: August 9-12
All of our summer dates are mandatory for teachers; unfortunately we are unable to make exceptions (except for illness or family emergency).
How We Support You as a Teacher
Your growth as a teacher is as important to us as student achievement. You will have the support and guidance of a professional Mentor Teacher who will help you craft rigorous lesson plans, learn to manage the needs and personalities of your students, and provide you with useful feedback as they coach you through your teaching experience. Additionally, we use a helpful tool called the Teacher Excellence Rubric, which helps you set goals and evaluate your progress as your work to meet them.
The Teacher-Student Relationship
Relationships are central to the Breakthrough Manchester experience. Though you are first and foremost a teacher, your students see you as much more than that. To them, you are a mentor, an advisor, a coach, and a role model. Your commitment to your own education provides a path to college that your students can follow. Students often remain in contact with their Breakthrough teachers long after the summer program ends.
Our Sense of Urgency About Rigor
While all of our students are bright and motivated, they all need to be immersed in rigor and skill-building in order to be prepared for the high school classes that will allow them to be competitive college applicants. Teaching at Breakthrough is not “playing school.” We have a tremendous sense of urgency about student learning and you are on the front line of their academic success.
Our Curriculum
We are excited to offer a variety of courses for Breakthrough students and teachers. As a teacher, you teach two sections of the same class (for example, if you teach biology, you will have two different sections of that course). As you will quickly learn, even though you’re teaching the same material, each group of students will have its own needs and learning styles and so you will need to adapt your lessons and materials from section to section. We use a combination of rigorous standards, professionally-developed curriculum, and teacher-designed lessons to maximize our students’ learning. Once per week you will meet with other teachers within your discipline to share teaching techniques, discuss curriculum, and enrich your skills as a teacher. Click here for important information about our curriculum and the classes we will offer this summer.
Beyond Teaching
A vital part of our community structure and academic program is the advisor-advisee relationship. You will meet with an assigned small group of students each day during our Advisory period. This time is designed to provide students with one-on-one enrichment and skill-building opportunities. As an advisor, you are expected to know the strengths and weaknesses of your advisees and strive to help them make significant progress over the summer.
As role models, mentors, and educators, Breakthrough Manchester teachers are immersed in all aspects of the program along with students, from riding the bus with them in the morning to eating lunch with them; we live up to the term "student-centered." Our teachers are energetic and have high expectations for themselves and their students.
Additionally, all teachers serve on a faculty committee, which serve the purpose of organizing special events and programs throughout the summer. You will be able to choose the committees you are most interested in later in the spring.
A Typical Day
Officially, the faculty day runs from 7:30 a.m. to about 5:00 p.m. However, you will find working hours to be much longer and commitments outside the program very difficult to maintain. Past faculty members say that you must eat, breathe, and even sleep Breakthrough to be an effective faculty member. We do not recommend that you try to maintain a weekend or evening job during the eight weeks of Breakthrough.
Living Allowance Stipend & Supplemental Income
All teachers receive a base living allowance stipend of $1,000. Returning teachers earn an additional $100 for each year they return. Applicants who need to earn more money during the summer months may apply for a grant from the Breakthrough Manchester Elkin Teaching Fellowship. These gifts supplement the living allowance stipend based on applicant need and can be used toward paying educational expenses or aiding in the cost of travel to and from Manchester for out-of-town applicants. Elkin gifts tend to range from $50-$1,500 based on need and the amount of requests we receive from applicants.
We highly recommend that applicants look into additional funding or academic credit opportunities through their schools. Many colleges and universities will supplement or underwrite summer internship earnings, especially for students eligible for work study. Some teachers have also been able to earn college credit for their Breakthrough internship. Let us know if you have questions or if we can help you seeking funding or credit through your school.
Homestays
Out-of-town teachers are a vital part of the Breakthrough Manchester community. Each summer they make up 25-30% of our teaching corps. Housing is provided for these teachers by local community members who open a room in their home. Each homestay situation varies slightly based on the host family’s summer schedule and living arrangement, however we work hard to match teachers and homestay families to create a positive experience for all. In past years, out-of-town teachers have had overwhelmingly positive experiences in their homestays and often stay in touch with their homestay families long after the summer ends.
If you are an out-of-town teacher and are able to bring a car with you for the summer, this can be enormously helpful, though it is in no way required. Your local colleagues will help by providing carpools to and from Breakthrough and to social activities on weekends.
Other Questions?
Please contact Trevor Munhall, Assistant Director, if you have any other questions about the Breakthrough Manchester teaching experience. You can reach him at tmunhall@derryfield.org or at (603) 641-9426.
School Year Teaching & Tutoring
Breakthrough selects a corps of local volunteers to teach in the Super Saturday program (one Saturday per month) and to tutor students one-on-one during the school year. The application process occurs in September and any local high school or college student is eligible to apply. Applications for tutoring are accepted throughout the year on a rolling basis and our ability to pair tutors up with students is based on student need and tutor availability. For more information about working with Breakthrough students during the school year, please contact Trevor Munhall, Assistant Director at (603) 641-9426 or by email.
