September 15 kicks off Hispanic Heritage Month, which recognizes the achievements and contributions of Hispanic Americans. According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, 20.9 percent of New Jerseyans identify as Hispanic or Latinx (the gender-neutral term for Latino/a), making up a sizable portion of our state’s population. 

Our teachers and candidates know well that classroom instruction goes beyond lectures and worksheets. Their challenge is to find ways to get students excited about learning, while also helping them retain the new material. In fact, incorporating retention strategies is just as important as the material being presented. Without a focus on retention, students risk forgetting previously learned skills and concepts. By only utilizing short-term memory, students often struggle when quizzed for comprehension weeks or months later.

Our Alternate Route candidates are fortunate to learn from some of the best educators in New Jersey. During our candidates’ time in the Alternate Route program, they develop life-changing relationships with their mentors, receiving advice they carry with them throughout their education careers. 

We often hear how mentors have helped their mentees succeed, but what if we shared the positive impact mentees have had on their mentors? 

There are many misconceptions about the typical Alternate Route candidate. Here is an overview of actual candidates, using data from the Rutgers Alternate Route teaching program.

Experience is one of life’s best teachers, and our Alternate Route candidates receive no shortage of experience as they go through our program. Our courses are structured to have a focus on hands-on, real-world experience - giving our candidates a supportive space to learn, practice and improve. 

Often, some of the best wisdom comes from past candidates, who offer a wealth of information based on their personal experiences going through the Alternate Route program. We value this insight and ask our candidates to share their personal insight with incoming candidates. 

One question we always have them answer is “What did I learn from this experience that will help me in the future?” When we received responses from our 2021 candidates, we were amazed at the wealth of information these educators were willing to share. 

To help prepare those gearing up to teach their first lesson, we’ve provided advice from the people who have been there