Jenna Korobow, a recent theater alumna, had been on stage many
times, but nothing could have prepared her for her post-graduate
debut: teaching the first grade.
“First-graders are not tall but they could really scare
the heck out of me,” said Korobow of her first day teaching
summer school in Philadelphia last year. “They could tear you
down in a second with just a look.”
For Korobow, applying to Teach for America was not something she
had initially planned on doing.
Working for service organizations such as Bruin Corps and Upward
Bound throughout her UCLA career, all Korobow knew was that she
wanted to continue her service in low-income communities.
“As the year went on with Bruin Corps, it really inspired
me to join Teach for America,” said Korobow, who is
originally from Long Island, New York. “(At) the end of
college, that’s definitely what I wanted to be involved
in.”
Though Korobow remembers feeling intimidated by children during
her first days in the classroom, she said the TFA training program
she attended in Philadelphia was nothing short of encouraging.
“Teach for America bolsters your spirits for what you are
doing. … We were inspired to work hard,” she said.
Although the training TFA provides lasts a little over two
months, the institute sends future corps members a plethora of
resources before the program begins.
During training, Korobow was able to teach summer school classes
and attend lesson-plan workshops. She said she learned more in
those five weeks of eight-hour days than she had in a very long
time.
“I felt as prepared as I could as a first-year
teacher,” she said. “But no matter what, you’re
not prepared for that first day.”
Now Korobow teaches prekindergarten in Brooklyn. Her students
keep her busy as they learn the alphabet and practice their
handwriting.
“When you’re excited and your kids are excited, the
day flies,” she said.
On the other hand, some days can be tough, especially when
children bring issues they see at home, such as abuse, into the
classroom, Korobow said.
“You become attached to your students’
well-being,” she said.
Korobow said TFA provides a tremendous amount of help for those
stressful days: The program responds to inquiries within 24 hours,
provides on-ground support, and keeps in contact with the
teachers.
“Whatever you want, you can get,” Korobow said.
“(TFA) is really very supportive if you want them to
be.”
From her home in an affluent neighborhood, Korobow takes the
freshly paved road to the low-income neighborhood in which her
elementary school is located. She said the area, which is
surrounded by empty buildings and vacant lots, is
“tough.”
From the neglected foster child who clings to her side during
class to the little girl who smiles when she has done something
wrong, Korobow’s students are diverse.
“There is no way to train you to address every
child’s particular needs,” she said. “Every child
is different.”
Though Korobow plans to work in public-interest law in the
future, she said her experiences with TFA are invaluable.
“I’m absolutely so glad that I made this
decision,” Korobow said. “Even if you go into another
sector, you take the experiences with you.”
Pleased with her new mastery of time management and managerial
skills, Korobow said she is excited that every day in her classroom
is not only a learning process for her students, but for her as
well.
“You’re not just a teacher. You are a nurse, you are
a doctor, you are a peacemaker, you are a negotiator ““ you
are everything to your kids,” she said. “I’ve
learned more about skin diseases this year than I ever wanted to
know.”