More People Want to Teach Despite the Pandemic

Most applicants are recent university graduates and young professionals with up to 10 years of experience who live in the big city

More and more Bulgarians want to become teachers despite the pandemic and the fact that the sector of education is one of the most badly impacted. A record number of people have applied for Teach For Bulgaria’s “A New Way to Teaching” program (link in Bulgarian). Nearly 4000 people have expressed an interest in our leadership and professional development program. This is twice as many people compared to the statistics from the past several years and significantly more than last year when we saw a tangible increase in the number of people who want to become teachers. 

The deadline is November 25 (link in Bulgarian)

For 10 years now, Teach For Bulgaria has worked towards providing every child in Bulgaria with access to quality education and opportunities to realize their potential, regardless of where they live or their socio-economic background. “A New Way to Teaching” is Teach For Bulgaria’s first and most successful program of the organization. All participants receive specially-designed trainings, mentorship, teaching qualifications, school placement, opportunities for career development, resources, professional contacts, and strong friendships. 

THE LATEST TRENDS

Most applicants live in big cities like Sofia, Plovdiv, and Varna. This trend remains the same. Veliko Tarnovo and Stara Zagora are the next two most candidate-populated regional capitals of Bulgaria. 

Traditionally, Teach For Bulgaria’s program is most popular among recent university graduates and young professionals with up to 10 years of experience. This year, however, we’ve also noticed more applicants who are already majoring in teacher training university programs.

“Distance learning changed the way people perceive teaching. Many people realized how important this profession is – either from personal experience, by helping their children at home, or from their friends, parents, and teachers. Another factor that we believe contributes to this trend is the way the pandemic showed us how important it is for teachers to never stop learning and growing as professionals. This is why the training program which is part of “A New Way to Teaching” puts emphasis on effective teaching during distance learning,” commented Neli Kocheva, Head of Admissions at Teach For Bulgaria.

All candidates go through a three-step selection process before they receive an offer to join the program. They are not required to have completed any teaching qualification programs prior to applying because they get teaching qualifications through the course of the program. The only requirement is that they have a bachelor’s degree or are expecting to finish their degree by September 1, 2021. They should also be driven by the ambition to work full-time as teachers with children who need more support for a period of at least two years.

REGIONS

Teach For Bulgaria is going to partner with schools in 20 regions of the country – Varna, Burgas, Veliko Tarnovo, Vratsa, Dobrich, Lovech, Montana, Pazardzhik, Pernik, Pleven, Plovdiv, Razgrad, Ruse, Silistra, Sliven, Sofia City, Sofia Province, Stara Zagora, Targovishte, and Shumen. The placement process depends on the teaching vacancies that our partner schools have and participants’ academic background.

Teach For Bulgaria was initiated and financially supported by the America for Bulgaria Foundation. It is part of the international network Teach For All with partner organizations working towards educational equity in more than 50 countries around the world.