Getting Ready for My Future as a CPS Teacher: Take Five with Madison Dancer

Meet Madison Dancer: CPS graduate from Barnard Elementary and Kenwood Academy, recent CPS student-teacher, and Teach Chicago Tomorrow (TCT) scholar! TCT is a CPS initiative that provides students interested in teaching with mentorship, financial support, academic counseling, and a clear path to become a CPS teacher after college.

Something that stands out to Madison about the program is how different each scholar’s experience can be. 

“There are so many different internships and opportunities that allow you to gain a wide range of skills,” says Madison. “You can really follow your interests. My sister is also in TCT, and her experiences have looked totally different from mine. I think that’s how it should be, because when we’re teachers, we’re going to be facing new challenges every day, and each group of students will be different.”

Madison recently graduated from Illinois State University with her bachelor’s degree in elementary education. But her TCT journey is not over! This summer, TCT will provide Madison and her fellow cohort graduates with support building their resumes and going to job fairs, with the ultimate goal of seeing them hired as CPS teachers!

Learn more about Madison and her TCT journey below!

Why do you want to be a teacher?

It’s largely because of my U.S. history teacher at Kenwood, Christina O'Leary! She made history so much fun. I was so inspired after leaving her class. Now my whole goal is to make school fun for my students. Learning doesn’t have to be boring!

What has been your favorite part of Teach Chicago Tomorrow?

TCT did a really good job of making sure we knew everyone in our cohort and reminding us that we’re all going through this together. Now I have a tight-knit support system, and I don’t have any problem reaching out to anyone at TCT for support. TCT has also hosted many fun events and activities, which helped us bond and reminded us that it’s important to have a life outside of school.

What was one highlight from your experience as a student-teacher in CPS?

I’m grateful that we got two full years of student-teaching experience, because I feel really prepared now. I learned that I love teaching fifth grade. The students are a little older, so we’re able to tackle bigger subjects. I’m a big history buff, so when I found out my students didn’t know anything about Black Lives Matter, I knew I wanted to fix that! I designed a Black Lives Matter history unit, and it felt so good seeing my students take their history lessons and apply them in the real world.

What advice do you have for any current CPS students who are interested in Teach Chicago Tomorrow?

Be organized, manage your time well, and make sure you have a support system. This program is amazing, but it’s rigorous and a lot of work. Know that if you ask TCT for support, they will give it to you! You are going to grow so much, and TCT is going to push you to experience so many new things.

What do you like to do outside of school?

I love to dance and write, and I’m so excited to see how I can incorporate those passions into my classroom in the future!