April 16, 2023
The UW–Madison College of Education Wisconsin Teacher Pledge is committed to strengthening and diversifying Wisconsin’s teacher workforce. It pays the equivalent of in-state tuition and charges, testing, and licensing charges for all teacher education students who “pledge” to teach for 3 or 4 years at a pre-kindergarten via 12th grade college in Wisconsin just after they graduate.
To date, 556 students have taken the Teacher Pledge — and 226 Pledge alumni are currently in classrooms and teaching in 65 college districts across Wisconsin.
To find out just a bit a lot more about the Teacher Pledge and its influence, the College of Education’s communications group reached out to Pledge alumni to get their thoughts.
Maya Bhadkamkar received an MS in Curriculum and Instruction with certification in secondary science education from the College of Education in 2022. She also earned an undergraduate degree from UW–Madison in genetics. Now, she is teaching sixth grade math and science at Jack Young Middle College in Baraboo, Wisconsin.
How did you finish up pursuing your master’s degree in order to develop into a teacher? Right after I received my undergrad degree in genetics, I worked in a lab that studied degenerative retinal ailments. I eventually left the lab to pursue teaching simply because I have constantly wanted to function with little ones.
What function did the Teacher Pledge play in your choice to pursue becoming a teacher? The Teacher Pledge certainly influenced my choice to develop into a teacher simply because I knew I could pursue the profession with no going into debt, which played a large function in my choice. The Teacher Pledge produced it a lot easier for me to develop into a teacher simply because I was capable to concentrate on my expertise as a teacher and not be continuously worried about financing it.
What do you like most about becoming a teacher? The relationships I have formed with students and obtaining students excited about science.
Do you really feel like you are producing a distinction in the classroom? I do really feel like I am producing a distinction! I really like when my little ones are asking excellent concerns about science and are actually engaged with what we are undertaking.