After spending over 15 years in the classroom, recent Loyola University School of Mass Communication alumni Katie Sporer and André Breaux are returning to the classroom, this time as teachers as part of the Teach for America program.

The program is a national organization that gives recent college graduates the opportunity to teach for two years. They are fulfilling the organization’s mission to “eliminate educational inequity by enlisting our nation’s most promising future leaders in the effort.”
Sporer, who graduated last May, learned about this program during Loyola’s education fair.
“It was from there that my name was referred to one of their recruiters,” Sporer said.

Sporer teaches at Schwarz Alternative in Algiers, an alternative school run by Camelot, a private organization. Sporer explained that an alternative school enrolls expelled students and students in legal trouble.

Sporer teaches sixth, seventh and eighth grade English.

Sporer said she has encountered difficult times while working, however, she believes that it’s a common aspect of any job.

“My experience has been a roller coaster. Like many professions, you have your good days and your bad days,” Sporer said.

She added that she can’t imagine doing something else, because she feels like she’s making a difference.

“For every challenge I face, I see one child beginning to read better; I see another student, who has never succeeded in the classroom, making As and loving it; I see leaders blooming out of kids who have never been given a voice before; I see a positive movement forward and that’s what it is all for,” Sporer said.

This experience has allowed her to grow as a person by discovering her capabilities and gaining confidence in her abilities.

“I have found a strength within myself that I never knew existed,” Sporer said. “I have a newfound belief in myself and my capabilities that I can do this and actually make a difference.”

André Breaux, who also graduated last May, joined this program because he believes in the it’s mission and wants to help close the achievement gap in America’s public schools.
Breaux said his Jesuit ideals and values inspired him to seek education justice.

“By accepting this position, I’m moving forward in my life. I feel like I’m on the right path, creating a more just world,” Breaux said.

Breaux, who teaches geometry to tenth graders at New Orleans Charter Science and Mathematics High School, said it has been a learning experience. “I’ve realized teaching is hard work, but rewarding at the same time,” he said.

Eduardo Gonzalez can be reached at [email protected].