Joseph Curatolo was studying architecture four years ago when he took a summer job, teaching music to middle school students. When he told them he might leave the program to focus on his studies, he said, they burst into tears.

β€œThe fact that I had such an impact on these kids led me to reconsider my career,” said Curatolo, 22. He is now a seventh- and eighth-grade social studies teacher, based in New York City.

Amid a nationwide decline of teaching, Curatolo is not alone: a striking number of gen Z graduates are entering the classroom, despite longstanding concerns over pay and conditions.

Teach For America (TFA), a non-profit education organization, experienced a near 43% increase in applicants for teaching fellowships over the past three years.

A generation whose formative years were spent in isolation during the Cov

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