TAMIU Aspiring Educators Travel to Compete at TAFE State Competition

This week, a group of 10 Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) College of Education students is traveling to Dallas to compete at the Texas Association of Future Educators (TAFE) State Competition in various areas that demonstrate teaching creativity in imparting state essential knowledge standards.

The students, members of TAMIU's TAFE Chapter, are advised by Dr. Seth Sampson, TAMIU assistant professor of School Counseling.  They will compete in Dallas  Thursday-Saturday, March 3-5.  Winners qualify to compete at the 2022 Educators Rising National Conference in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Sampson said the group of aspiring future educators are traveling to the State Competition after having won at the Annual Area One TAFE Conference last December.  That competition included  18 counties within South Texas and Region One and Two Education Service Centers.

"I truly feel blessed and fortunate to have the opportunity to work with such an amazing group of trailblazing, changemaking, future educators," Dr. Sampson said, "I am so proud of each and every one of our members, especially the TAFE-TAMIU Chapter Officers, who have played an integral and invaluable role in establishing the first-ever TAFE TAMIU-Chapter."

Sampson continued, "They are going to be representing TAMIU and Laredo community at the state, and hopefully national level. They are among the very brightest of the next generation of educators, and this is only the beginning. They are establishing a legacy that will hopefully last well beyond their time at TAMIU and are also laying the foundation for future generations of educators by guiding them through their own educational journeys by enhancing their sense of belonging.”

Members of TAMIU's TAFE Chapter are traveling to Dallas to participate in TAFE's State Competition. Pictured from left to right, first five studets in the first row are: Daisy Fuentes, Reyitza Márquez, Karina Leal, Crystal Beltrán and Elda Guzmán. Sencod five in the second row are: Raquel Rodríguez, Amy Campus, Haziel Mota, Jossette Flores and Katherine Alemán.

At the regional competition, middle school, high school, and collegiate chapters from around the area participated in competitive events that provided students with the opportunity to build lessons and activities they will use in the field as teachers.

Competitive events included Educators Rising, Researching Learning Challenges, Interactive Bulletin Boards, Project Visualize, Children’s Literature, Impromptu Lessons, and Teacher-Created Materials. Students who choose to participate in the events are judged based upon their creativeness and ability to address specific Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) as outlined by the Texas Education Agency.

Students traveling and their areas of competition include:

* Katherine Alemán: Impromptu Lesson, Researching Learning Challenges and Teacher-Created Materials

* Crystal Beltrán: Interactive Bulletin Board and Project Visualize

* Amy Campos: Educators Rising and Researching Learning Challenges

* Josette Flores: Children's Literature and Interactive Bulletin Board

* Daisy Fuentes: Children's Literature and Project Visualize

* Elda Guzmán: Interactive Bulletin Board

* Karina Leal: Children's Literature

* Haziel Mota: Interactive Bulletin Board and Project Visualize

* Revitza Márquez: Children's Literature and Project Visualize

* Raquel Rodríguez: Educators Rising, researching Learning Challenges and Teacher Created Materials.

TAFE is a co-curricular, statewide, non-profit student organization created to allow young men and women an opportunity to explore the teaching profession. It was created in 1984 to provide the best and brightest high school and middle school students in Texas with the necessary knowledge to make informed decisions about pursuing careers in education. TAFE is sponsored by the Texas Association of Secondary School Principals and governed by a board of directors comprised of teachers, students and principals.

For more information on College of Education programs, visit tamiu.edu/coedu , or contact College of Education by email at coeinformation@tamiu.edu or by phone at 956.326.2680.