A fairly new student organization for education majors will compete on Dec. 9 in San Antonio against colleges from 25 Texas counties in public speaking and other presentations over educational topics.
Jags TEACH will participate in a competition hosted by the Texas Association of Future Educators at the Education Service Center Region 20, along with students from counties such as Victoria, Wilson and Kinney.
Started in fall 2022, Jags TEACH is a student organization at Texas A&M University-San Antonio that provides support, community and resources to education majors who are planning service teachers.
The first year the organization ended with 63 members after the fall semester; today it has grown to 163 members.
“Only education majors know what other education majors go through. We are looking for a community in this organization,” said President Alyssa Valdez
During their first year they came across competitions hosted by TAFE. TAFE is one of the nine Career and Technical Student Organizations recognized by the Texas Education Agency. The TEA is a statewide non-profit organization for students created for young men and women to have an opportunity to explore the teaching profession.
Valdez placed second in her first TAFE competition last year.
At the time Valdez was in her first year with Jags TEACH and agreed to participate with another member in the group.
The competition has three levels. The first level takes place here in San Antonio. After that, there is a state competition which took place in Round Rock last year and Valdez advanced to nationals
Last there is nationals and that was held in Florida. Valdez competed at nationals in the category Educators Rising Moment, a three-minute speech and presentation on why to become an educator. Valdez won second place.
“It was an honor to place second in the nation. This competition journey has been such a blessing, on so many levels,” Valdez said.
This year she will return to the TAFE competition not as a competitor but as a judge.
“I’m so excited to be a judge at this year’s TAFE competition. It’s amazing to see all these high school students be so passionate about education. I look forward to crossing paths with more inspiring students, who have a promising future in the field of education,” Valdez said.
Jags TEACH helps members with their yearlong clinical teaching. This program allows students to get paid for their clinical teaching. It is done before the last semester and the students just need to have all their course work done and be core certified.
