UIW Pre-Service Teachers Volunteer and Shine at TCTELA 2026 Annual Conference

Recently, five University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) students majoring in English and Teacher Education were led by Ann David, PhD, professor of Teacher Education, to volunteer at the Texas Council of Teachers of English Language Arts (TCTELA) 2026 Annual Conference in Round Rock, Texas. The TCTELA strives to provide "top-tier learning resources, webinars, and events for teachers across Texas." Their yearly conference gathers a community of K-12 English educators from across the state to learn and share expansive knowledge related to their field.

The UIW students' invitation to join as event volunteers was part of their TCTELA Pre-Service Teacher (PTS) Grant, which covers recipients' attendance costs in exchange for volunteer support. As chair of the Pre-Service Teacher Committee, David has the privilege of recruiting applicants and reviewing submitted applications. David was very proud to award this year's grant to UIW students, as this is the first time they received this grant.

"Professional networks and the organizations that build them, like the Texas Council of Teachers of English Language Arts, are invaluable for preservice and early career teachers," noted David. "While teachers may change schools across their careers, their professional organization will always be there. A conference like the TCTELA Annual Conference connects pre-service teachers to teachers in different kinds of schools in different parts of Texas. It's an amazing experience that doesn't happen anywhere else."

One participating student, Emily Mcclure, even had the opportunity to present alongside David and other educators their research titled "Literature Under Lockdown," which discussed media narratives surrounding the coverage of K-12 censorship in Texas.

In addition to students enjoying their time at the conference, multiple TCTELA representatives were grateful for the UIW students' efforts in supporting this year's event:

Markesha Tisby, TCTELA president, shared that the UIW students "were responsible, courteous and eager to help. From working at the registration booth and greeting attendees, to behind-the-scenes tasks, they did it all with a smile. It was great to see that the future of education is bright."

"The PST volunteers were out of this world! They picked up and ran with all the tasks. They went above and beyond. All rockstars," noted Eva Goins, TCTELA past-president.