T.A.F.E. looking for new members

Maggie Wolfe, Staff Writer

Are you interested in becoming a teacher?  Do you like working with children?  Do you simply want to give back to the teachers and the Tomball community while making new friends?  Then Tomball T.A.F.E (Texas Association of Future Educators) may be the place for you.

T.A.F.E is an extra-curricular club based around learning not only the characteristics needed to be successful in the work force, but also gives students a chance to step up in the community and learn the joys of being a teacher.  You do not need to be in any class in order to join and you also don’t need to only be interested in becoming a teacher.  The skills that T.A.F.E. will be working with (teamwork, leadership, accountability) are skills that can be applied to all jobs.  T.A.F.E bases meetings and activities around TRAFLES: Teaching/ training, Recreation (having fun with others), Appreciation, Fundraising, Leadership, Educational Awareness, and Services. These skills are what guide the meetings and are how T.A.F.E. decides what projects they will be working on throughout the year. For example, last year T.A.F.E. raised $1,000 and participated in a walkathon to help those suffering with Cystic Fibrosis.  They also took a day off of school to go down to Tomball Elementary School to hand out lemonade to all the students at recess.

T.A.F.E. also participates in regional, state, and national level competitions.  There are two types of competitions: State based and national based.  With state based, the highest level you can win and compete at is state, and this is your time to get creative.  Students can compete in a large range of competitions, from making an interactive bulletin board, to creating a portfolio. There is something for everyone.  National competitions are more writing and essay based.

For those interested in analyzing problems in the education field and trying to find a solution, T.A.F.E. offers a competition for ethical dilemmas and public speaking. Or there’s and Educator’s Rising Moment competition where one is given the opportunity to talk about when they fell in love with teaching. In the past 2 years, all T.A.F.E members who competed in regionals moved to state, and 80% of those who competed at state won in their division. If your are willing to compete, past members, T.A.F.E. advisors, and officers will offer help and guidance to help you win these competitions.

T.A.F.E meets every Wednesday after school (time varies depending on what they are working on- usually no longer than an hour).  If you are in multiple clubs or sports, they will try and work as best as possible to ensure that if you want to be in T.A.F.E, you can be.  If you have any more questions, please go talk to T.A.F.E.’s adviser, Mrs. Garrison, in room 1104.