Lamar Consolidated ISD, UHV showcase teacher residency program
The University of Houston-Victoria’s JagsTeach teacher residency program continues to make a significant impact on the education landscape, with graduates placed across the Lamar Consolidated Independent School District.
On Feb. 5, a group of nearly 50 visitors from across the country, including representatives from other universities and school districts, came to observe the teacher residency program in action at McNeill Elementary in Lamar CISD in Richmond.
The event was organized by US PREP, a national organization that supports universities in developing high-quality teacher preparation programs.
Moira Baldwin, UHV associate professor and the lead site coordinator for the JagsTeach program, said the teacher residency program has produced three cohorts of graduates since its inception. The most recent group completed the program in December of last year, preceded by graduates in May 2024 and May 2023.
“I am really proud of our students,” Baldwin said. “They have worked incredibly hard, passing multiple certification tests before they became teachers of record. The residency program provides them with invaluable hands-on experience and support from our amazing mentors so they can hit the ground running their first year of teaching.”
In addition to the mentors, each resident is paired with a site coordinator who guides them through the entire school year, Baldwin said. This allows the residents to witness the full scope of a teacher’s responsibilities, from the first day of school to standardized testing and student progression.
The program’s reach extends beyond Lamar CISD, with graduates also being placed in Fort Bend, Katy and Cypress-Fairbanks ISDs, Baldwin said. However, Lamar ISD has been a key partner, with residents from UHV currently placed at McNeill Elementary, Bentley Elementary, Lehman Elementary and Austin Elementary, Baldwin said.
The Jags Teach program has evolved over the years, transitioning from a traditional student teaching model to a full residency approach, Baldwin said. Now, all of UHV's early childhood-sixth grade, fourth-eighth-grade, and seventh-twelfth-grade programs follow the residency format to ensure that aspiring teachers receive the most comprehensive preparation possible.
“We have been doing the residency with Lamar CISD for three years, and part of what happened out of that initiative is that they have hired those same residents on the same campus,” said Rachel Martinez, dean of the UHV College of Education & Health Professions. “Some of them were even hired within that same grade level, so they became part of that team. Lamar CISD has been an incredible partner in this endeavor; we have developed a strong, collaborative relationship, working together to ensure our teacher candidates are meeting the district’s specific needs and requirements.”
Daniela Rincon always knew she was destined to become a teacher ever since she had a transformative experience with her third-grade teacher. That teacher instilled in her a belief that she could achieve anything, regardless of her background, Rincon recalled. Now, she is driven to inspire and empower her own students in the same way.
In her first year as a first-grade teacher at McNeill Elementary, the UHV alumna is putting her passion into practice, drawing on the experience she gained through the JagsTeach teacher residency program.
“When I think about all of the best teachers I’ve ever had in my life, I don’t ever think about the things they taught me, I think about the way they made me feel,” Rincon said. “I always try to remind my students that they can do better, they can be better, and I always push my kids.”
Her educational journey began at Wharton Junior College, where she earned her associate’s degree. While in junior college, she learned about UHV and felt a strong pull toward the university’s education program, she said.
At UHV, Rincon took part in the JagsTeach teacher residency program, an experience that solidified her passion for teaching, while allowing her to hone her craft. The program gave her hands-on experience in the classroom, first by observing and modeling her mentor teacher and then gradually taking on more responsibilities and allowing her to develop her own teaching style over time, she said.
Her residency took place at McNeill Elementary, the same school where she now teaches. The continuity has made her transition to full-time teaching seamless, as she was already familiar with the school, its administration and her colleagues, she said.
“It makes my life 100 times easier,” she said. “I live a far distance from McNeill, but it was something I was willing to do for my first year, because I had already made a name for myself and I wanted to be there for my students.”
Looking back over her journey, Rincon said she believes everything happens as it was meant to. She is grateful for the tight-knit community at UHV and the JagsTeach program, which allowed her to grow in more ways than one.
“If you’re an aspiring teacher, the JagsTeach program is something you want to do,” Rincon said. “It’s genuinely going to give you experience that you can’t get sitting in a classroom for 16 weeks; it takes all the jitters out of you, and it grows you not only as a teacher, but it grows you as a person.”
The University of Houston-Victoria, located in the heart of the Coastal Bend region since 1973 in Victoria, Texas, offers courses leading to more than 50 academic programs in the schools of Arts & Sciences; Business Administration; and Education, Health Professions & Human Development. UHV provides face-to-face classes at its Victoria campus, as well as an instructional site in Katy, Texas, and online classes that students can take from anywhere. UHV supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Opportunities for All initiative to increase awareness about state colleges and universities and the important role they have in providing a high-quality and accessible education to an increasingly diverse student population, as well as contributing to regional and state economic development.