Teacher Enrichment Leadership Academy
Formerly the VBTA
Housed at TEI is the Teacher Enrichment Leadership Academy (TELA), formerly known as the VBTA, which focuses on the teacher – the primary fulcrum for student success. The TELA seeks to empower Bexar County area school teachers. TELA teachers will find networking opportunities, share best practices, and quality instructional materials while engaging in collegial discussions about emerging strategies and trends that impact education professionals.
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Resources
Grant Writing for Teachers, Peer Mentor Training materials, and Science Night Planning support and Science Night Activities.
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Spring Conference
The TELA Spring Conference will host a variety of exciting educational workshops for K-12 teachers. Breakfast, lunch, and CPE's will be provided!
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Meet the Teacher Enrichment Leadership Academy (TELA) Leaders
Get to know the TELA leadership team! These dedicated teacher leaders collaborate to develop programs to meet the needs teachers .
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Free Curriculum Activities
These free, downloadable activities are teacher created and scientist approved! The activities connect classroom science to “real-world” bioscience applications.
Upcoming Events
Speaker Series: The Neuroscience of Friendship
Tuesday, November 12, 2019
10th Annual Spring Conference
Saturday, February 1, 2020
2019 Teacher of the Year
Diana Milagros Natividad, M.Ed.
Born and raised in San Antonio Diana graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Biology at St. Mary’s University. She started working in the San Antonio Independent School District two decades ago. Ms. Natividad has spent all her twenty teaching years as an eighth-grade science teacher at Longfellow Middle School. Throughout her career, Diana has sat on many committees both at campus and district levels, headed her department for a spell, was a TELA teacher leader, presented at several professional conferences, and recently she has acquired a Master Teacher position on her campus.
Ms. Natividad’s call into education has always been grounded in equality for all students regardless of socioeconomic status. Now more than ever she sees the need for more women of diverse backgrounds to be role models in the STEM fields for young female students. She is absolutely passionate about creating more home-grown scientist for San Antonio.
She is also a mother of a very spirited nine-year-old girl. Balancing her needs along with the demands of the classroom is not always easy. But as she tells her students, it is worth it. Diana truly believes in the power we hold as educators. Teachers are the frontline for our nation’s future. With great power comes great responsibility.