Christy Jacob
TAFE Coordinator
Room Number:
Email: cjacob@bellvillebrahmas.org

Meeting dates, times, and location still need to be confirmed with Mrs. Jacob.

TAFE gives students opportunities to explore careers in teaching and education. Members develop communication, leadership, planning, and instructional skills through meetings, competitions, service projects, classroom experiences, and education-related activities. Contact the TAFE coordinator for information about membership, meetings, competitions, projects, and upcoming events.

Teaching and education career exploration
Classroom observations and field experiences
Lesson planning and instructional activities
TAFE conferences and competitions
Competition results and student advancement
Leadership development and officer activities
Community-service and school-support projects
Guest speakers and educator interviews
College visits and education-program information
Scholarships, awards, and member recognition
Teacher-appreciation activities
Partnerships with schools, classrooms, and community organizations
Opportunities for students to join or participate

Covering the TAFE Beat

Start Here

Introduce yourself to Mrs. Jacob and explain that you are covering TAFE for the BVP Newsroom.
Ask when and where TAFE meets.
Ask how she prefers to be contacted and how far in advance interviews and coverage should be arranged.
Request the current TAFE calendar, including meetings, competitions, conferences, classroom experiences, service projects, and deadlines.
Ask for the names, grade levels, positions, and contact information of TAFE officers and members.
Ask what education-related projects, competitions, or classroom activities members are currently preparing for.
Ask when reporters may attend meetings or activities and what may be photographed or recorded.
Check with Mrs. Jacob and student officers regularly for schedule changes, results, and upcoming activities.
When you discover a possible story, submit it as a pitch before beginning full coverage unless your teacher tells you otherwise.

Your Responsibilities

Check for TAFE updates at least once each news cycle.
Maintain contact with Mrs. Jacob and TAFE’s student officers.
Keep track of meetings, competitions, conferences, classroom experiences, service projects, and deadlines.
Watch for students preparing lessons, working with younger students, exploring education careers, or developing leadership skills.
Look for competition results, student advancement, scholarships, awards, and other accomplishments.
Pitch promising stories to the newsroom.
Arrange interviews, photography, video, and activity coverage in advance.
Confirm names, student roles, event titles, competition categories, dates, locations, results, and awards before publication.
Follow up after competitions and activities to obtain official results, photographs, and student reactions.
Include student voices by asking members about their experiences, career goals, preparation, challenges, and what they learned about education.

Important

Participation in a TAFE competition or conference does not necessarily mean that a student placed or advanced. Clearly distinguish between students who participated, students who placed, and students who advanced to the next level. Confirm all competition results, award titles, scholarships, and advancement information with Mrs. Jacob before publication.

TAFE activities may take place in classrooms and involve younger students. Obtain permission before entering a classroom, conducting interviews, or taking photographs or video. Do not interrupt instruction or identify, photograph, or record younger students unless the appropriate teacher or administrator has approved it. Protect private information about students and their academic performance.

Reporting Your TAFE Stories

Possible Story Ideas

TAFE officers are elected or begin their terms
New members join the organization
Students explore different careers in education
Members prepare lessons or instructional activities
Students observe or assist in classrooms
TAFE members work with younger students
Members begin preparing for a competition
Students attend a TAFE conference, convention, or workshop
Members place or advance in competition
A student earns a scholarship, award, or special recognition
TAFE organizes a teacher-appreciation activity
Members begin a school or community-service project
A teacher or education professional speaks to the organization
Students visit a college education program
Members lead an educational activity or special event
TAFE partners with another school, classroom, or community organization
A student completes an important classroom or field experience
Members develop a creative solution to an educational challenge
The organization introduces an activity Bellville has not held before
A member reaches an important leadership, service, or career-preparation milestone

Signs There May Be A Story

Pay attention when:

A meeting, competition, conference, classroom visit, or deadline is approaching
Members begin preparing for a competitive event
Students develop or present a lesson
Members begin working with a teacher or group of younger students
TAFE announces who qualified for or advanced to the next level
A student earns an award, scholarship, placement, or recognition
Members organize a teacher-appreciation activity
The organization begins a school or community-service project
A teacher, administrator, or education professional visits the group
Students visit a college, classroom, or education-related program
A student takes the lead on an important project or activity
TAFE begins working with another organization or community partner
Members are doing something for the first time
A project reaches or exceeds an important goal
An activity produces visible results at school or in a classroom
Members return from a conference or competition with awards, new skills, or an interesting experience

Questions to Ask: The 5 W's and 1 H

You will not necessarily ask every question below. Select the questions that fit your story and ask follow-up questions whenever an answer is unclear or incomplete.

Who was involved?

Which TAFE members participated?
Which officers or members led the activity?
Who developed or organized the lesson, project, or event?
Which students competed, placed, or advanced?
Which teachers, classrooms, or grade levels were involved?
Were administrators, colleges, other organizations, or community partners involved?
Who supervised the activity or officially confirmed the results?

What happened?

What meeting, lesson, competition, conference, service project, or classroom activity took place?
What responsibilities did TAFE members have?
What teaching or leadership skills did students use?
What subject or educational need did the activity address?
What did participating students accomplish?
What awards, placements, scholarships, or recognition were earned?
What should members or other students know or do next?

When did it happen?

When was the meeting, classroom visit, competition, conference, or activity?
When did preparation begin?
When will the next stage or activity take place?
What registration, submission, or participation deadlines should students know?
When were the results officially announced?
When will members return to the classroom or continue the project?

Where did it happen?

Where was the meeting, competition, conference, or activity held?
Where did members prepare or practice?
Which school, classroom, or college was involved?
Where can students register, volunteer, or participate?
Where can students find official information or updates?
Where will advancing students compete next?

Why does it matter?

Why did students choose this activity, lesson, or project?
Why are members interested in careers in education?
Why is the activity important to the students or teachers involved?
What classroom, campus, or community need does it address?
Why should other students participate?
What difference is the project expected to make?
Why is this accomplishment meaningful to the TAFE member?

How did it happen?

How did members prepare for the activity or competition?
How was the lesson or project developed?
How were responsibilities divided among members?
How did students adapt their work for a particular age group or classroom?
How was the activity organized and supervised?
How was it funded?
How were students evaluated or scored?
How can other students participate?
How will TAFE determine whether the activity was successful?

Questions for TAFE Officers and Members

What is your role in TAFE?
Why did you join TAFE?
What area of education interests you?
What responsibility did you have for this activity?
How did you prepare?
What was the most challenging part?
How did students respond to your lesson or activity?
What did you learn about teaching?
What have you learned about communication or leadership?
Has this experience changed your career plans?
What happens next?
How can other students become involved?

Questions for Competitors

Which event did you enter, and what did it require?
Why did you choose that event?
How long did you prepare?
What did you create, present, or demonstrate?
What teaching or leadership skills were evaluated?
What was the most challenging part?
What placement or result did you receive?
Did you qualify or advance to another level?
What feedback did you receive?
What will you do differently as you prepare for the next competition?

Questions for Teachers and the Coordinator

What was the purpose of this activity?
How did TAFE members prepare?
What responsibilities were students given?
What rules, standards, or limitations applied?
What teaching or leadership skills did members demonstrate?
How did the younger students or participating class respond?
Have the competition results been officially confirmed?
How does this activity prepare students for careers in education?
What comes next for the students or organization?
Is there anything about the activity or results that people might misunderstand?

People You May Need to Interview

Depending on the story, consider interviewing:

TAFE coordinator Christy Jacob
The TAFE president
Other organization officers
Members who organized the activity
Students who developed or presented a lesson
Students participating in a competitive event
Members who placed or advanced
Students earning scholarships, awards, or recognition
Teachers hosting TAFE members in their classrooms
Teachers or administrators involved in the activity
College education-program representatives
Guest speakers or education professionals
Representatives of partner organizations
Students participating in the lesson or activity, when permission has been obtained

Do not interview only Mrs. Jacob or a TAFE officer. Include the students who planned, taught, competed, volunteered, or completed the work.

When covering a classroom activity, obtain permission before interviewing, identifying, photographing, or recording younger students.

What You Need to Collect

Before writing or producing the story, collect:

The complete and correctly spelled names of everyone involved
Each TAFE member’s grade level
Each student’s official position, role, or responsibility
The official name of the meeting, competition, conference, lesson, event, or project
The date, time, and location
The purpose of the activity
The subject, topic, or educational need involved
The grade level or age group for which the activity was designed
An accurate description of what TAFE members did
Information about how students prepared
The teaching, communication, or leadership skills involved
Official placements, scores, scholarships, awards, or advancement results
The name of the person who confirmed the results
Important registration, submission, travel, or participation deadlines
Verified attendance, service-hour, fundraising, or donation totals
Information about how collected money or donations will be used
What happens next
At least one useful quote from a participating TAFE member
At least one useful quote from Mrs. Jacob
A quote from a classroom teacher, education professional, or partner when appropriate
Photographs or video of students preparing, teaching, presenting, volunteering, or competing
Identification of everyone shown in photographs
Relevant lesson plans, schedules, programs, certificates, score sheets, flyers, or official announcements
Confirmation that interviews, photography, and video were permitted

Before You Leave

Ask yourself:

Do I have the correct spelling of every name?
Do I know each TAFE member’s grade level and official role?
Do I have the exact name of the event, competition, lesson, or project?
Do I know exactly what happened?
Do I know when and where it happened?
Can I explain what TAFE members were expected to do?
Do I understand how the activity connects with teaching or education?
Have all placements, awards, scholarships, and advancement results been confirmed?
Did I distinguish between participating, placing, and advancing?
Did I interview at least one student who participated?
Did I speak with the classroom teacher or supervising adult when appropriate?
Do I have strong quotes—not merely “It was fun” or “I’m excited”?
Have all dates, deadlines, costs, totals, and results been confirmed?
Do I know what happens next?
Do I have usable photographs or video?
Did I identify everyone shown in my photographs?
Did I receive permission before entering or recording inside a classroom?
Did I protect private information about students and their academic performance?
Is there another member, teacher, administrator, education professional, or partner I should interview?

The Bellville Herd

NEWSROOM

A Brahma Video Productions Student Newsroom