How TXST’s teacher residency program is preparing students for the classroom

At the end of each school year, the hallways of Mendez Elementary School in San Marcos, Texas fill with cheering students, celebrating the TXST education major seniors who are finishing their last semester of their teaching residency. In their caps and gowns, the TXST student-teachers walk down the hall giving hugs and high-fives to the students they bonded with and mentors they learned from during the school year.  

“By embedding future educators in the day-to-day realities of teaching, we are helping them build the confidence, skills, and relationships they need to succeed from their very first day as certified teachers,” says Michael Cardona, Ph.D., Superintendent of San Marcos CISD.  

San Marcos CISD began partnering with the TXST College of Education in 2021, creating a pathway for TXST students to gain real-world experience in classrooms across San Marcos Consolidated Independent School District’s 12 schools.

“We are proud to partner with Texas State in preparing the next generation of educators for our community and beyond,” Cardona says. 

San Marcos CISD is just one of over 30 school districts across Texas that partner with TXST through the teacher residency program. Partnering districts include schools in the Austin, Dallas, and Houston areas, a majority of which reached out to TXST first, expressing their desire to partner with the teacher residency program.

“We have such a wide range of districts that partner with us, and I truly believe it’s because we produce the best teachers,” says Deirdre Williams, Ed.D., Director of the TXST residency program.  

Each academic year, over 600 TXST students conduct student teaching and residencies in classrooms across Texas, gaining valuable skills that will prepare them for successful teaching careers.

“My experience in this program was extremely valuable, and it helped shape me into a confident teacher,” says Zoe Morin, who graduated from TXST in May 2026.

Morin completed her teaching residency at McCormick Middle School in Buda, Texas and will start her professional teaching career as a special education teacher at Comal ISD in Fall 2026.

The San Antonio native was inspired by her mother and says that TXST’s residency program has given her the experience to follow in her mother’s footsteps.  

“My mentor teacher was phenomenal and supported me in every way throughout the school year. I learned so many skills that I know I will keep with me throughout my future teaching career,” Morin says.

Through TXST’s residency program, each student teacher remains at the same school and same class throughout the entire school year. It also allows TXST students to begin working with their mentor teachers starting during the summer months prior to the start of school, which Williams credits for the success of TXST resident students. 

“We don’t just throw students into a classroom and say: ‘Here, go teach!’” says Williams.  

“They start out planning, observing, and maybe some co-teaching at first, and then they eventually work their way up to leading lessons and small groups,” Williams says.  

Each participating student is matched with schools based on student teaching interests and school district needs. During the application process, students choose between four classifications including elementary, secondary, bilingual, and special education. Applicants then indicate their top preferred school districts and are matched based on the best fit. Through state funded allotments, school districts across Texas are able to provide stipends to resident teachers. This helps reduce financial barriers for aspiring teachers, relieving the burden of having to balance work and school simultaneously.

In the face of ongoing teacher shortages, TXST remains the university that produces the most Texas teachers, with more than 6,000 Bobcats becoming certified teachers over the past decade. According to the Texas Education Agency, more than 80% of Bobcat graduates remain in the teaching profession for at least five years, which emphasizes the passion for education that TXST instills in its student teachers.  

“It’s because we put student preparation first,” Williams says about the TXST College of Education.

“We don’t train our students to just know what’s in a textbook. We train them to know what the teaching experience truly is like.”