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Nov 16

NCTE November: Embracing the Professional Journey

By Pauline Schmidt

For years, I heard about NCTE during my undergraduate and masters programs, but I could never afford to go. The schools where I was teaching didn’t support teachers traveling for professional development (or if they did, I didn’t know about it); and, I didn’t have the voice to advocate for myself…yet. Once I went back to the University at Buffalo for my doctorate, I knew I’d find a way to get there!

In the Fall of 2007, everything came together. I could get a relatively inexpensive flight from Buffalo to NYC, a tiny hotel room near the conference, and the college where I was teaching had funding to support faculty travel. So, there I was, six months pregnant with my daughter, and preparing for my FIRST national conference. I paid the extra $20 to get the program mailed to me ahead of time and went to town highlighting and tabbing pages for ALL the sessions I’d plan to attend! It was a challenge, but I had a session selected for every time slot! After all these years of missed opportunities, I was going to make the most of this experience!

In my excitement, I didn’t realize that some of the sessions were held at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square and some were held at the Javits Convention Center (about a mile away from one another). I had to quickly revise my plan to accommodate for the travel time, but still successfully attended meaningful keynote addresses and smaller, more intimate roundtable sessions. I knew, without a doubt, I would never miss this opportunity again.

November 2007 – NCTE in New York City

Pictured above (from left to right) are authors Gregory Maguire, Amy Tan, and author-educator-hero, Jonathan Kozol.

I have kept my word. I have not missed the NCTE Annual Conference since that first experience. I waited until 2009 to submit a proposal to present – mostly because I was still working on my dissertation & wasn’t sure what I’d present. I was invited to share the results of my study at the WILLA (Women in Literacy and Life Assembly, now called Gender and Literacy Assembly) session. The teacher that I wrote about agreed to co-present with me, and here we are in Philadelphia:

Since this time, I have certainly grown in my approach and in my professional network as well. I have presented in a variety of sessions, chaired roundtable sessions for the Commission on Arts & Literacies, connected with people via social media, met some of my favorite authors, seen some really cool cities, and have even made the case to bring preservice teachers to the conference as well! I’ve received funding from WCU to support and mentor the experience for our students. Here they are in Washington, Atlanta, St. Louis, and Houston!

What I’ve realized about the conference over the years, is just how much I missed in my early years; I can’t go back in time, but I can get as many of my preservice teachers to see how valuable this annual experience is. As we prepare for this year’s conference, I shared some of my tips.

Tips for First-Timers:

  • You can’t do it all, so don’t even try! Plan for a rich experience, but know when to take a break.
  • If you are flying, back your smaller suitcase into your bigger one and then you will have space for all the books and goodies you will bring back.
  • Pick 1-3 sessions for each time frame. If you are in a session that doesn’t seem to be what you thought it was, quietly leave and head to one of your other choices. Remember, you are in control of this learning & this professional development.
  • Bring your writers’ notebook and your favorite pens! You are going to want to take notes!
  • Wear comfortable shoes and bring snacks that you can eat in between sessions. Of course, stay hydrated!
  • Enjoy the downtime – conversations in line at the exhibit hall – eating lunch with friends. It’s all part of the experience.
  • Don’t forget to experience the host city! Check out a local restaurant or bookstore or one of the local attractions.

Nov 13

Giving Thanks

Showing gratitude is one of the simplest yet most powerful things humans can do for each other. 

~Randy Pausch

When was the last time you received a handwritten thank you note or wrote one? As Thanksgiving approaches, I am reminded of one of my favorite writing activities – writing thank you notes. My classes spend some time discussing the importance of saying thank you. We talk about reasons why you would send someone a thank you note, and of course, the students usually say, “When you get a birthday present.”  When I ask how many of them write handwritten thank you notes, very few of them raise their hands. Since the world moved to electronic devices and social media, a handwritten note has become a lost art, but one that is very satisfying when resurrected. 

To get started, I have the students brainstorm a list of people in their lives who deserve their thanks but are often taken for granted.  The list includes obvious people like parents and grandparents, but as we continue to talk the list grows to include bus drivers, crossing guards, maintenance staff, school secretaries, coaches, neighbors, and even siblings.

Once we have our list compiled, I introduce the activity.  Each student will write a handwritten note to someone they need to thank. Some of them still aren’t sure, so  I read a few picture books for inspiration. I have included a shortlist below. If you have a favorite, please add it in the comments.  I am always looking for more.

Ten Thank You Letters by Daniel Kirk 

I Am Thankful by Suzy Capozzi

Thankful by Eileen Spinelli

Being Thankful by Mercer Mayer

Grateful: A Song of Giving Thanks by John Bucchino

Thanks a Million by Nikki Grimes

Thank You, Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco

The Thank You Letter by Jane Cabrera

Next, we talk about what should go into a thank you note, such as: tell your recipient what you are thanking them for; be sure to expand on why you are thankful for the gift or act and add a closing statement that is directed toward the recipient. Students then write their rough drafts.

I provide the note cards.  I try to get a variety so that everyone has a chance to choose one that suits their personalities.  You can get note cards on sale during the year, purchase them at the dollar store, or use those spare ones hanging around your house.  The kids provide the addresses and the stamp.  

Lastly, the students write their letters (I take a quick peek to make sure there are no glaring errors), address the envelopes, (which is a lesson in itself), and affix the stamp (another lesson). I am tasked with dropping them off at the post office.  

The kids always look and feel satisfied with themselves as they hand me their letters, but that is nothing compared to how they look and feel when they receive feedback from the recipients.  They learn that small gestures can make a great impact on someone else.

I can’t tell you what a difference thank you notes made in my life a few weeks ago.  After a few rough days at school, I was surprised by a large yellow envelope in my mailbox.  Inside were these lovely thank you notes from some teachers in Springfield Delco School District.  In early October, I presented in their PAWLP class, and they sent me handwritten thank you notes. The evening I presented they were all so gracious and said thank you which I appreciated, but the fact that they took time to write me a personal note really made me feel special and lifted my spirits at the perfect time.

Thank you notes

Who is on your thank you list?  Whose life will you or your students brighten with handwritten notes?  I look forward to your ideas in the comments, and thank you for reading this post!

 

Nov 11

NCTE November: NWP Brunch and Beyond By Mary Buckelew and Janice Ewing

Whether attending or facilitating sessions, listening to the keynote speakers, or catching up with familiar colleagues and connecting with new ones, we always look forward to and enjoy the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) and the National Writing Project (NWP) combined conferences.

This year, we have a unique opportunity. Elyse Eidman-Aadahl extended an invitation for us to present at the NWP Brunch on Sunday morning. We were humbled by this invitation but gladly accepted it. Elyse was one of the advance reviewers of our book Action Research for English Language Arts Teachers: Invitation to Inquiry (Routledge, 2019). Her view was that the thinking and work that went into this book would be a good fit for the theme of this year’s conference – Spirited Inquiry. Our overall focus for the brunch presentation is connecting and highlighting some of the principles and practices of the National Writing Project with action research as we present it in our book. We will focus on the inquiry stance, reflection, collaboration, and publication.

It seems only fitting that we have invited several PAWLP fellows and friends to contribute to the NWP brunch presentation. Our book was inspired by their thinking at Continuity sessions, on the PAWLP Blog, on Twitter and in the many venues in which Writing Project folks interact to write, collaborate, reflect, and publish – all to improve their practices and the literacy lives of their students!

While we look forward to all of the conversations and learning the NCTE/NWP conference will inspire –we also look forward to embracing another important “R” — relaxation. Whether a communal meal or an opportunity to get to know our host city better, our community extends beyond the classroom. Here’s a memory from Atlanta — looking forward to more from Baltimore!

NCTE Atlanta.png

Nov 6

1 Comment

Reflections on Assessment

By Lynne R. Dorfman

In education, the term assessment refers to the wide variety of methods or tools that educators use to evaluate, measure, and document the academic readiness, learning progress, skill acquisition, or educational needs of students. A good part of the school year in most districts has focused on student assessment as well as in the teaching and learning in higher education. Student assessment is a critical aspect of the teaching and learning process. Whether teaching in elementary school or at the undergraduate or graduate level, it is important for educators to strategically evaluate the effectiveness of their teaching by measuring the extent to which students in the classroom are learning and applying the concepts and strategies.

Understanding our purposes for assessment and thinking about how we collect rich data to drive our instruction is essential. Assessment should always be purposeful, informative, and useful to us as facilitators of learning. Martha L. A. Stassen et al. define assessment as “the systematic collection and analysis of information to improve student learning.” (Stassen et al., 2001, pg. 5) This is the most important task of student assessment in the teaching and learning process – to improve student learning. Here are some thoughts about assessment. Can you add to these lists? Read more

Nov 4

NCTE November: My First NCTE

By Jolene Borgese

NCTE 1982 was in Philadelphia, two years after our first writing institute at West Chester University. Martha Menz, Lois Snyder and I had all attended the institute the summer of 1980.  We submitted a proposal for a workshop on Revision since NCTE would be in our home town. These two women were the stars of the project. They were smart, fabulous teachers and able to get along with the director Bob Weiss. Martha Menz was a high school History teacher at Upper Darby High School. She had earned an undergraduate and graduate degree at the University of Penn. She would go on to become the supervisor of Staff Development and the Curriculum Director for UDSD. Lois was an elementary teacher for Upper Darby SD and would later go on to become the superintendent of Interboro SD and earn a doctorate from Widener University in record time! I was in great company.

Our presentation was accepted and scheduled for Saturday morning. The day before I had attended my first National writing Project (NWP) meeting and met the director James Gray. He was a former high school English teacher from Berkley CA. He was a big man, a little gruff- not the serene college professor type at all. He ran an efficient meeting with maybe 50 sites. I was excited to meet other writing project site directors and learn what they were doing. We were all so new and didn’t really understand the power or impact our sites would have 40 years later! Mary Ann Smith, a co-director of NWP took me under her wings.  She became a role model for me and I treasured our time together at NWP meetings.  

 We arrived at the convention center assigned room and were amazed they gave us such a large room – we were sure no one would attend. We did our own sound check by pretending to be the three Supremes singing “Stop in the Name of Love!”  Little did we know the convention center had real sound check men who caught us in the middle of our song! To our surprise and delight over 50 people attended our first national presentation including my English college professor from Lock Haven State – Dr. Vaughn. She sat smiling through the entire presentation – she was so proud of me.  Any fear or nervousness I had quickly dissipated. I can’t remember anything we did or said that day – just a warm feeling when you know you are in like minded company.  

For the next 30 years I would attend every NCTE annual convention. In the 90’s I presented many presentations with a writing project director Lela Detoye from Illinois on using picturing books in the secondary classrooms as mentor texts. We received a book contract from Stenhouse but for a year we tried to come together on a book format. Unfortunately, we couldn’t so the book was never written.  But the number of secondary teachers hungry to use picture books in their classrooms grew every year. In San Diego we had over 200 teachers attend our presentation – sitting on the floor, standing – the room was packed. 

I also was appointed to the executive committee of Council on English Leadership (CEL) – for ten years as the membership chair. The CEL conference was held the two days following the NCTE convention so I would have two more days of presentations and learning with new friends. NCTE was my home for many years and I learned so much from the convention and the journal. I owe NCTE a huge thank you for my career and teaching. 

Dr. Jolene Borgese began her career as a middle school English teacher before moving on to teach English and writing in high schools. Trained by the National Writing Project (NWP), Borgese aims to increase students’ pleasure and confidence in writing by helping educators teach the skill as a process and a tool for learning. Borgese served as codirector of the NWP for 15 years, where she taught the NWP model to, and developed writing courses for, teachers. In addition, she created the Young Writers summer camp for students from elementary through high school.

Nov 1

NCTE November: Magical Moments

Happy November! With NCTE right around the corner – physically and metaphorically – we want to dedicate this month’s feature to the conference. Please check back regularly to enjoy posts about NCTE past and present as our teacher consultants reminisce about past conference experiences and share their plans for presenting at this year’s event.

With the flip of my calendar page, my excitement for this year’s conference became palpable. As I count the days until my next NCTE experience, I can’t help but think back on past moments that are filled with memorable encounters and game-changing presentations.

There was the elevator ride with Matt de la Peña. With my infant daughter wrapped to my chest, we chatted about our children, bed time stories, and his books. I was able to thank him for creating the sweet story, Love, which without fail lulls my daughter to sleep each night while bringing tears to my eyes.

There was the Kylene Beers’ presentation when we were asked to share memorable reading experiences with someone nearby and I turned to find Bob Probst standing to my left. We introduced ourselves and chatted in response to Kylene’s question for a bit before I let my excitement take over and I gushed about his influence on my teaching. I was able to thank him for his reading signposts, which have changed my reading instruction and strengthened my students reading engagement.

There was sitting next to Nic Stone as she read aloud from Dear Martin and led us in a book discussion. Afterwards, I was able to thank her for writing a book that made my husband, a strict nonfiction reader, fall in love with fiction again.

There was meeting a friend for dinner, and upon arrival being introduced to the “kind person who kept her company while she waited” – Linda Rief. We chatted about books and writing and our kids and her grandchildren until our tables were ready. Before we parted ways, I was able to thank her for her quick writes, which have made my students and me better, more confident writers for years.

And there are the countless hard-working, thoughtful, innovative educators who take the time to share their craft. From them I have gained new insights into teaching poetry, fiction, nonfiction, writing, reading, and, of course, my students. Because of them I am a better teacher.

Finally, there are my colleagues and friends, who have co-planned, co-presented, and collaborated with me. They have invited me to join them in sharing our voices. They have pushed me out of my comfort zone. They have encouraged me to take chances on my own. And they have celebrated every success along the way. I cannot wait to make more memorable experiences with them in just a few short weeks.

If you have attended NCTE in the past, what magical moments happened for you? If you are attending this year, please stop back later and share your experiences. Please also stop by the PAWLP roundtable – How Can We Help Our Students Establish and Maintain a Writer’s Identity? – and say hi!

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