This post by NCTE member Susan Barber is reprinted with permission from her blog post, What Happens in St. Louis Shouldn’t Stay in St. Louis.
Why should you attend the NCTE Convention this year? We’re sharing a series of reflections from teachers who attended the 2017 NCTE Annual Convention to help you answer this very question!
One week ago yesterday, I was on my way home from NCTE 2017 which gave me several strategies to take back to my classroom but also the inspiration to do the work of teaching. There’s no way I can put into words all I learned, but here are some thoughts that continue to linger in my mind:
Choice in Reading
Student choice is so important in education and specifically in reading. I loved hearing several people including some prominent authors and teachers talk about how they hated school. HATED. But then they found that book – the one where a character was like them and suddenly they were no longer alone but rather swept into a world of fiction and understanding. We MUST be committed to getting the right books into the hands of students. In addition, whole class novels cannot be taught to death but rather presented in a way for students to build reading skills, discover meaning on their own, and be a platform for rich classroom discussion and learning. I will say it over and over: we are not teaching a text; we are teaching students how to read and make meaning of texts.
Relationships Matter
Students need to know that teachers are advocates for them. I can just copy and paste the sentence from the paragraph above and substitute teacher for book. Because we provide stories to consider, English teachers often have an advantage in getting to know our students. Build community in the classroom. Smile. Ask questions. Speak encouraging words.
More diversity in Reading
Today’s classroom should extend beyond the canon. I’m amazed that I even have to write this because it seems so obvious yet so many teachers continue to only teach the “pillars” of literature and do not include modern and diverse voices. The problem for me is not a lack of desire to teach different works but rather keeping up with the multitude of modern voices; this is where being a part of an active learning community is key. We must share new texts, new writers, and lesson ideas.
NO TEACHING TO THE TEST (Yes – I realize that all caps means I’m shouting)
No matter what pressure we are facing, we must not teach to the test. We are reading and writing teachers, not test teachers. If we are teaching students how to read and write, the test will take care of itself. Forever and ever amen.
Stand up to Teacher Bullying
Laurie Halse Anderson (Speak) discussed how schools have made great gains in bullying; however, the group of bullies that has not yet been called out is teachers. We all know those teacher bullies in our building who take great enjoyment in exercising their power over students by belittling them. This must stop.
Teachers should be Lead Learners
Teachers must be active readers and writers and share our reading and writing with our students. We need to do this so we can be better teachers. Share what you’re reading with your students. No time to read? Read when your students read during their independent reading time. Don’t do independent reading? See bullet #1. Write alongside students and share your writing with them. Ask for their feedback on your writing. Write for a site like this one (more information about this next week or email me).
Collaboration Makes for Better Teaching
I love being around passionate educators – the kind you find hanging out at English conferences on the weekend before Thanksgiving or on Twitter in their freetime. I am always inspired and encouraged. These are the people I can go to when I need to problem solve or tweak a lesson. NCTE gave me the opportunity to collaborate with two groups of people for presentations, and I am a better teacher because of the planning and ideas we shared in our preparation. In case you were not able to go to NCTE, here’s the link to Textually Active Teens from the #aplitchat crew.
Here are some more voices from NCTE:
NCTE reminded me that amazing teachers and researchers are working passionately to improve the state of ELA education for all students. I connected with my brilliant PLN, and my Twitter friends quickly became “real” friends and colleagues. I was inspired to try new strategies, and I shared strategies from my practice with fellow practitioners across the country. NCTE is a recharging station and an opportunity to learn with and from passionate educators. I can’t wait for next year in Houston! – Roy Smith
What I realized more than anything this year at #NCTE17 is that it’s about people. Although I walked away from many sessions with nuts and bolts strategies for Monday morning, I left Saint Louis with so much more than lesson plans. I left with a renewed commitment to making my classroom a place kids want to be every day, and I deepened friendships with educators who I not only admire, but who inspire me to be my best. – Karla Hilliard
I was immersed in conversations about classroom all over the country, including Canada, where wonderful things were happening. I asked questions, wrote copious notes, and took down contact information, including several Twitter handles, and made so many connections with brilliant educators. It was glorious and, writing this, my mind is still aswirl with all of the things I will try in my classroom in the weeks to come. – from Teacher in Wonderland by Jori Krulder