“Every battle is easier when you remember whom you are fighting for.”
“We need to change the story. Be loud and consistent and leverage our members.”
“You can’t bring change as an individual, but you can bring change as a community.”
These are just three of the hundreds of wise things you, NCTE’s members, said when we began to reach out a year ago to gain insight into where the organization needed to go next. Messages like these were consistent whether we were talking with elementary teachers in a classroom or college teachers at the CCCC Convention. Your words inspire me every day.
You said you wanted to shine a light on the amazing accomplishments of our very talented membership, especially to counteract the negative narratives that currently prevail around the topic of education. We heard you loud and clear. This is why we launched the NCTE Village and why we are looking to you for a new group of leaders who will carry it forward.
What is the “NCTE Village”?
Above all, the NCTE Village is a community, not a location.
At the center of this community is a celebration of your work through your stories. When you share your voice through a perspective, experience, funny anecdote, or hard moment you open the door to new connections and help to build a real picture of what it means to be a literacy teacher today.
Stories shared in the NCTE Village are direct, authentic glimpses of our members and we’re working to provide the platform to amplify what you have to say.
As our community grows, so does our potential to have an impact. As we all know, it takes a village. Your stories speak volumes, but imagine what’s possible when we turn up the volume on tens of thousands of teachers speaking out about what we need to thrive in this profession.
That’s what the NCTE Village can do.
Just yesterday an NCTE member texted me about the Village. Her words were “it is so different and yet so us.” That’s exactly what we’re aiming for: work that is true to NCTE’s rich history and strongly held values, yet responsive to today’s needs and deployed in 21st century ways. It’s time to amplify your voices in ways that will get them heard, and every initiative coming out of our organization now is designed to do just that.
4 Ways You Can Get Involved
- Tag your social posts about teaching and learning with #NCTEVillage to start building momentum around this concept.
- Share a story via our online form so we can share your words with the community.
- Not ready for a full story? If you share something shorter, it may end up on our Wise Words page.
- Apply to become a lead ambassador. We’re looking for passionate educators who will help to carry the NCTE Village forward.
It’s incredible to see where your ideas are taking us. Each and every day NCTE continues to grow into YOUR organization. Welcome into the NCTE Village—let’s make something big, together!