The newest issue of The Council Chronicle, available online now, shares a variety of perspectives on how English language arts teachers are navigating the currents of today.
Read a “Welcome” from NCTE Executive Director Emily Kirkpatrick below, then dip into stories of evolving classrooms, disrupting texts, shifting the conversation about English language learners, celebrating a life-changing award, and rethinking adolescence to improve your teaching, plus much more!
In many ways the work of an English teacher is the work of change. Though our field is often thought of as one wedded to longstanding traditions, what you’ll find in these
pages illustrates quite the opposite. As the people tasked with cultivating a literate society, our work must constantly strive to keep pace with shifts in language, technology, modes of communication, and more.
Spending time with almost 8,000 teachers in Houston last month, I couldn’t help but be inspired by the myriad ways in which our members are constantly remodeling their practice to best serve their students.
We’re seeking new ways to foster choice in reading and writing. We’re seeking new platforms and opportunities to learn from one another. We’re seeking ways to share what we know and experience with audiences whose decisions affect us. We’re learning what it means to take an anti-racist approach to curriculum and instruction. And through these and many other efforts, we’re equipping our students with the tools to be their own catalysts for change in the world beyond our classroom doors.
This constant evolution requires a curiosity about what we don’t yet know and a willingness to try new things. Embracing change is easier when you’re learning in community with others who share that commitment to growth. How fortunate we are at NCTE to be growing together. We look forward to many opportunities to do so in 2019, and wish you a new year filled with inquiry!
—Emily Kirkpatrick, NCTE Executive Director