This blog post was written by NCTE member Jen Vincent, chair of the Build Your Stack® Committee. This post is part of Build Your Stack,® an NCTE initiative focused exclusively on helping teachers build their book knowledge and their classroom libraries. Build Your Stack® provides a forum for contributors to share books from their classroom experience; inclusion in a blog post does not imply endorsement or promotion of specific books by NCTE.
“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.”
― L. M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables
I agree with Anne . . . but November means it’s time for the NCTE Annual Convention!
This year I’m looking forward to finally being in person again at the Build Your Stack® sessions to learn about texts I can bring into my classroom.
NCTE’s Build Your Stack® initiative focuses exclusively on helping teachers build their book knowledge and their classroom libraries, knowing that the right book in the right hands can transform a life.
At the Annual Convention, we have a dedicated Build Your Stack® space in the exhibit hall where every 20 minutes presenters will be sharing their #bookstacks. Presentations are centered on a theme, and a variety of topics and a range of texts will be discussed. This is a great way to increase your awareness of books to share with students. I’m always energized after all the ideas I learn at the NCTE Convention, and the Build Your Stack® sessions are super helpful as I continue to make connections between kids and books.
I especially love how inviting the Build Your Stack® space is in the exhibit hall. You’ll find comfy, café-like seating where you can sit with friends. Or perhaps make a new friend! Don’t worry, there are also spaces to sit on your own if you need a pause from the buzz of the exhibit hall.
The sessions are short and focused so you can stop in at any time and hear from a new voice. It’s amazing how many books people are able to share in only 20 minutes! Sometimes I am reminded of books I share often in my classroom, but most of the time I find myself writing down new titles to get for my classroom library and to share with students as soon as I get back.
If you’re joining us in Anaheim, be sure to check the program for the full list of the amazing sessions we have at the Build Your Stack® space in the exhibit hall.
Jen Vincent is a writer, blogger, and educator who believes in the power of writing as an act of radical self love. She is a National Board Certified Teacher in early/middle childhood literacy and teaches 8th-grade language arts and social studies in Mundelein, Illinois. Growing up, books and stories made her feel whole, helped her fit in, and gave her an escape but also propelled her into writing her own stories of being a first-generation, Latinx, mix. Jen shares her love of mentor texts at her blog Teach Mentor Texts, hosts Weekly Check-Ins for Teachers Write, a virtual summer writing camp for educators, and co-hosts the Kidlit It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? (#IMWAYR). She is an active member of NCTE and serves on the Build Your Stack® committee. As the founder of Story Exploratory, she provides opportunities for people to engage in identity work through guided writing exploration.
It is the policy of NCTE in all publications, including the Literacy & NCTE blog, to provide a forum for the open discussion of ideas concerning the content and the teaching of English and the language arts. Publicity accorded to any particular point of view does not imply endorsement by the Executive Committee, the Board of Directors, the staff, or the membership at large, except in announcements of policy, where such endorsement is clearly specified.