by Deborah J. Short

At this time of year, people in the United States and Canada celebrate Thanksgiving. Originally, conceived as an event to give thanks for the harvest and that consequently brought diverse peoples together in the 17th century, the practice of expressing gratitude for food, family, and friends has endured. A similar Thanksgiving holiday is celebrated in other countries too, such as Brazil, Liberia, and Japan. It seems fitting at this time to take a moment out of our hectic and undoubtedly stressful lives to reflect on the meaning of the holiday.

It’s easy to complain about the deleterious impact that COVID-19 has placed on our personal and professional lives. It has been huge. It has been horrible. But during this season, let’s flip the switch and consider whether there is any silver lining. Has anything positive happened? Is there anything that we can be thankful for?

Three of the directors on TESOL’s board will finish their term in March 2021. They have served our association well for 3 years and have helped steer us through the current difficulties. I asked them to share their reflections: Has there been any benefit from COVID-19 for the field of English language teaching? If you were sitting at your dining room table sharing a Thanksgiving dinner with family and friends, what would you say that you are grateful for?

Maybe you miss traveling during your vacations, visiting family members who live far away, networking with and learning from colleagues at face-to-face events. Were you disappointed that our face-to-face Convention was cancelled in March? Many of us were, including Joe McVeigh, Board Liaison to the Membership Professional Council. But when asked the question, he replied,

I'm thankful that although we are unable to travel, we have actually the opportunity for increased connection with colleagues in other parts of the world through virtual conferences, webinars, and online meetings.

So, think back over the past few months—have you taken advantage of more opportunities? Have you attended more webinars or conferences because they are virtual? I have. I have deliberately joined sessions outside my usual focus on PK–12 education. It’s been rewarding to learn about second language academic writing, remote teaching on the African continent, and content-based English instruction at universities in Colombia, among other diverse topics.

Many of our TESOL members have struggled to teach effectively in the time of corona. We’ve chronicled the struggles, ranging from pivoting to virtual teaching without training for teacher or learner on the platform to teaching half the class in person in one room while the other half sits in a second room watching the lesson in real-time on a screen and the teacher being expected to move back and forth “seamlessly” between the rooms. We have persevered in spite of the challenges and uncertainty, as Christel Broady, Chair of the Finance Committee, acknowledged in her expression of gratitude:

I am grateful for PK–12 teachers who care about their students, no matter what the mode of instruction is, for schools that assist all students in having the resources to participate in education equally, and for educators advocating for their English language learners in PK–12 schools.

Have you found new allies for your English learners? Many TESOL members report this has happened—other educators in the school or program who share ideas with you to ease the isolation or who teach you how to use an app that helps your students practice English. Others have joined forces with fellow advocates to make sure English learners had devices and internet access, food, and socioemotional counseling. We can give thanks, in part, to the crisis for bringing us together to work on common goals of equitable, safe, and productive learning for all students.

And what have you learned about yourself during this public health and economic crisis? Are you more resilient than you thought you’d be? More creative and resourceful? Has the crisis unexpectedly rekindled your passion for our profession? Katherine Lobo, Board Liaison to the Awards Professional Council, reflected on her own journey during this time.

When I think about what I am grateful for as an educator, in spite of the pandemic and this lousy year, I am thankful that despite all that has happened, I am still able to make a difference by empowering my students to be independent and engaged in society.

Making a difference in the lives of learners. Being able to do that, wanting to do that, continuing to do that in the face of adversity. That’s the bottom line. Thank you, Kathy, Christel, and Joe for sharing your thoughts. Thank you, members of our global English language teaching community for your work and dedication to our field. Stay well, and pause for a moment and ask yourself, what are you grateful for?

Please tell us what you are thankful for in the comments section.

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Deborah J. Short, PhD, is TESOL International Association president (2020–2021). She directs Academic Language Research & Training, LLC and provides professional development on academic literacy, content-based ESL, and sheltered instruction worldwide. She has led numerous research projects related to English learner education, codeveloped the SIOP Model, and served as series editor for several 6 Principles books.

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