Hello to all my ITA friends!

This is Liz Tummons, your new ITAIS chair. I am so happy that you are allowing me to represent ITA concerns to TESOL. Since the convention, I have been reminded multiple times of what a great Interest Section we have, and I’m happy to be a part of it. I was reminded of your “wonderfulness” just after the ITAIS meeting and social, when I wrote up the responses to our two-question survey. Although I asked for one thing you value and one thing you’d like to see change or happen, the positives far outweighed the negatives. Below, I’ve categorized your comments into three basic themes that outline what we value and what we need.

Survey Theme 1: connections, camaraderie, support, friendly community, laid back and fun, and a welcoming, active group

My favorite word here is camaraderie. I used to think the ITAIS’s small size was a disadvantage, but your comments make it clear that our size is actually a benefit. Being small allows us to interact and know one another to a much greater degree than large Interest Sections get to experience.

I want to point out that despite our small size, we have a strong slate of leaders in the ITAIS. If you’re looking to connect more with the ITAIS, feel free to contact me or any of these great people.

Survey Theme 2: a great place to learn, sharing ideas, professional generosity, comparing notes, communication, and talking with other ITA instructors

My favorite phrase here was professional generosity. When I first started working with ITAs, I was so grateful to the people who were willing to take me under their wings and answer all the crazy questions they must have answered a million times before—and they did it with an amazing level of patience. The level of professionalism and expertise evident in this group wouldn’t mean nearly as much if it weren’t paired with the generous willingness to share or assist whenever a need is expressed.

As of this writing, I haven’t had the chance to see the results yet, but I know many signed up to work together on convention proposals. I hope it is just one more practical example of the ITAIS “sharing ideas” for the benefit of all our members.

Survey Theme 3: more sessions, a preconvention workshop, connection/outreach opportunities year-round, more updates, more discussion during the year, and activity online in general

These themes come from the recommendations for change on the survey. As one who works in relative isolation, my favorite was “loners club.” As you can see, most of our members want more ITAIS “camaraderie” and “professional generosity,” not only at the convention but also throughout the year. This has been a continual struggle for us over the years, and I hope to have more viable solutions in the near future.

In the meantime, please submit articles to the ITAIS Newsletter and keep querying and responding to the ITA and ITAIS Listservs. The more you participate, the more others are encouraged to take part. The end result will be that our Interest Section becomes even more professional, more welcoming, more generous, and more connected.

As I mentioned earlier, please feel free to contact me or anyone on the ITAIS steering committee.

Have a wonderful summer,

Liz

ITAIS Chair