Introduction

Professional organizations could not function without the support and service of their members, and TESOL International Association is no exception. One valuable contribution TESOL members can make is to serve in an interest section leadership position. Interest sections (ISs) are a crucial part of the association. In addition to providing communities of support, resources, and advice for members, they also play a role in carrying out essential organizational functions, shaping policy and providing input to TESOL about future initiatives and directions. In fact, the TESOL website refers to ISs as “the lifeblood of the TESOL International Association” (Retrieved from http://www.tesol.org/connect/interest-sections/become-an-interest-section-leader, July 2015).

The leaders of each IS perform numerous tasks vital to the operation of the TESOL organization. The chair of each IS, for example, is responsible for coordinating the proposal selection process for each TESOL annual convention. They oversee the recruitment and training of proposal readers, make final selections of proposals selected by the readers, and schedule sessions for the TESOL convention.

The community manager oversees the communication with IS members by updating and maintaining membership email lists and issuing announcements to members, communicating with the TESOL website manager about issues relating to the IS’s site, and performing other communication-related responsibilities. Other IS leaders perform additional essential duties.

Benefits of Service

While it may be easy to see how an IS leadership role benefits the TESOL organization, it is important to keep in mind that there are numerous benefits to the individual serving in the role as well.

1. Professional Development

One of the benefits of serving in a leadership role is the professional development opportunities it presents. Newsletter editors, for instance, receive training and mentoring in editing and publication. IS chairs learn about and facilitate the conference proposal reading process. Both Robert Elliott, former chair of SPLIS, and Britt Johnson, former chair of the Program Administration IS, agreed that getting a behind-the-scenes view of the conference proposal selection process was educational and beneficial for them. Johnson said, “I learned more about the ins and outs of proposal writing, having the job of both reviewing proposals and making final decisions about which proposals received time slots for TESOL Portland.” Elliott believes that “reading so many proposals helped me become a better proposal writer.”

2. Professional Networking

Another benefit of serving in an elected IS leadership position is the professional contacts you can make. Elliott said he enjoyed “meeting professionals interested in the same areas, including many ‘famous’ people whose work I admire, as well as new and up-and-coming people who are enthusiastic and full of ideas.” I, personally, have found it exciting and educational to be in steering committee meetings with the likes of Judy Gilbert and other well-known and influential personalities in the field and learn from their wisdom and insights.

Lara Ravitch, who has served in several positions, including including member-at-large for the Sociopolitical Concerns Committee, community manager for the Program Administration IS, assistant chair of the Higher Education IS, and chair of the International LGBT & Friends Forum, said, “In the interest sections, I learned more about the experiences of others in similar educational settings or roles, and perhaps most valuably, I helped to organize panels and, in that capacity, worked with an amazing array of accomplished presenters.”

Johnson echoed similar sentiments and also said, “I made lasting friends that I still consult for advice, ideas, trends in the field.” Johnson also said she enjoyed bringing people together from across the world to approach an issue from multiple perspectives. She also related a story about when she was in danger of losing her job due to fiscal issues and her friends on the board forwarded her any job opening they knew of and wrote her glowing letters of recommendation. There is no doubt professional networks can enrich and positively impact one’s career.

3. Learning More About TESOL and How It Functions

Perhaps a less obvious but also important advantage of holding a TESOL IS leadership position is getting a better understanding of how TESOL functions. Ravitch said, “I learned more about the policy issues relevant to the field and to the organization as a whole and got valuable experience contributing to white papers and other elements of policy advocacy.” Understanding who the key go-to people are, how the organization functions, and how various aspects of the organization fit together can be helpful in understanding how and why things work the way they do and how to go about facilitating a change or bringing an idea to fruition. Getting a closer view of the inner workings of TESOL, one also gains an appreciation for the many “moving parts” of the organization, the many functions it fulfills and roles it plays in advancing professionalism and increasing the visibility of and respect for the field.

4. Having an Impact on TESOL Policies and Initiatives

Finally, being in an IS leadership role gives one the opportunity to influence and shape future directions in the field and the organization. For instance, during the 2013–14 TESOL convention in Dallas, Texas, USA, the SPLIS steering committee decided to host a series of joint TESOL and International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language (IATEFL) virtual seminars on the theme of pronunciation. The result was two of the best-attended virtual seminars hosted by TESOL, ever. This is an example of how a simple idea or decision can translate into actions that have a large and positive impact on members.

Also, it is the IS steering committee that brainstorms ideas and makes final convention decisions about InterSection and academic sessions topics, participants, and which ISs to collaborate with and/or host joint sessions with at the following year’s TESOL convention, based on the input they receive from IS members at the general IS meeting. In other words, steering committees make decisions that directly and substantively affect the programming of the TESOL convention.

Steering committee members are also encouraged to attend the TESOL town hall meeting, where they represent the IS and share ideas that surfaced in their IS general or steering committee meetings. The chairs of the ISs are also part of a leadership counsel, which is another venue in which they can give input about and vote on future directions of the organization and/or various organizational initiatives under consideration. Thus, participating in an IS leadership role at the national level can have real and tangible impacts on policies and actions of TESOL. Having a voice in actual policies and procedures at the national level is very empowering and can help one feel more connected to and positive about the field and organization as a whole.

Why Leaders Recommend Service Positions

When asked if serving is something they would recommend, all former IS leaders interviewed agreed that it is. Britt Johnson, former Program Administration IS chair, said,

It is another lens through which you can see the field. It puts you in contact with new ideas, new solutions, and it is reinvigorating to get together with a group of professionals and thinking positively and excitedly about what we can do together for the good of the field

According to Kay Westerfield, cofounder and former chair of the English for Specific Purposes IS,

Serving in volunteer positions for my local affiliate, Oregon TESOL (ORTESOL), and later for TESOL International Association has simply made all the difference in my professional development and career….These opportunities have enriched my professional development through generous mentors, inspiring collaborations, and a greater awareness of current issues in our field. Moreover, I have gained an international network of dear friends and colleagues. I highly recommend pursuing opportunities for service in TESOL! Everyone benefits—you, your own institute or school, your learners, and our field of language learning and teaching.

Leadership Description

Click here for more information on the specific roles of each leadership position.

For more information about becoming an IS leader, please contact TESOL's Education Programs Department.

Dates and Deadlines

The following are relevant dates and deadlines for the TESOL election cycle:

Mid October: Election slate information due to TESOL

Early November: Ballots will be sent electronically for voting

Late November: Voting is closed

Early December: Election results provided to IS leaders

Each candidate must provide his or her name, affiliation, and a 50-word bio to the IS chair by the October deadline. It is important to note that candidates must be current members of TESOL and primary members of the IS in which they are running for office.

Conclusion

There is no one “right” way to be professionally engaged. Service opportunities abound and are needed and appreciated at every level—local, regional, and national. But if developing professionally, networking with a wide array of dedicated, inspiring fellow ESL/EFL teaching professionals, gaining insights into the inner workings of TESOL, and having an impact on policy and actions on a national level sounds appealing, then you should consider nominating yourself or a promising colleague for a leadership position within SPLIS!

Note: All quotes are based on interviews with ESL/EFL professionals and TESOL International Association members.

Char Heitman has taught ESL/EFL in the United States, Japan, Holland, and Spain for the past 24 years. Her professional interests include pronunciation, oral skills, project-based learning, alternative assessment, curriculum design, materials development, cross-cultural communication, and teacher training.