SRIS Newsletter - July 2018 (Plain Text Version)

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In this issue:
LEADERSHIP UPDATES
•  LETTER FROM THE EDITORS
•  LETTER FROM THE COCHAIR
ARTICLES
•  BLACK SPACES AND WHITE NORMS: THE IMPORTANCE OF BELPAF FOR THE TESOL COMMUNITY
•  INVALIDATED IDENTITY AND FOREIGN LANGUAGE ANXIETY: A PERSONAL REFLECTION
•  SOCIAL INTELLIGENCE COURSE IMPLEMENTATION FOR ENGLISH LEARNERS
•  THE NEIGHBOR'S WINDOW: A VISUAL WORLD FOUNDATION PROJECT ON BYSTANDERS BECOMING UPSTANDERS
BOOK REVIEW
•  BOOK REVIEW: "TEACHERS AS ALLIES: TRANSFORMATIVE PRACTICES FOR TEACHING DREAMERS AND UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS"
ABOUT THIS COMMUNITY
•  MEET THE TEAM
•  SRIS MISSION AND GOALS
•  CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: ALLYSHIP

SRIS MISSION AND GOALS

Statement of Purpose

TESOL's Social Responsibility Interest Section (SRIS) supports and develops members engaged in integrating language teaching, research, and training with social responsibility, world citizenship, and awareness of global issues such as peace, human rights, and the environment. The SRIS promotes social responsibility within the profession to advance social equity, respect for differences, and multicultural understandings through education.

Relationship to TESOL Mission and Strategic Direction

The work of the SRIS clearly aligns with the advocacy aims of the Strategic Plan and TESOL’s Mission Core Values (1) Respect for Diversity, Multilingualism, Multiculturalism, and Individual Language Rights and (2) Commitment to Lifelong Learning. TESOLers are intersectional in their interests, expertise, and talents vis-à-vis our shared professional discipline. The SRIS has become a welcome home for members who themselves are stakeholders within multiple ISs or other alliance communities (e.g., AEIS, BELPaF, IEPIS, ILGBTF, NNEST,...): SRIS speaks to members’ own core values as humans living and working within a socially unjust world.

2018-19 SRIS Goals

1. Research workshops/‘webinars,’ online book club; quarterly newsletter content; discussion forum activity; etc.);

2. Promote development of leaders within the SRIS (i.e., through opportunities for service as ‘domain leaders’ or IS liaisons, newsletter contributors/editors, workshop development/delivery; etc.);

3. Grow membership of the SRIS (i.e., through active dissemination of our purposes and mission to the broader TESOL community);

4. Activate and engage affiliate leaders both regionally (within the U.S.A.) and globally in their involvement in the SRIS and within the TESOL organization more broadly.

2018-19 Planned Activities

Quarterly Webinars: The “TESOL year” beyond of convention will be divided up into 4 quarters. A webinar will be offered by one of the four domains each quarter in their area of expertise. Such webinars will be available and open to the entire TESOL membership:

Newsletter Foci: Building upon the work of the 2017-2018 SRIS Newsletter Editors, our plan is to continue publishing four newsletters each year, with one of the domains taking key focus each issue. Additionally, the issue leading up to the annual Convention will integrate the Convention Theme.

Book Club: Also emerging during the 2017 SRIS general meeting was the idea to develop online book club focusing on a text aligned to the Convention Theme, a specific advocacy domain, or other identified critical topic related to the current social and political milieu.

SRIS Leadership Policy and Procedures: An identified aim is the development of organized virtual spaces (e.g. via Google Docs or other space) and materials that would support the successful transition of leadership within the SRIS.

Online Open Meeting: Beyond the annual open meeting which occurs during the course of the convention, our intention is to hold quarterly “virtual” open membership meetings to aid in ‘extending the conversation’ beyond the annual convention.

Area of Advocacy Activities: Each of the four Areas of Advocacy (EL Advocacy, Intersections of Identity, Professional Learning, and Global Issues) will undertake activities throughout the year, in addition to the planned webinars. These could include, but are not limited to, research projects, online meetings, such as twitter chats, publications and outreach.