As I was reading the June 2015 EEIS newsletter, I could not contain my smile while reading the chair’s letter. Dr. Joy Brown describes finding other TESOL travelers on their way to Toronto and becoming “part of a cheerful trio heading to the convention center and having a wonderful time.” I was one of the trio excitedly finding our way to our hotel with new friends. I recall that moment as being one in which all worries faded and turned to enthusiastic energy. You see, I do not like to fly. Actually, I really hate flying. After anxiously making the trip from Belgium to Canada, I remember wondering about finding my way around once I arrived. I quickly spotted several other attendees, and we made the journey into the heart of Toronto together. I remember thinking that this is what I love about TESOL! I love connecting with others who have the same passion, goals, and pursuits that I do, making the trip so worth it. I love reuniting with my wonderful TESOL colleagues whom I have met over the last 20 years. It is easy to make friends with others who are so dedicated to this profession that we come from all over the world to converge during a special week of sharing, learning, and networking. Thanks to everyone who made the 2015 convention a success, including all of the presenters, reviewers, organizers, and members! You did a wonderful job, and I feel privileged to be part of such a dedicated group of professionals!

At the convention, we discussed how to become an active Interest Section all year round. The TEIS listserv is a constant resource that is utilized to reach other teacher educators. (If you are not already on the TEIS listserv but are interested in joining, please log on to http://www.tesol.org. Go to "My Account," click on "Update Interest Sections" on the menu to the left, and check the box for "E-list” next to Teacher Education in the chart.) Did you know you can easily access previous listserv email messages? Click on “Community Page” under “Resources” on the TEIS webpage. Another source of information is the TESOL International Association Facebook page, but it is not specifically for TEIS. What else would you like to see? I have brainstormed ideas with quite a few of you, but each idea also has a caveat to its success. We understand that sometimes too much activity on the IS listserv bombards emails and some people even opted out when that happened in the past. We also recognize the need for volunteers to manage blogs and social media, if anyone is interested. We want to hear from you! Please take a moment and send me your ideas for how TEIS could better meet your needs as a teacher educator. My email address is angelabbell@aol.com.

Much of what the TEIS volunteers do revolves around making the convention successful. For 2016, TEIS received 327 proposals, of which only 73 could be accepted. There were so many excellent proposals; the decision was definitely difficult! Thanks to all of the reviewers who made this possible! I hope next year everyone in TEIS will sign up to review. It is a great way to learn what is currently happening in the world of teacher education, and of course, it is a valuable and needed service to TEIS. I also want to mention an issue that has occurred for several years during the review process. Some top-notch proposals were not selected for TEIS because they focused more on student education versus teacher education. Please make sure that it is evident in your proposal how your presentation will support teacher educators.

Currently, the 2015–2016 leaders are as follows:

Chair: Angela Bell

Chair-Elect: Laura Baecher

Past Chair: Nikki Ashcraft

Newsletter Editor: Valerie Traurig

Book Review Editor: Jillian Baldwin Kim

Community Manager: Joel Hardman

Elections for the new chair-elect will take place November 6–22. If you are a primary member of TEIS, please vote. I look forward to meeting our newest leader in Baltimore!

Please contact me if you have any suggestions for the TEIS. I can be reached at angelabbell@aol.com. I would love to hear from you!