TEIS Newsletter - October, 2021 (Plain Text Version)
|
||
|
In this issue: |
LEADERSHIP UPDATES LETTER FROM THE CHAIR
Friends, There have been so few things to be excited about these days. Personally, I was crestfallen when the pandemic began just after my first book, Teacher Leadership for School-Wide English Learning (TESOL Press) was published. My co-author, Amy Stolpestad, and I experienced no fanfare, no book launch, and most importantly no ability to connect with and learn from other professionals in the field who are also interested in teacher leadership in TESOL. For this reason, I’m thrilled to share that 18 months after our book was published, we have something much more exciting to celebrate. This issue of the TESOL Teacher Education Interest Section newsletter highlights some of the best and the brightest minds in TESOL teacher leadership from around the globe. For example, Andy Curtis provides a historical glance at the scholarship in teacher leadership and reveals that the dearth of literature examining teacher leadership in TESOL that he experienced 20 years ago remains today. He developed and teaches an online doctoral course titled ‘Leadership and Management in Language Education’. Jason Andrews and Karen Densky present how their local professional organization, British Columbia Teachers of English as an Additional Language (BC TEAL), has supported leaders in the field through an online leadership series and a community of practice. They share how working in leadership can be like driving a race car- while we may feel alone, we rely on a network of colleagues to support us. Current NileTESOL President Samir Omara shares a variety of ways in which schools and professional organizations can establish mentoring systems for junior TESOL professionals. Ultimately, he demonstrates how mentorship opportunities such as these can prove to be transformational in building the leadership capacity of TESOL professionals. Similarly, Kristina Robertson and Angela Froemming present how their school district works to grow their own teacher leaders. By facilitating a professional learning community centered on genre-informed pedagogy, ESL teachers in Roseville Area schools simultaneously hone their craft as well as develop the leadership skills needed to support their general education colleagues. Finally, we showcase the innovative work of Kisha C. Bryan, as she leads the College of Education at Tennessee State University (TSU) toward diversifying the ESL teacher leader population. As a historically Black college/university (HBCU), TSU is uniquely positioned to prepare a cadre of ESL teacher leaders to reflect, represent, and give voice to Black ELs and Black language speakers. Your time will be well-spent reading these articles. I’m confident they will inspire you to develop your leadership skills and support budding leaders in your communities. Wishing you all a season of health, learning, and excitement. We have so much to look forward to. Michelle E. Benegas |
|