Saad's+Conference+Review

**__ NCTE Conference Review __**
This semester I had the opportunity to attend the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Conference in Chicago, Illinois. This conference gathers English teachers from around the country to participate in lectures and discussions to better their style of teaching. Though I attended this conference as an undergraduate, pre-service teacher, I was able to collaborate and network with other educators in the field and gain an insight on ways to become a better teacher.

The first lecture I sat in on was a tribute to Linda Darling-Hammond, a professor of Education at Stanford University. She was also an education advisor to Barack Obama’s presidential campaign just a few years ago. Her work on education reform is remarkable and well researched. She began by comparing the United State’s educational system with other countries, primarily looking at South Korea and Finland. Both these countries take the first two spots in the world in the field of education, creating an ideal system to model. She talked about how there is no perfect education system out there, and that every system has its flaws. However, by looking at how these other countries operate can be very beneficial to our own country. Eliminating standardized testing, paying teachers more, and discovering ways to reward the teachers who perform well, instead of getting rid of them, are all on Darling-Hammond’s agenda. Her speech was a great way to begin my experience at the NCTE conference.

Incorporating LGBTQ issues into the classroom has always been an area of weakness of mine. Like most other teachers, I feel like I do not know enough about the issue in order to include it in my lessons. That is why I decided to attend a seminar about including LGBTQ issues into the classroom. One of the presenters was Jessica De Young Kander, an Eastern Michigan University Graduate student. I was able to learn about some great resources and lesson plan ideas for engaging students about LGTBQ issues within other major texts. I was given two books, “Desire Lines” by Jack Gantos, and “Annie On My Mind” by Nancy Garden; both books are a great resource when teaching such texts like //Romeo and Juliet//, and surface issues regarding the LGBTQ community. I was also amazed to learn that both authors are always willing to videoconference your classroom, offering as much help to teachers as possible. I will definitely be using these books as a resource when given the chance to teach //Romeo and Juliet.// One of the final seminars I attended was led by Sarah Brown Wessling, one of my own role models in the field of Education. Her lecture applied the topic of the Common Core Standards to her own teaching style and belief. She talked about the frames of observing standards and how educators need to not only integrate the standards into each lesson, but also find beneficial ways to apply and continually revisit these standards. Furthermore, when teaching a text, she poses questions that encourage students to get into the book, as well as out of the book. Wessling always contextualizes every text she teaches by following a reading circle: the fulcrum text, the context text, and the texture text. Integrating each of these texts into a unit broadens her student’s literacy landscape and overall learning experience.

Overall, my experience at the NCTE Conference was truly inspiring. It motivated me to value and respect the field I am about to enter, as well as find role models I hope to emulate one day. I will never forget the advice Sarah Brown Wessling gave me about teaching. She told me that teaching is a field that relies on collaboration and flexibility to succeed. She said, “Teaching is not an easy ride. You will run into snowstorms from time to time where you feel lost and hopeless. When we run into these snowstorms we must hold onto the wheel and drive forward. We also must rely on the driver in front of us to guide us out of the storm. You may not know who they are, or where they are going, but you trust them because they are your only hope.” I will carry her advice throughout my time as a pre-service teacher, and as I begin my transition into the field of Education. I look forward to becoming a member of the NCTE community, while broadening my teaching horizons.