The complexity inherent in the TESOL field can present challenges for Language Teacher Associations (LTAs) in undertaking internal-facing roles such as professional learning including networking, conferences and publications, as well as external-facing roles such as advocacy work with stakeholders, and curriculum reform, among other issues (e.g.,…

This paper draws on data collected as part of the larger study of professional learning (PL) in Canada. The article specifically explores the work of teachers' organizations (also known as teacher unions) in leading and supporting high-quality learning experiences for their members. Adopting a progressive view of teacher organizations, the paper…

While conferences have always been seen as an indicator of professional activity, very little is known in an ELT context regarding how teachers perceive these experiences as contributing to their sense of professionalism. The purpose of this article is to address this knowledge gap and to examine teachers' perceptions and experiences of ELT…

This article draws from the concept of precarious employment to better understand the working conditions of teachers of adult English as an additional language (EAL) learners in Canada. I examine previously published research on the employment situations of this group of educators, drawing from data that have been gathered using interviews and…

Teacher professional development is a chief concern of states, districts, and schools in the wake of high-stakes accountability measures such as No Child Left Behind (NCLB). The goals and practices of professional development are often disconnected, and this misalignment affects art teachers in unique ways. Art teachers are often "left…

Data from a study of 81 exemplary secondary school teachers across the United States provide a portrait of how these teachers have become leaders whose influence and partnerships extend well beyond their classrooms and schools. Propelled by a deep personal desire to learn and a commitment to help students learn, the teachers are learners first,…

What does committee work entail? The author outlines the effort and the satisfactions. This essay is a sound byte of what needs to be said about the professional benefits one can experience when becoming a full-fledged, participating NCTE member through committee or task force work.

At first glance, public-sector labor unions are just one of many types of organizations that participate in the political process. However, these unions differ significantly from other interest groups made up of individual citizens or non-labor organizations. Because their members' interests are tied to government policy, these unions are more…

Subject associations have developed, over the years, to serve the interests of the mathematics education community. We live in changing times, and education is often at the forefront of such change. So, to remain contemporary, relevant, and to have a regard for the future in a world influenced by technology, it is suggested that there is a need…

When works of teacher scholars were recognized with major National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) research awards, and the sections and conferences instituted research initiatives of their own, many were filled with the soaring hope that a new synergy was in the making. The "Research in the Teaching of English" (RTE) Alan C. Purves Award,…

A recent book that appeared a few years ago, "How Early America Sounded" by historian Richard Cullen Rath, connects well with much of the new, exciting, interdisciplinary and rhetorical research that the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) and the Conference on College Composition and Communication (CCCC) have supported, promoted, and…

Besieged by state proposals to eviscerate collective bargaining, eliminate teacher tenure, and make it harder to collect dues, teachers' unions are fighting back. Lawsuits supported by local union affiliates have for now blocked anti-union legislation in Alabama and Wisconsin. E-mail "blasts," phone banks, and rallies are also among the…

This article presents the author's presidential address, delivered at the NCTE Annual Convention in Chicago, Illinois, on November 20, 2011. The author focuses on the powerful stories that define educators. The author's point is that telling one's story is one of the most important things an educator can do for those he/she teaches as well as for…

Hispanics in an overwhelmingly white organization will gather together, women of whatever "race" in male-dominated situations, poor people among the middle class. They find those with whom they believe they have a cultural or economic kinship and act accordingly. The author shares how he found a personal community in his professional organization.

As the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) marks its first century of existence, the Council and its members are rightfully looking back across the years in appreciation of what its members, and its collective members over time, have accomplished. In this article, the author shares his reflections on the role of NCTE in his life. The…