Pursuing the Light at the 2022 NCTE Annual Convention
by Amy Bouch & Carol Frow
The 2022 NCTE Annual Convention theme was !Suenos! Pursuing the Light. We (Amy & Carol) were able to pursue the light in so many ways—through collecting copies of books, chatting with authors, learning new ideas, networking with teachers across the country, representing our affiliate, and, of course, soaking in the southern California sun.
The beauty of attending conferences is that it allows teachers to share ideas with other teachers. The beauty of writing this blog post is that it allows us to share those ideas with all of you. NCTE offers hundreds of sessions, so we are providing a quick list of some ideas that may be helpful to you.
Quick ideas to implement at any time:
Icebreaker / Community Building:
Talk for two minutes with a group to determine the most unique thing that everyone has in common.
Create a book cover as if the book was about the student’s life. Include an author bio, a blurb, and cover art.
Do gallery walks to share student work.
Writing:
Choose a topic (example: gratitude). Go to camera roll and choose a picture. Write about the picture and why it represents the topic.
Snowball fight - Write a line, crumple the page, throw it, open a new page, write another line, repeat.
Keep a list of information you Google to reference for topics to write about.
Write one stanza with a set format and then have students each write their own verse. Compile all of the stanzas into one writing piece.
Use picture books as mentor texts.
Review setting by writing a “Where I’m From” poem.
Celebrate writers. View Amy and Carol's presentation "Students in the Spotlight: Shining a Light on Students as Writers"
Reading:
Go to authors’ websites to see if they can virtually visit your class.
Character Analysis - create a body biography and then decorate the halls of your school with them. Although this link is not from who presented the idea, it gives a good example and visual images of the project.
Use the rich source of Indiginous writings to teach plot and culture at the same time.
Use verse novels with students if you aren’t already. More are published each year!
Include diverse authors in class; however, do not only focus on the tragedies. Show their triumphs or typical everyday experiences. A few great examples come from authors Lisa Yee, Kelly Yang, and Nic Stone.
Host a book tasting.
We encourage you all to pursue the light and make connections at the 2023 NCTE Annual Convention since it will be in Columbus, Ohio! We are very fortunate for the close proximity of next year’s convention. Plan ahead to pursue your light and make connections with amazing educators from all around the world! See you there!
Amy Bouch (pictured left) is a reading-obsessed 8th-grade English teacher at Chartiers Valley Middle School. She is the President of the Western Pennsylvania Council of Teachers of English (WPCTE) and a Teacher-Leader for the Western Pennsylvania Writing Project (WPWP). Amy is also the 2022 Grammar Teacher of the Year and currently serving on the NCTE Middle Level Section Nominating Committee. When she isn’t teaching, she is making her way through all of the U.S. National Parks and traveling the world with her husband. Connect with her at abouch@cvsd.net.
Carol Frow (pictured right) is a middle school educator of thirty-four years. Currently teaching reading 7 and 8 as well as an advanced English 8 course, Carol also runs the drama, musical, literary magazine, and guides various reading competition teams at Belle Vernon Area Middle School. She is the Executive Director of WPCTE, past WPCTE president and Executive Board Member, and is a Teacher-Consultant for the WPWP. In addition, Carol is a member of PAECT, a 2021 KTI Star, and a member of NSTOY - PA, where she was a 2014 finalist for the PA Teacher of the Year, is currently a TEACH mini-conference presenter, and a TEACH mentor. Carol has been published in English Journal in November 2017 for her article, “Give Sorrow Words: A Lesson Learned”, which was co-written with a former student and has an upcoming publication in the book 8th Grade Ready, for the chapter “Chapter Three: A Deeper Dive into Course Selection” ( forthcoming - June 2023). In her spare time, Carol, like Amy, enjoys traveling through national parks. She spends her time with author-named felines and reads continuously! Connect with Carol at Carol.AtenFrow@bvasd.net.