Wrriten by: Sandy Flannigan
Last October I attended the 99th IATE conference at the Pere Marquette in Peoria. I loved it, as I’m sure you did, too. In addition to wonderful speakers and helpful presentations, we also had the opportunity to network with colleagues. The only problem is, what do we do now that the conference is over? We’re midway through the semester and in need of new ideas. Well, the answer is as close as your next district meeting. If you are a member of IATE, you are also a member of a local district; and, you and your guests are invited to join with colleagues to hear a speaker or participate in a workshop, to do some networking, and to enjoy an after-school snack. Chances are, you’ll also relax and have fun!
For those who’d like to learn more about IATE and the exciting events coming up in the future, you may want to attend a meeting where our new president, Larry Johannessen, will be speaking. Mary Lou Flemal, district leader from Rock River, is already planning to invite Larry to speak to her group. For more information, call Mary Lou at (815) 750-2233, or email her. Norman Boyer and Angelo Bonadonna, along with new co leader Carol Medrano, also plan on asking Larry to speak to the Calumet Valley district. Angelo writes that the district is interested in holding a Best Practices Workshop as well and a New Teacher Support gathering. For further information contact Angelo (773-298-3236 or email ) or Norman (773-298-3233 or email)
Another popular topic for this year’s district meetings has been poetry. The Northeastern District featured Dr. Rick Hollinger, poet and teacher from Marmion High School, at its fall meeting. Rick presented activities that encouraged teachers to write their own poetry before they tried his ideas in the classroom. Continuing with this theme, the winter meeting featured Maryfrances Madonia’s presentation entitled “Show, Don’t Tell.” Maryfrancis first presented this workshop for the Windy City Writers, a group of professional writers who utilize the same concepts that we teach our students every day. Contact Sandy Flannigan (63-879-4600 or email) for more information about the Northeastern district.
Carol Davies from the Northwestern district would like to plan a geographically-central dinner meeting with a poet as speaker. Email Carol if you would like to attend or help plan this event. Additionally, Carol would like to explore her district’s interest in English Chats on College Expectations. Also interested in hosting a poetry workshop are Mary R. Phillip and Joann Hoffman, co-chairs of the Kaskaskia Valley district. They have great ideas, but they want your input before they finalize plans please email either at Mary or Joan
Brian Conant and Michelle Ryan (Central District) will be hosting their annual writing workshop on February 17th. Also, Brian and Michelle, along with Amy Lucas (Illinois Valley District), have designated Saturday, September 22, 2007 as a reading renewal day for a joint meeting of their two districts. Bob Probst will serve as the key presenter for this day of workshops and breakout sessions, to be entitled “Crafting Better Reading, Talking and Thinking: A Reading Workshop.” Amy commented, “We are really excited to be doing this, and we feel it is another example of what can be accomplished for members of our profession when we come together within an organization like IATE.” Amy, Brian, and Michelle say they would like to make this event an annual one. So, please save the date. To learn more, give Amy a call at 309-463-2095 or emai,l Brian may be reached at 309-438-2828 or email, and Michelle can be contacted at 217-732-4131 or email.
Elizabeth (Betsy) Kahn, who has been serving as district leader for Northwest Suburban, has been elected the new second vice president of IATE, so the Northwest Suburban District will have a new leader this year—Teri Knight, former president and dedicated member of IATE. Please welcome Teri and look for an invitation to an upcoming meeting. Also, keep in mind that it’s never too early to start writing a proposal to present at next year’s Conference, based on the theme, “The Company We Keep.” Next year we celebrate 100 years of IATE, so this is a conference not to be missed. Contact Betsy for more information email her.
Please take advantage of the opportunities provided by your IATE district. I started attending district meetings as a young teacher in search of ideas and support, and I found IATE district meetings to be a perfect venue for networking with colleagues in the area. I really looked forward to the exciting meetings planned by Janice Byrne, who was our Northeastern District leader at the time. Now, as a veteran teacher, I still use many of the ideas I gleaned from those early meetings. So contact your district leader and ask, “When is the next meeting? Count me in.” And, while you’re at it, ask your district leader for a 100th anniversary “save-the-date” red pencil.
