Letter From the Chair: TESOL 2006 Reflections

Eleanor Pease, 2006–07 Chair, [email protected]

Thank You to Our Volunteers

Your leadership committee appreciates the work of all the volunteers. You are important to the ongoing success of CETC. We want to thank those of you who volunteered at the CETC booth in Tampa: Sharry Andrews, Peg Bowen, Anne Bruehler, Michael Lessard-Clouston, Sky Coon, Darla Cupery, Claire Monroe, and Terri Mosgrove.

Gena Bennett will be in charge of the booth next year. Please consider volunteering. It’s a great way to renew old acquaintances, make new friends, and network.

Goals for this year:

1. Continue collaboration with a sister caucus, Nonnative English Speakers in TESOL (NNEST)

2. Build leadership

3. Develop CETC archives and review the leadership handbook and make revisions if necessary

4. Encourage research and publishing in the area of Christians in education

5. Develop more areas of service to the members

2006 CETC Colloquium

It was standing room only as we gathered to be challenged by the panelists who spoke on the topic “Professional Integrity and the Christian English Language Teacher.” The participants were Karen Asenavage, Darla Cuppery, Rich Robison, Tom Scovel, and Jeff Stebbins.

2006 All-Caucus Colloquium

The theme for the All-Caucus Colloquium was “Caucus Strategies for Leading TESOL Internationally.” Using my teacher-training experience on both sides of Pacific, I represented CETC by focusing on working with international Christian English language teaching professionals.

Thursday Evening CETC Events

If you were not at the CETC meeting on Thursday evening you missed a good time. Members were deluged with door prizes straight from Disney World. We listened to your suggestions last year and added the United States to our world area small groups. Gena put everyone to work with some tasks and walked out with an abundant supply of good ideas in three areas: (a) topics for the e-list, (b) topics for the 2007 CETC colloquium and the CELT preconvention conference, and (c) ways that the CETC leadership team can serve the caucus.

Following the meeting a number of us attended the All-Caucus Social Event. We mixed and chatted with members of other caucuses and had a good time.

After this, a large group of CETC members walked across the bridge to Jackson’s Bistro for a delicious meal, a wonderful time of getting better acquainted, and more prizes. Thank you Jean Simon for organizing this special event and providing the prizes at the meeting and at the restaurant.

Changes

We welcome Karen Asenavage back to the States. Karen is leaving her position at the Higher Colleges of Technology in the United Arab Emirates, and will be in a doctoral program. She continues to serve on the CETC leadership committee.

We welcome Chair-Elect Gena Bennett who is preparing for the position of Caucus Chair 2007-2008. Gena has kept us all interested and active in the CETC e-list. Gena’s position was announced in the last newsletter, but I wanted to spotlight her again.

Also, the leadership change in March 2006 is a reminder that we want to continue working on developing caucus leadership, so please keep active as a member and let us know if you would like to serve in some capacity in the coming year.

Looking Ahead

As Gena Bennett prepares to take on responsibilities as caucus chair next year, we are looking for an e-list moderator. If you are interested in this important and enjoyable job, please contact Gena ([email protected]) by July 15^th.

At the caucus meeting, Wes Eby explained our plan to propose a special award with the purpose of encouraging members to present at TESOL conventions. You will be hearing more about this award as the plans develop.

We are all excited about the Christian English Language Teachers preconference to be held in Seattle just before the convention. In committee discussions a year ago, it was decided to hold these conferences when the convention site was near Christian colleges or universities. With Seattle Pacific University nearby we will have the resources for making this a good conference.

As you think about next year, be sure to keep this special CELT conference in mind and make travel plans accordingly. It will be held on Tuesday of the convention week. We are happy that Kathryn Bartholomew has agreed to serve as chair of the CELT conference committee.

See You in Seattle

Karen, Gena, and I hope that you will

            1. Continue to be actively involved in the e-list

            2. Feel free to contact us with questions and ideas

            3. Support us in prayer as we try to serve you effectively this year.

We also look forward to meeting more of you at the CETC booth in Seattle.

In Christ there is no East or West, in Him no South or North, but one great fellowship of love thru-out the whole wide earth. J. Oxenham, 1908