6/1/2020
Dear Friends and Colleagues-
As I write to you today, I realize that usually this time is one of a great exhale, of closure and of renewal as we head into the summer months; however, 2020 has been anything but that. We are in pain, individually and collectively and it is felt near and far in the depths of who we are. It is in this pain that I’m reaching out to each of you, as members of this professional organization – to extend care and support. What we’ve witnessed from the literal and figurative losses due to Covid-19 and most recently from the blatant and brutal racist acts and deaths leading to nationwide protest have left many of us broken, angry, confused, grieving, and perhaps feeling even more isolated. For our peers, colleagues, friends, and families of color, these acts of racial violence are particularly painful. I want to share our deepest support for each of you as we navigate this landscape. TFLTA sees you, we are listening, and we stand with you as we fight against injustice.
Over the weekend, there were two scholars who guided some of my thinking. Linda Darling-Hammond, Stanford University, tweeted:
“Every era of equity progress has come on the heels of social upheaval, when people of conscience joined together to rebuff injustice and inequality: 1870s (reconstruction), 1900s, 1930s, 1960s, 1990s. 2020 is that moment once again. How will each of us contribute to equity now?”
And in an interview with Teaching Tolerance, Rich Milner, Vanderbilt University, said:
“My aim is to shepherd readers—educators—into reflective, proactive, and responsive spaces to move beyond complacency and beyond neutrality. Complacency is unacceptable if educators are committed to improving education for all. Moreover, neutrality is a conscious stance that works against social justice. In short, educators are either fighting for equitable education for all students, or they are fighting against it. There is no neutral space in this work.”
As a community, would you join me in taking on Milner and Darling-Hammond’s challenges to create equitable spaces, to make sense of this moment and to contribute and continue the fight for justice? As educators, I believe we are particularly well positioned to welcome this to our classrooms and I hope we can embark on this transformative work side-by-side.
In Solidarity-
Becky Peterson
TFLTA President
Extended Proposal Deadline Approaching
TFLTA Annual Conference
Learning Language - Connecting Communities
November 6-7, 2020
Franklin Marriott Cool Springs
Franklin, TN
Click here to propose a session or workshop to share with your colleagues. Deadline: June 15, 2020
We know that this semester has been a roller coaster and that the last few weeks in particular, planning for a fall conference is far from your minds. As such, we have extended the deadline for proposals and hope that you will consider presenting or collaborating with others to present. TFLTA is currently planning to move forward with our traditional conference, but we are monitoring the current situation, considering possible changes, and will notify members if any changes are made to the conference format as soon as we know.
Summer Un-Webinar:
Organized Chaos: Teaching World Language in the Midst of a Pandemic
A problem-solving/solution-creating webinar
Friday, June 26
This summer instead of an in-person conference, TFLTA hopes to offer two "un-webinars". Following the idea of an un-conference, we will have facilitators who will guide participants to discuss the topics.
The first webinar will be led by Erika Stevens, TFLTA Secretary. Erika has been teaching online through her position at Walters State Community College.
Registration information will be coming soon.
Dates to Remember
June 15: Conference Proposal Deadline Extension
June 26: TFLTA Summer Un-Webinar
July 21-23: "Apart but Together: Expanding our Community" A virtual summit hosted by the National Foreign Language Center. Registration and information
September 1: Deadline for Aliene Click Professional Development Scholarship. For application, visit the TFLTA website, www.tflta.org.
September 12: TFLTA Board Meeting. Location: TBD
November 6-7: TFLTA Conference, Franklin, Tennessee. www.tflta.org
November 20-22: ACTFL 2020 Annual Convention and World Language Expo, San Antonio, Texas www.actfl.org.
Job Opportunities
Don't forget to check out our TFLTA Job Postings for open positions across Tennessee. TFLTA members may send postings to the TFLTA President.
Copyright © 2020 Tennessee Foreign Language Teaching Association, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you have registered as a member of TFLTA sometime in the past three years.
Our mailing address is:
Tennessee Foreign Language Teaching Association
Walters State Community College, Attn. Erika Stevens
1720 Old Newport
Sevierville, TN 37876
Dear Friends and Colleagues-
As I write to you today, I realize that usually this time is one of a great exhale, of closure and of renewal as we head into the summer months; however, 2020 has been anything but that. We are in pain, individually and collectively and it is felt near and far in the depths of who we are. It is in this pain that I’m reaching out to each of you, as members of this professional organization – to extend care and support. What we’ve witnessed from the literal and figurative losses due to Covid-19 and most recently from the blatant and brutal racist acts and deaths leading to nationwide protest have left many of us broken, angry, confused, grieving, and perhaps feeling even more isolated. For our peers, colleagues, friends, and families of color, these acts of racial violence are particularly painful. I want to share our deepest support for each of you as we navigate this landscape. TFLTA sees you, we are listening, and we stand with you as we fight against injustice.
Over the weekend, there were two scholars who guided some of my thinking. Linda Darling-Hammond, Stanford University, tweeted:
“Every era of equity progress has come on the heels of social upheaval, when people of conscience joined together to rebuff injustice and inequality: 1870s (reconstruction), 1900s, 1930s, 1960s, 1990s. 2020 is that moment once again. How will each of us contribute to equity now?”
And in an interview with Teaching Tolerance, Rich Milner, Vanderbilt University, said:
“My aim is to shepherd readers—educators—into reflective, proactive, and responsive spaces to move beyond complacency and beyond neutrality. Complacency is unacceptable if educators are committed to improving education for all. Moreover, neutrality is a conscious stance that works against social justice. In short, educators are either fighting for equitable education for all students, or they are fighting against it. There is no neutral space in this work.”
As a community, would you join me in taking on Milner and Darling-Hammond’s challenges to create equitable spaces, to make sense of this moment and to contribute and continue the fight for justice? As educators, I believe we are particularly well positioned to welcome this to our classrooms and I hope we can embark on this transformative work side-by-side.
In Solidarity-
Becky Peterson
TFLTA President
Extended Proposal Deadline Approaching
TFLTA Annual Conference
Learning Language - Connecting Communities
November 6-7, 2020
Franklin Marriott Cool Springs
Franklin, TN
Click here to propose a session or workshop to share with your colleagues. Deadline: June 15, 2020
We know that this semester has been a roller coaster and that the last few weeks in particular, planning for a fall conference is far from your minds. As such, we have extended the deadline for proposals and hope that you will consider presenting or collaborating with others to present. TFLTA is currently planning to move forward with our traditional conference, but we are monitoring the current situation, considering possible changes, and will notify members if any changes are made to the conference format as soon as we know.
Summer Un-Webinar:
Organized Chaos: Teaching World Language in the Midst of a Pandemic
A problem-solving/solution-creating webinar
Friday, June 26
This summer instead of an in-person conference, TFLTA hopes to offer two "un-webinars". Following the idea of an un-conference, we will have facilitators who will guide participants to discuss the topics.
The first webinar will be led by Erika Stevens, TFLTA Secretary. Erika has been teaching online through her position at Walters State Community College.
Registration information will be coming soon.
Dates to Remember
June 15: Conference Proposal Deadline Extension
June 26: TFLTA Summer Un-Webinar
July 21-23: "Apart but Together: Expanding our Community" A virtual summit hosted by the National Foreign Language Center. Registration and information
September 1: Deadline for Aliene Click Professional Development Scholarship. For application, visit the TFLTA website, www.tflta.org.
September 12: TFLTA Board Meeting. Location: TBD
November 6-7: TFLTA Conference, Franklin, Tennessee. www.tflta.org
November 20-22: ACTFL 2020 Annual Convention and World Language Expo, San Antonio, Texas www.actfl.org.
Job Opportunities
Don't forget to check out our TFLTA Job Postings for open positions across Tennessee. TFLTA members may send postings to the TFLTA President.
Copyright © 2020 Tennessee Foreign Language Teaching Association, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you have registered as a member of TFLTA sometime in the past three years.
Our mailing address is:
Tennessee Foreign Language Teaching Association
Walters State Community College, Attn. Erika Stevens
1720 Old Newport
Sevierville, TN 37876