Soulmates #2
Many times our Teaching Soulmates are not located in our own buildings or even in our own districts. In this day and age, there are so many ways to find and keep in touch with the people who will keep us going.
Locally, look towards your Language Teachers' Associations. Several of my closest friends in the world, and my almas gemelas, came from WAFFLE (Wayne-Finger Lakes Foreign Language Educators) and our association with NYSAFLT (New York State Association of Foreign Language Teachers). NYSAFLT conferences have connected me with other kindred souls.
If you haven't yet been involved with a listserv, there is always FLTEACH and the moretprs list through Yahoo groups. At www.moretprs.net you can find a bulletin board-type of forum and all kinds of people to chat with about teaching and life. How do you find a teaching soulmate here? By reading posts. And no, you don't have to have them all delivering messages to your inbox. They all allow you to join and read posts on the site itself...without ever having to open a message.
Many people have soulmates on these lists...and have never even communicated with them. Sometimes a frequent poster has a point of view or way of thinking that sparks your imagination. You will find yourself drawn to reading his/her posts whenever you need a boost.
Sometimes "lurkers" will send a message 'offlist" directly to a poster's email, and an electronic exchange begins. I have "met" several incredible individuals this way. Then, of course, sometimes a friendship is sparked by a good old exchange of ideas on the list. At the annual NYSAFLT, NECTFL, Central States, SWOCLT, ACTFL and other conferences, folks put dots or smileys on their nametags so that they can identify fellow listers (lurkers or not!!)
Some of the most powerful connections have come when someone writes to the group with a need, problem or concern and is rewarded with an outpouring messages, on and off-list, from other teachers. We are here for each other in a way that is sometimes not possible in our own buildings.
Recently, websites and blogs have created another way to build a family/support system for teaching. Check out the TPRS map for folks who have volunteered to be mentors!! I'm working right now to get an updated list of teacher websites up. So if you have one...send it to me at lclarcq@frontiernet.net!!
There has never been a better time to make a friend...
with love,
Laurie
Locally, look towards your Language Teachers' Associations. Several of my closest friends in the world, and my almas gemelas, came from WAFFLE (Wayne-Finger Lakes Foreign Language Educators) and our association with NYSAFLT (New York State Association of Foreign Language Teachers). NYSAFLT conferences have connected me with other kindred souls.
If you haven't yet been involved with a listserv, there is always FLTEACH and the moretprs list through Yahoo groups. At www.moretprs.net you can find a bulletin board-type of forum and all kinds of people to chat with about teaching and life. How do you find a teaching soulmate here? By reading posts. And no, you don't have to have them all delivering messages to your inbox. They all allow you to join and read posts on the site itself...without ever having to open a message.
Many people have soulmates on these lists...and have never even communicated with them. Sometimes a frequent poster has a point of view or way of thinking that sparks your imagination. You will find yourself drawn to reading his/her posts whenever you need a boost.
Sometimes "lurkers" will send a message 'offlist" directly to a poster's email, and an electronic exchange begins. I have "met" several incredible individuals this way. Then, of course, sometimes a friendship is sparked by a good old exchange of ideas on the list. At the annual NYSAFLT, NECTFL, Central States, SWOCLT, ACTFL and other conferences, folks put dots or smileys on their nametags so that they can identify fellow listers (lurkers or not!!)
Some of the most powerful connections have come when someone writes to the group with a need, problem or concern and is rewarded with an outpouring messages, on and off-list, from other teachers. We are here for each other in a way that is sometimes not possible in our own buildings.
Recently, websites and blogs have created another way to build a family/support system for teaching. Check out the TPRS map for folks who have volunteered to be mentors!! I'm working right now to get an updated list of teacher websites up. So if you have one...send it to me at lclarcq@frontiernet.net!!
There has never been a better time to make a friend...
with love,
Laurie
I am feeling really lucky in Anchorage--our smallest TPRS meeting all year still had 18 people attending, all passionately talking for two and a half hours. I am not the best facilitator, but I am just amazed that this many fine teachers show up to talk and share. Everyone was commenting on how generous the TPRS community is, both locally and nationally (world-wide, really). I have been trying to figure out all day why the TPRS group is so giving, and why others aren't so much. It seems as though in other curriculum groups, teachers start arguing or playing one-up games. So far, I've been thinking that TPRS folks are those who are all looking for better ways to teach, so we're all looking in the same direction. There's some stuff we've all put behind us, and other stuff some of us are trying to leave on the side of the road, but all of us want the same thing--to find that pure land of teaching and learning language that Ben talks about. So we do have soul mates, all over the world. It's the first time in 25 years of teaching that I feel that I have colleagues who can also be friends, because we feel free to be TPRS nerds together. I'm really glad that I discovered TPRS, because it has totally changed who I am, how I teach, and how my students learn.
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The more I hear from you in Alaska, the more I want to spend some time there!!
Your last sentence above sums it all up for me...
with love,
Laurie
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I'm going to invite you to the Ning where all the teachers were putting comments and reflections. Of course, it might be you don't need one more web-based place to visit--I'm certainly in that camp! But you might also like it. I've quoted you there at least once--
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