2009 Annual Conference: Join the Professional Conversation
TCTE Annual Conference
September 18-19, 2009
Embassy Suites Hotel, Cool Springs, TN
Join English teachers from across the state to discuss current issues in the field of teaching language arts, to share teaching stratgies and ideas, and just to refresh your love of books and language. We look forward to seeing you in Cool Springs!
Attending the Conference
Click on the links below to find out more about:
Presenting at the conference
Conference registration
Reserving your hotel room
Conference schedule
Exhibitor Information
Guest Speaker Bev Chin and TCTE member Tracy Duckworth at the 2008 Convention in Gatlinburg.
Featured Speaker: Carol Jago
NCTE President Carol Jago joins TCTE once again to talk about books and share her practical teaching strategies. Jago is author of nine books for teachers; visit her website to learn more.
Featured Speaker: Barry Gilmore
Gilmore is past-president of TCTE and author of six books for teachers and students, including his recent books on plagiarism from Heinemann. Visit his website for more details. Gilmore will share useful strategies for improving writing prompts and helping students write to standardized prompts.
A Message From TCTE President Dr. Sue Gilmore
“Crash! Using Literature to Prepare Students for the Real World” is the topic of a major workshop for the September 18-19 convention. The nationally known presenter, also president of NCTE, is Carol Jago. Carol has spoken in Tennessee before and returns precisely because she has been warmly received. Her topic is timely and timeless as she seeks to show English teachers that the classics remain relevant even if the approach must change.
Similarly, Barry Gilmore from Memphis is a speaker we know can be counted upon to give his audiences an hour and a half of information and handouts they can use the following Monday in the classroom. Barry’s workshop/keynote session focuses on “Prompt Attention,” paying attention to those writing prompts of all kinds which have become so important in assessment at every level. Barry’s books are now used for teacher training classes as well as by classroom practitioners around the country.
These and other presenters for the year are known quantities—excellent at presentation and continuing the professional conversation. Built into the schedule also are opportunities to attend a number of sessions by Tennessee teachers offering us their best student-centered practices as well as some sessions for special groups such as IB English teachers. These leaders will bring ideas straight from their classrooms—look for some of these titles to be showcased in the next newsletter as the program develops specific “Circles of Interest.”
New to this year’s convention is the inclusion of live Celtic music at the cocktail reception on Friday afternoon, a reception to be held right in the hotel where all of the convention activities and exhibits will be. New, too, is the plan to break up the Saturday morning sessions with a seated brunch and a chance to meet next year’s officers. In a shrinking economy here is an opportunity to get your money’s worth through personal contact with professionals in venues more intriguing than the internet or even the printed page. Crash for two days at Cool Springs and return to school refreshed.