How do we acknowledge and promote good language teaching?

We often get so caught up in planning that next lesson or thinking about what the next step with our students will be that we don't stop to take stock of what great things are happening in our classrooms. We know students are having meaningful experiences and participating in activities that will help shape their futures and possibly change their lives. How do we acknowledge the instructors behind those great experiences?

As an administrator, I try hard to keep in touch with what's happening in our language courses, but time is an issue. And as instructors, we're often not ones to draw attention to what we do - to toot our own horns, let's say. How can we create opportunities for instructors to share what they do and promote great language teaching? Should we offer an award for innovative ideas, creative activities, or particularly successful learning experiences? Should the nominations come from other instructors or from students?

Are we on board with the core practices for teaching language?

Today at the ACTFL Assembly of Delegates, we had some great conversations around the core practices in language education focused on the questions:

1. What prevents 100% of language educators from using core practices? 
2. What can we do to support language educators to implement the most effective practices?

• Use the target language 90%
• Design communicative activities
• Plan with a backward design model
• Use authentic cultural texts
• Teach grammar as concept
• Provide appropriate feedback

ACTFL bound and ready to learn!

I'm on my way to the biggest event around for language teachers - the ACTFL Annual Convention! That's the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. Each year over 6,000 language teachers come together to share their expertise and learn together over several days. I'm fortunate to be able to attend this year (thank you, Durham Tech!) and have decided to use this blog to share my experiences with anyone interested in reading :).

Whenever I attend conferences or other professional development events, I feel so energized and full of ideas in the moment. The presentations I attend, the conversations with colleagues, the browsing through the exhibit halls...all spark so many ideas for the future. With a conference the size of ACTFL, I usually end up mentally (but happily!) exhausted and find myself scribbling pages of thoughts and questions in my notebook on the flight home. This year, I've decided to do something a little different and write about those ideas along the way. I hope you enjoy reading, and I welcome you to comment and add your voice to the conversation.