by KATE Pages Editors
As National Poetry Month comes to a close, we felt it germain to highlight the poetry interactions throughout our respective communities. From poetry readings, to open mic nights, poetry is indeed alive and well in Kansas. As educators, we seek authentic ways to incorporate arts in our student’s lives, and one of the best ways we can do that is to seek out authentic opportunities to interact with art in public.
by Krystal Jordan, Diversity & Inclusion Chair; Nathan Whitman, KATE President and KATE PAGES Editors Black History Month is an annual celebration of African American achievements and contributions to society. It is a time to reflect on the struggles and triumphs of black Americans throughout history and to honor their legacy. In honor of Black History Month, organizations like the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) and the Kansas Association of Teachers of English (KATE) have been working to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in education through various initiatives and activities.
One such initiative is NCTE's African American Read-In, which takes place every February. The Read-In is a nationwide event that encourages people of all ages to read and share works by African American authors. Participants can organize their own Read-In events in schools, libraries, community centers, and other public spaces, and share their experiences using the hashtag #AARI23 on social media. The goal of the Read-In is to promote diversity in literature and to raise awareness of the contributions of African American authors to American culture. In Kansas, KATE members are also taking action to promote diversity and inclusion in their classrooms. Krystal Jordan, a teacher at Wichita North High School and the leader of KATE's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, has been using Black History Month as an opportunity to engage her students in collaborative learning and to promote awareness of African American history. Her classroom door decoration project is a great example of this. Instead of simply teaching her students about the Civil Rights Movement, she asked them to research and share information about African American figures from a variety of categories, using QR codes to link to additional resources. By encouraging her students to explore the contributions of a diverse group of historical figures, Jordan is helping them to develop a deeper understanding of African American history and its impact on American society. Nathan Whitman, the current President of KATE and a teacher at Derby High School, is also working to promote diversity and inclusion in his classroom. As the sponsor of his school's Diversity Club, he has been collaborating with his students to create interactive posters for the school's hallways, highlighting notable persons of color and black film and art. By providing opportunities for students to explore the contributions of African Americans to various fields, Whitman is helping them to develop a broader understanding of the contributions of black Americans to American culture. Black History Month is an essential time for reflecting on the profound impact of African Americans on American society. It is also a moment for educators to celebrate the achievements of black Americans and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in public education. Initiatives like the African American Read-In and classroom projects, as organized by Krystal Jordan and Nathan Whitman, demonstrate the meaningful contributions of educators in enhancing the learning experience for students. However, the responsibility of highlighting black history in public education should not rest solely on these initiatives. It is imperative that educators work to promote an inclusive educational experience for all students and ensure that the contributions of African Americans to American society are recognized and celebrated year-round. As we celebrate Black History Month, we’d love for you to share your story with KATE PAGES! What are you doing in the classroom and in your communities to honor the legacy of African Americans? by KATE PAGES Editors The Kansas Association of Teachers of English (KATE) held its spring executive board meeting on February 18, 2023, at the Salina Public Library in Salina, KS.
Reports were presented by members on various KATE initiatives, including Voices of Kansas, Kansas English, William Allen White Awards, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), NCTE, KATE PAGES, Website, Financial, and a Membership Update. Several action items and follow-ups were discussed during the meeting, including a resignation and follow-through regarding responsibilities within the PR Committee and its newly created playbook. The Conference Committee was also discussed, with monthly meetings beginning and full conference preparation underway. Other to-dos discussed included outreach to new teachers and conducting a survey to understand why some members did not attend the conference and how to attract more people to it. The board also discussed reviewing the cycle of leadership as something to consider toward the upcoming summer and fall executive board meetings so as to preserve institutional knowledge and also attract and keep members on the executive board. The meeting ended with a tentative date being set for both KATE Camp and the summer executive board meeting: June 21, 2023, with the board meeting taking place from 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM, lunch from 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM, and Camp from 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM. More details to come regarding location. Afterwards, those in attendance in-person hit up the Salina downtown for lunch at The Prickly Pear Grill & Cantina and perusal of books at the Ad Astra Books & Coffee house! As ELA teachers, we always care about instilling a love of reading and writing for our students. If we can also create opportunities for building confidence in their reading and writing skills, even better. This blog post will show how you can do exactly that by using one specific program available to all KATE members. Diego Garcia is a quiet student, usually respectful but not always engaged. “I’m not good at English,” he claimed on his first day in class. A quick check of his grades confirmed his self-image. He barely passed his freshman year ELA class. Then, something happened his sophomore year that forced a reconsideration of his self-image. It really wasn’t anything out of the ordinary, but it was life changing all the same. After studying To Kill a Mockingbird, my sophomores decided to write their own personal narratives. Scout Finch’s authentic, no-punches-pulled childhood confessions perfectly inspire students to harvest meaningful moments from their own younger days. Diego brainstormed several ideas, but there was one that stood out as a life-lesson occasion, perfect for including in a personal narrative essay. Diego was born with hearing loss. That hearing loss led to a speech impediment and hearing aids. Being “different” led to some very uncomfortable situations for him, even some bullying episodes. I don’t need to tell you his story, though. You can read about it for yourself because his teacher submitted his essay, “I Can’t Hear You”, to the 2019 edition of Voices of Kansas, the KATE student academic journal. When I asked Diego if I could submit his essay, he agreed, but laughed it off. Remember, he’d been convinced he “wasn’t good at English.” I’ll never forget the look on his face when I announced to the class that his essay had been accepted. He had earned a publication credit. Weeks later, it was obvious he’d earned so much more than that. He approached reading and writing with increased curiosity, willingness, and confidence. He began to offer help to other students. I never again heard him say that he wasn’t “good at English.” The next year, when Diego had graduated to another teacher’s class, I often saw him after school in the school commons area working on homework. Sometimes he was with a tutor, and sometimes he was alone. “I want to get it done before I go home and get distracted,” he told me. He had become the confident, curious student he hadn’t believed he could be. A magical thing happens when students have an authentic audience for their writing. Suddenly, format and punctuation matter. Proper citation matters. Feedback and revision matters. How often have you experienced students brushing off assignments because they don’t understand the relevance? An authentic audience helps create relevancy. The inherit competitive nature of the submission process can help, too. (Not everyone who submits is automatically accepted. There is a true vetting process.) Receiving feedback from an editor is also powerful. Wait, did I not mention the editorial feedback that comes with submitting student work to Voices of Kansas? I didn't? Okay, let’s back up, and I’ll explain how the whole process works. Step 1: You must be a KATE member to submit student work. Step 2: You must read and follow the submission guidelines found here. The Fall 2022 submission deadline is October 31st. Step 3: Determine your entries. You can choose from assignments or projects students complete outside of school. Categories include creative writing and literary non-fiction, perspectives and literary criticism, poetry, and visual art. Grade groupings are young voices, grades 3 to 7 and older voices, grades 8 - 12. Step 4: Help students create their best work. Use the link on KansasEnglish.org to submit. This must be done by a KATE member teacher. Step 5: Editors will vet the submissions, offering constructive feedback for all entries, even the ones not accepted for publication. Step 6: Help students incorporate feedback and return the edited version. Step 7: Celebrate! It’s really that simple, and it really can make a big impact on students. One other thing you should know. When you submit student work, you agree to be part of the double-blind review and selection process. Don’t let this scare you away. It’s very simple and organized. Everything is delivered to your email and managed through Google Forms. The process can usually be completed in less than an hour. You might be wondering about the students whose work is not accepted. My experience with rejected students has always been positive because of the feedback element. Students understand how their writing needs to improve. Honestly, students are often more eager to read editorial feedback than they are teacher feedback. And because all of the feedback comes to the student through the teacher, coachable moments happen. Students are often encouraged to try submitting again. Another opportunity the journal offers is the Editor’s Choice Award. The editor chooses one exceptional submission from each category. Voices of Kansas will create and publish a lesson centered around each award winner. It’s an amazing prize. When winners learn that students across the state might be reading and learning from their work–talk about building confidence! A good way to create interest for your students might be to use some of those lesson plans from past editions. Some of my favorites include the following: In today’s classroom, students challenge teachers for relevance and authenticity. It’s a requirement for student engagement. Submitting student work to Voices of Kansas is a simple and effective way to meet that challenge.
You can find the submission guidelines and the submission link on the KATE website. If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments below, or you can ask in our Facebook group. We look forward to reading all the wonderful writings of your students. PS. Another way to create an interest in writing is by modeling the habit of writing yourself. During November, National Novel Writing Month, KATE will host a series of writing sprints for our members. The sprints will happen via zoom on November 6, 13, 20, and 27 at 7:00 pm. We’ll provide optional prompts. And, no, you don’t need to be writing a novel to join. Check our Facebook group for more registration. |
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