professional organizations: art organizations

One more professional organization post. This time for... Art teachers! You have great state and national organizations to consider as well.

The state organization is AEM-MN (Art Educators of Minnesota). Art Educators of Minnesota is the only professional organization for educators in visual art and media arts for the state of Minnesota. AEM serves K-12 teachers, museum educators, arts organizations, higher education instructors and students in art education certification programs. Join their Facebook page to stay updated on the latest AEM info. AEM's annual fall conference is coming up in November, and proves to be a valuable couple days learning about and with other art educators. AEM also organizes a spring conference every two years in Duluth in conjunction with the Duluth Art Crawl. Sounds like a great time! Aside from the conferences, AEM also organizes member exhibitions for members to showcase their own art exhibits. Pretty cool, huh? Check out more exciting info in the AEM newsletters.

Along with the state organization, the national art teachers' organization is NAEA: The National Art Education Association. The national NAEA Convention is being held in March in NYC. Fun!  On that page, there's tons of professional development info available - check out the great links. The site also has an instructional resources gallery to help with lesson planning. NAEA links to blogs and videos of mentor members to provide support for art educators around the country. And NAEA has several social networking connections for whatever platform you like best - Facebook, Twitter, Ning, LinkedIn, you name it. NAEA publishes advocacy information; as we all know, art education is often on the chopping block in school budgets. We need to advocate for this essential component of students' education! The site also has incredible links to research, publications, and policy briefings. Check out this great organization!

professional organizations: ELL organizations

One thing is for certain, the demographics of MN schools have been changing in exciting ways over the last 20 years. As Minnesota has become home for more immigrants and refugees, so to has grown the number of students in P-12 schools who speak a language other than English at home. MN ELL teachers are an amazing and hardworking group, helping students learn English and navigate new school experiences.

The national organization for ELL teachers is TESOL, Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages.  TESOL was founded over 40 years ago over the concern that there was not an all-inclusive organization to bring together teachers and administrators at all levels teaching English to speakers of other languages. TESOL publishes books, journals, and newsletters, and I've always found the information extremely helpful in the publications I've read through TESOL. The organization has some great links to issues in advocacy, research, standards, and assessment. TESOL holds an annual convention every year, next year in Philadelphia. The website has tons of links, so check it out!

The state organization for ELL teachers is MinneTESOL, MN Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages.  MinneTESOL is dedicated to supporting teachers working with students learning English at all levels of public and private education.  MinneTESOL supports ELL teachers by: collecting and disseminating information pertinent to English as a Second Language, English as a Second Dialect, and Bilingual Education, promoting and assisting programs in local communities, fostering the professional development of its members, voicing the socio-political and employment concerns of its members, and establishing and maintaining contacts through affiliation with the international organization TESOL, and through cooperation with other organizations which may share similar purposes, interests, and clientele.Wow, that's a lot of good stuff. MinneTESOL has a fall conference, this year in November in Minneapolis. Members of the organization get the newsletter and access to the online journal, a network directory to connect you with other ELL teachers, and invites to lots of great events.

Next post: art organizations

professional organizations: music organizations

The emphasis on reading and math in schools has had a tremendously unfortunate impact on arts in schools.  The broken logic in that is that there is a wealth of research indicating that studying music positively influences the way kids learn and process information. I'll admit that this is an issue close to my heart, as I participated in orchestras and choirs from before I could read words straight on through to today. Music teachers do amazing things for kids. Here are the two main teacher organizations for music teachers.

MMTA is an organization dedicated to improving the quality of music education in the state of Minnesota.  You can learn quite a bit about MMTA by reading their newsletters, available in pdfs on the website.  MMTA has an active mentoring program for new music teachers.  You can find information about state and national certification on the website too. Like most organizations, MMTA sponsors an annual convention - though you missed this year's already (it was in June).  Even if you're not a music teacher, you can see their "Find a Music Teacher" page to find music teachers in your area for any instrument for your students, your children, yourself!

The list of benefits for MMTA members is huge. Take a look:

• Programs for students and teachers, including contests and comprehensive examinations for piano, voice and other instruments;
• Composition contests for both students and teachers;
• Ensemble festivals and other programs designed to nurture and inspire the developing musician;
• Syllabi and teaching materials that support students as they learn repertoire, music history, theory and sight playing skills;
• Membership publications, including a bi-monthly newsletter, the annual calendar listing events and program entry rules, and a directory of members;
• Annual state convention offering a rich variety of presentations on pedagogy and performance and features guest artists and concerts;
• Mentoring program to help new members become acquainted with programs and procedures;
• Opportunities for continuing education;
• Network of local organizations throughout the state where members can meet for collegiality and support.

A member of MMTA also becomes a member of Music Teachers National Association (MTNA). Founded in 1876, MTNA is a community of committed music professionals which offers to its members a variety of programs, services and benefits, including:

• American Music Teacher, an award-winning bi-monthly journal containing features on various topics of importance to the music teaching profession
• National convention, held annually, offering opportunities for education and networking
• National certification program, providing a path to recognition and promotion of the highest standards of music teaching
• Financial services including health insurance and retirement savings
• Blanket music licensing agreement with ASCAP
• National job placement service
• National performance and composition competition for students

So let's more of a look at Music Teachers National Association (MNTA). MTNA was founded in 1876(!) to advance the value of music study and music making, and to support the professionalism of music teachers.The MTNA resources page is a treasure trove of teaching tips, music websites for kids, search engines for resources, and a professional support phone line and email.  A great resource for anyone, like the "find a teacher" above, is the How to Choose a Music Teacher resource page.

Next post: ELL teacher organizations

professional organizations: special education

Those of you special education teachers will want to take a look at the National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET) website and consider joining. This organization is dedicated to supporting teachers working in the field of special education. Much of the content on the website is limited to members, so joining is important for this organization. Members of NASET get some great benefits, including professional development courses, journals, newsletters, reports, handouts, and strategies. For those of you looking for jobs, they do have a career center with current job postings.

Non-members can check out the Week in Review, which lists current legislative issues, links to articles about special education or education in general. The latest issue has links to an article discussing ways iPads are helping workers with disabilities, an article about student mental health, and a study linking prenatal antidepressants to autism. Interesting stuff! Because I'm not a member, I can't evaluate the materials for members only, but I'm intrigued by the great lists of resources they offer to their members. Definitely worth checking out.

Next post: music teacher organizations

professional organizations: foreign language teacher organizations

Teachers of foreign languages have both a state-level and national-level organizations to consider. The state organization is MCTLC, the Minnesota Council on the Teaching of Languages and Cultures. MCTLC has a conference each fall, this year in October.  One of the really cool things about this organization is the Forum: a place for questions, comments, and ideas related to each of the MN Foreign Language Standard Strands, plus a general forum for other questions and discussions. What a great way to keep up on what others are doing! Also, check out the Events page to see what kinds of opportunities within the organization are available to you.  Job seekers: the organization posts state-wide job listings, so check back often! Benefits of membership include a subscription to the newsletter and magazine, reduced rates to conferences and workshops, eligibility for awards, scholarships, and grants, email communication with announcements, initiatives, and events, and lots of networking opportunities.

MCTLC is a member organization of ACTFL, the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. ACTFL, like many of the professional teaching organizations, publishes several journals to help teachers stay current on issues related to their discipline. Though most of their professional development workshops occur on-site (the organization is located in Alexandria, VA), there are some amazing opportunities if you can travel.  The annual convention will be in Denver in November, and looks like a pretty great program. ACTFL also is very active in advocating in support of foreign language education, and information can be found at the Advocacy page.

Another regional level organization to consider is the Central States Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Language, and an additional national organization is JNCL-NCLIS, the Joint National Committee for Languages & The National Council for Languages and International Studies.


Next post: special education

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Are you starting to think about joining an organization?
If so, which one and why?

professional organizations: physical education and health

Physical education and health teachers have a lot of options in looking at professional organizations to support their teaching. In Minnesota, the primary organization is the Minnesota Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance. MNAHPERD is dedicated to effective instruction to improve the skills, knowledge, health, and well-being of Minnesota students. MNAHPERD has an annual conference, this year being held in October in Minneapolis. MNAHPERD offers grants and scholarships for members at schools in need of financial assistance in program development or securing equipment. One of the greatest resources on the site is a great list of journal articles supporting physical education. Check it out!

At the national level, there is the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance, or AAHPERD, the national organization of which MNAHPERD is an affiliate. AAHPERD is supported by lots of affiliated organizations, like:

• American Heart Association
• CDC
• Coalition for a Healthy and Active America
• National Board for Professional Teaching Standards  
• National Coalition for Promoting Physical Activity
• National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education
• Physical and Health Education Canada (PHE Canada)
• President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports
• U.S. Department of Education

AAHPERD holds an annual convention, as well as conferences and workshops on a variety of topics. The organization also funds several annual awards and scholarships.  Physical education teachers currently looking for employment can check out the Careers page for more info on job postings. AAHPERD publishes a bunch of journals, each with a slightly different focus.  For those of you interested in research, AAHPERD has a research consortium dedicated to advancing research in the area of physical education.


Also available are several additional organizations; all these organizations are all related to the parent organization AAHPERD: the National Association for Sport and Physical Education,  the American Association for Health Education, the American Association for Physical Activity and Recreation, the National Association for Girls and Women in Sport and the National Dance Association.


Next post: foreign language teacher organizations

professional organizations: social studies organizations

For social studies teachers, there are two primary professional organizations, one national orgnization and one state level organization.

The national organization for social studies teachers is the National Council for the Social Studies, NCSS. NCSS sponsors an annual conference every year, as well as a range of summer professional development workshops. NCSS has a great collection of classroom lessons, activities, and articles, found at the NCSS Teachers' Library. NCSS publishes several journals dedicated to social studies education, including Social Studies and the Young Learner for elementary teachers, Middle Level Learning for middle school teachers, and Social Education for high school teachers. NCSS also publishes lists of notable social studies trade books for children each year, highlighting the best social studies books for students K-8. Members receive a subscription to one of the journals, as well as the newsletter, published 8 times a year. This only scratches the surface of what the organization offers - take a look!

The state level organization is the Minnesota Council for the Social Studies, MCSS. MCSS, the local chapter of NCSS.  One of the highlights of this organization are their workshops and professional development opportunities. Coming up next week is an NCSS-sponsored workshop, "Strengthening Your Social Studies Instruction" being held here in Minnesota. 

There are a couple other organizations to consider: the National Council for Geographic Education, for those of you who might teach geography, and the National Council for History Education, for those that focus on history courses. There is also a newer, smaller organization for civics teachers, the National Alliance for Civic Education.

Next post: physical education teacher organizations

professional organizations: science organizations

As with math and literacy, there are several professional organizations dedicated to fostering excellent P-12 science teaching.

I'll start with the statewide organization: MnSTA, or the Minnesota Science Teachers Association.  This organization is designed to help teachers stay on the cutting edge of science education, to network with other science teachers, and provide professional development opportunities.  It offers an events calendar, with upcoming workshops and conferences.  As a member, you'll have access to the newsletter, as well as information from past conferences. For anyone, there is a resources page, with links to science websites, legislative information, and assessment updates. MnSTA also has an annual conference in the spring, a great professional development and networking opportunity.

At the national level, there is NSTA, the National Science Teachers Association, of which MsSTA is a local chapter. This is an incredible site with a wealth of information for science teachers. Check out the elementary, middle school, and high school specific resource sites for articles, blogs, websites, and lesson ideas. As a literacy person, I particularly like the "Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12" site. Members have access to an amazing amount of professional development resources, including webinars, articles, and networking opportunities. Journals published by NSTA include Science & Children for elemetary science teachers, Science Scope for middle school science teachers, and The Science Teacher for high school level teachers. Like other discipline-specific teaching organizations, NSTA publishes position statements supporting excellent science teaching. Lots of great information, resources, and opportunities at the NSTA site!

For middle and high school specialists, there are a few more organizations to consider, including NESTA, (the National Earth Science Teachers Association), NABT (the National Association of Biology Teachers), or AAPT (the American Association of Physics Teachers). Each of these organizations offer members similar resources to NSTA, and might be worth considering if you are an earth science, biology, or physics teacher.

Next post: Social studies organizations

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What did teachers do before the internet gave them access to all these incredible resources???

professional organizations: math organizations

Math teachers have several professional organizations to consider joining, both at the national level and the state level.

The primary national organization for math teachers is the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, or NCTM.  NCTM is an organization supporting "teachers to ensure equitable mathematics learning of the highest quality for all students through vision, leadership, professional development and research." NCTM has resources specifically for elementary, middle school, high school, and even college math teachers. NCTM offers e-workshops and seminars for professional development, has numerous journals devoted to issues related to math teaching at different grade levels, and offers information on advocacy around math-related policy issues. One of the resources there now that I really like is the "Evaluating Math Games" resource page, designed to help you determine whether a math game will be effective in meeting your educational goals for your students. NCTM offers regional conferences and expositions every year, great opportunities for professional development and networking.

At the state level, Minnesota has the Minnesota Council of Teachers of Mathematics, MCTM. MCTM offers lots of similar information, but is more tailored to state-level math teaching and standards.  There are fall and spring conferences, resources for teaching, and regular newletters - MathBits. One really great opportunity for new teachers is MCTM Connect - MCTM's commitment to new teachers of math. Check out the page to see all the options for new teachers - everything from a Ning site, to signing up with a math teaching mentor, to networking at the fall conference. What a great opportunity to connect with other new and experienced math teachers!

Two other math organizations to consider are the Association for Women in Mathematics (specifically devoted to encourage women and girls to study math and pursue math-related careers), and the Mathematical Association of America (more focused on high school and college-level math teachers).

Next post: science organizations

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Would you consider going to a discipline-specific organization conference?
What would you hope to gain from that experience?

professional organizations: literacy organizations

Throughout the year, I'll have plenty to write about literacy resources, teaching ideas, research and such, since that is my area of specialty.  But I want to start with the professional organizations that you might start looking into to join. There are both national and local organizations that are great groups to join.

Let's look at reading focused organizations first. At the national level, there is the International Reading Association or IRA.  I've been to their convention several times, and it is crazy and super fun. There are often close to 15,000 reading teachers from all over the country in attendance, all looking to hear fabulous research, teaching strategies, meet authors, and network. The organization itself has several top journals published regularly with research about effective reading instruction. My favorite when I was teaching was The Reading Teacher, which I always found helpful.  Many of the articles are written by teachers themselves about their own teaching triumphs and pitfalls, and I really enjoyed this resource. I really like Reading Research Quarterly and Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy too, and read them regularly.  IRA also regularly publishes reports and position statements around literacy issues of interest to reading teachers, students, and researchers. I also really like their Choices Reading Lists, lists compiled of Children's, Teachers', and Young Adults' favorite book choices of the year. They also have a Career Center, posting literacy positions around the country. Many of these positions will require an additional reading teaching license, but something to keep in mind and check out.

At the local level, we have the Minnesota Reading Association, MRA, which is the local chapter of the International Reading Association.  MRA has several councils, both geographical and interest-based.  MRA sponsors an annual conference, which is coming up on August 11, this year with keynote speakers Kylene Beers, Bob Probst, and Jim Burke, as well as breakout sessions with local teachers and reading specialists, and local author panels and book signing. Throughout the year, MRA sponsors state-wide and local events; for example, this fall, a symposium is planned to unpack the new MN LA standards, paying particular attention to the new media and critical literacy standards and those devoted to MN American Indian texts.  It's a great local organization (and in full disclosure, I am currently secretary of the organization).

For more writing-focused organizations, the big national one is NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English), charged with the mission of improving English and language arts at all levels of education.  NCTE has resources for elementary, middle level, secondary, and college level teachers.  NCTE also has position statements on key literacy issues, everything from class size and asessment to diversity and intellectual freedom. NCTE has a great annual convention, this year being held in Chicago in November. NCTE publishes many high-quality journals. As a middle school teacher, I relied on Voices from the Middle for ongoing professional development, and I loved reading the submissions from middle school writers. I also regularly read Language Arts, as well as several other NCTE publications.  NCTE also has lots of advocacy resources available, and helps sponsor Literacy Education Advocacy Day in Washington DC each year. And there are some great student writing contests sponsored by NCTE for young writers.

Locally, there's the Minnesota chapter of NCTE, which is the Minnesota Council of Teachers of English or MCTE.  MCTE publishes the Minnesota English Journal yearly, which you can access online, even as a nonmember. MCTE also offers a fall workshop, this year being led by Deborah Appleman, a fantastic local professor and teacher of English. The workshop site also contains info from past workshops, including handouts and activities. They also regularly sponsor a spring conference. 

These organizations are wonderful resources for teachers learning about literacy development and instruction. Take a peek to see all they have to offer!

Next post: math organizations

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What do you want to know more about literacy instruction and development?

professional organizations: NEA and EM

One thing you will have to consider when you get your first job is whether or not to join the teacher's union. I'll talk more about this closer to the school year, but this summer is a good time to start learning about Education Minnesota and the national affiliates the National Education Association and the America Federation of Teachers.

Each of these organizations provides a great deal of information and resources for teachers. First, each organization provides information about legislative issues and policies. When I am trying to learn about what is happening with education at the legislature, both locally and nationally, I turn to these organizations to get me started. The organizations will let you know their official positions on issues related to education, give prompts for communicating with legislators, and as a member, you have the option to have a weekly newsletter or RSS feeds emailed to keep you up on the current legislative issues.

In addition to keeping you in the loop on legislation, these organizations provide professional resources such as lesson plan ideas, information on the common core standards, classroom management suggestions, and articles about teaching.  All three organizations have separate tabs of information for new teachers. Check it out here: Ed MN, NEA, AFT.

Now is a great time to start learning about these important organizations.

Next post: Literacy organizations

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What education issues are you most passionate about?
How will you stay in the loop on these issues as a teacher?

professional organizations: why join?

The next few posts will be dedicated to an overview of some of the professional organizations you can consider joining.  Some of the organizations I'll highlight here are more general education groups, and some are more discipline-specific.  Today, though, I'm going to focus on why it might be important to join one or more professional organizations.

I am a member of several professional organizations, and have been since I first started teaching. Simply, I find that as a member of these organizations, I have access to excellent resources to help me be a better teacher. Membership in professional organizations offer support for teachers, in the form of lesson plan ideas, classroom management strategies, stories of triumphs and pitfalls. You can get access to recent research in your area of teaching, helping you better understand effective teaching practice.

Most organizations have newsletters or magazines that you can only access if you're a member. These can provide a wealth of information in the form of research, teaching ideas, resource reviews, and inspiration. It may seem impossible to consider reading professionally in your first year of teaching with so many new things to learn, but when you join a respected organizations within your area of teaching, it will be so worth the time you spend to learn more interesting and effective ways to teach.

Another great aspect of membership in professional organizations are the annual conferences. I have attended at least one conference most years I've been teaching. Sometimes I went to state-wide organization conferences, such as the Minnesota Reading Association or the Minnesota Middle School Association, and other times I went to national conferences such as the International Reading Association or ASCD. Not only can conferences offer great professional development, they also provide an excellent opportunity to network and have some fun.

Next post: NEA and EM

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What professional organizations are you considering joining?