Teacher Day @ TLA - now open!!!

by the Teacher Day @ TLA Committee

Do you know a classroom teacher who would enjoy the TLA Annual Conference? Our annual conference – made up of books, authors, technology integration, makerspaces, curriculum connections, and supportive  librarians – may very well be the stuff of teachers’ dreams. They would unquestionably have to experience it to believe it.

Now is your chance to make a teacher’s dream come true!  On Thursday, April 5, 2018, classroom teachers will have the opportunity to experience a special one day event during the TLA conference, comprised of speakers, activities, and pricing designed just for them. Here is your chance to help. You, as a sponsoring school librarian, will play a crucial role by identifying interested teachers, helping them secure permission and funding for their attendance, guiding them through the registration process, and ensuring our guest teachers have a positive experience.

[Remember, the TLA dates were adjusted to accommodate STAAR Testing dates...]

The planning has begun for a fun, interactive day for the teachers who attend, as well as the librarians who sponsor them. Participants are welcome to stay for the full conference. Now is the time for interested librarians to:

a) identify motivated classroom teachers and

b) start to lay the groundwork for conference attendance and travel funding. 

Teachers have great things to say about Teacher Day.  “For me, Teacher Day at TLA was an introduction into a world of educators who have a passion for fostering a love of reading in their students every day,” , said San Marcos CISD teacher Ryan Damron, who attended the inaugural Teacher Day @TLA in 2017.  “I can't express how encouraging and inspiring it was just to be in that kind of environment. The connections I made with other teachers and librarians are invaluable and have given me an extended professional learning community to whom I look for advice quite often. Teacher Day definitely made a lasting impression on me as an educator. Every teacher would love it!”

The focus of this program is for classroom teachers who experience a TLA conference to return to their districts as library advocates and collaborators  - or perhaps become librarians themselves. Details about Teacher Day @ TLA, an event that has become an annual highlight, will be shared by task force members soon via listservs, social media, and the TLA website.   Applications to attend Teacher Day @ TLA will be accepted starting on November 1.  Find more information and register for Teacher Day @ TLA .  This is an event that should not be missed!

EDITOR'S NOTE: A shortage of qualified and certified applicants for jobs across the state makes this TLA effort especially important. I can speak for HISD, but other districts were crying for applicants just this past September - let's inspire our classroom colleagues to see what we do and maybe change career tracks now that our advocacy efforts are beginning to gain traction.