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“...Hope is one dimensional without resolve…”-Andre Dubus III, “Fences and Fields,” Ghost Dogs: On Killers and Kin
We are pleased to share the theme of our 2024 conference: “Hope and Resolve: Nurturing Resilience in Our Students and Ourselves.” As community college professors, we recognize the importance of fueling in our students (and nurturing in ourselves) the twin engines of success: hope and resolve. Though students frequently arrive at the doors of our classrooms enthusiastic for a new beginning, it’s easy for that momentum to die. Their hope may dim as they’re confronted with the realities of balancing work, school, and family, or their resolve may falter in the face of seemingly insurmountable classroom assignments and academic schedules. So, too, may our hope and resolve as teachers flag when confronted with the barrage of unending educational mandates, mantras of “do more with less,” and the ever increasing generational gap between us and our students.
Our guest speaker, Andre Dubus III, addresses this need for both goals and grit in his new collection of essays, Ghost Dogs: On Killers and Kin. Writing often of his own life, Dubus III talks about the drive, equal parts hope and resolve, that delivered him from a childhood of hardscrabble poverty. Similarly, as teachers, we strive to help our students escape poverty (of finances, of the spirit, of the mind, etc.) by nurturing their hopes and bolstering their resolve. At the same time, we work hard to remain resilient in our classrooms and as colleagues. This is what we hope to consider during our conference. To use Dubus III’s language, how do we remain hopeful and resolute as 21st-century educators? How do we inspire these twin qualities in our students?
Please join us in examining the way(s) that we teach after the last four years of unprecedented challenges in academia. Though recent times have presented community colleges (and the students who attend them) with no shortage of difficulties and obstacles, we remain both hopeful and resolute as community college English teachers. As you prepare to share your techniques with fellow conference attendees, we’re interested in knowing WHY you’re doing what you’re doing (perhaps ground your presentation in a problem or theoretical basis) as well as WHAT you’re doing (consider offering some very practical information, including sharing handouts, assignments, etc.)
We are offering a choice of three presentation types:
A TYCAT Talk (TED Talks-style presentation) in which the presenter(s) will have 15 minutes to offer a dynamic talk on a topic of his/her/their choice plus an additional 5 minutes for questions and discussion
A Panel Presentation in which two or more presenters will have up to 60 minutes to focus on a topic or series of related topics followed by questions and discussion
A Roundtable Discussion wherein a presenter may facilitate a conversation among peers on a specific selected topic for up to 60 minutes
In addition to sessions focused on the conference theme, we welcome presentations concerning any aspect of teaching English in the community college classroom.
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Chattanooga State Community College, 4501 Amnicola Hwy,Chattanooga,TN,United States
