Our Marathon Continues

Navigating Challenges and Reaching the Finish Line

MCTE’s Fall Conference 2023

Friday, October 13, 2023
Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center, East Lansing

“…Even in trying times like now,
it’s like the world is in panic,
but we gotta keep going.
The marathon continues.”
-Nipsey Hussle

MCTE is excited to announce our 2023 Fall English Conference, themed, “Our Marathon Continues: Navigating Challenges and Reaching the Finish Line.” As educators, we understand the importance of perseverance and its impact on our students’ lives. MCTE invites you to share your experiences and insights on how you have overcome obstacles in your teaching career to reach your goals and help your students succeed.

Equally important, Nipsey Hussle reminds us, “Even as you make progress, you need the discipline to keep from backtracking and sabotaging the success as it’s happening.” For our 2023 conference, we hope to collectively and broadly learn how to continue this race as educators amidst the educational struggles and hurdles. The MCTE 2023 Conference will be an opportunity to receive the tools to run the best race you can and a space for you to be recharged and inspired to continue to be the best educator you can be.

Jessyca Mathews
MCTE President-Elect, 2023-2024

Featuring Maggie Smith, award-winning poet and author of Good Bones

Maggie Smith is the author of six award-winning books: You Could Make This Place Beautiful, Lamp of the Body, The Well Speaks of Its Own Poison, and Good Bones, named by the Washington Post as one of the Five Best Poetry Books of 2017, Keep Moving, and Goldenrod. The title poem of Good Bones was called the “Official Poem of 2016” by Public Radio International and has been translated into nearly a dozen languages. Smith’s poems have appeared in the New York Times, Tin House, The Believer, The Paris Review, Kenyon Review, Best American Poetry, and on the CBS primetime drama Madam Secretary. A Pushcart Prize winner, Smith has received fellowships and awards from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Academy of American Poets, the Ohio Arts Council, and the Sustainable Arts Foundation. Learn more about Maggie’s work on her website: https://maggiesmithpoet.com/.

Featuring Luncheon Speaker LaMar Timmons-Long, Educator

LaMar Timmons-Long is a vibrant educator who believes that every student deserves access to an equitable and high-quality education. LaMar provides support to elementary, middle, and high school educators on the intersections between literacy, social justice, language, and students experiencing disabilities. As an English teacher, he focuses on using culturally responsive pedagogical strategies and practices, centered around adding diverse voices and experiences, throughout his instruction. A key piece of his culturally responsive literacy work, is to tirelessly strive to ensure students achieve academic success… and they do. LaMar brings expertise in secondary literacy practices, including literacy practices which support students experiencing learning disabilities and students learning English as a new language.

Pre-Conference Workshop

Join MCTE on Thursday, October 12 from 5:30 PM – 8:00 PM for a new kind of pre-conference with a kick-off dinner! Attendees at the pre-conference will participate in roundtable discussions to help us pace ourselves for the educational hurdles we might face. Join us to prepare to run your best race yet and to be recharged and inspired for the 2023-2024 school year!

We will consider some of these topics:

• How has your school/district worked to be intentional about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts? What have been some of the successes? What have been some of the setbacks? What advice can you offer teachers, administrators, and students apprehensive of DEI efforts? 
• What is your approach to handling politically charged comments/discourse from students and/or parents? How do you help ensure all students have a voice while maintaining a safe, supportive environment? 
• Has the recent wave of book banning nationwide made you pause your classroom library/book selections for students? What is your approach to ensuring that your book selections represent what Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop calls “mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors” yet do not put you in a problematic position professionally? 
• How do you address identity issues related to gender, race, diversity, LGBTQ+, etc. in your classroom? Explain. Do you feel comfortable addressing these topics? If you do feel comfortable, what support have you received? If you do not feel comfortable, what support do you need? Who could help, specifically?  
• Political conflict has made it harder to address misinformation. Almost 64% of principals report that parents or community members have challenged the information or resources teachers use in their schools. As an educator, have you been challenged by parents of community members? What was your approach to handling the challenge? What was the outcome? 
• The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has sparked a great deal of concern in the field of education. What are your thoughts on AI, especially ChatGPT? Should teachers – particularly ELA educators – work to ensure it is banned? Would it be more advantageous to teach students how to appropriately leverage ChatGPT and other forms of AI while not compromising academic integrity? 
• Many educators have commented that education has shifted considerably post-COVID. Has your teaching style changed? Are students noticeably different academically, socially, and emotionally post-COVID? Explain. What support or changes, if any, do students need in 2023? What support or changes, if any, do educators need in 2023?  

Kick-Off Dinner:

Your pre-conference ticket includes dinner! Help us kick off the annual conference together. Join us for roaming appetizers and further connecting with English teachers from across the state and beyond.

Registration

Register by Friday, September 15, 2023 to take advantage of early bird rates! Purchase tickets online below (via PayPal, credit card, or check). 

Conference registration includes a continental breakfast and boxed lunch on October 13, as well as a year-long membership in MCTE. MCTE members receive two digital editions of the Language Arts Journal of Michigan (LAJM), a publication of MCTE, and regular opportunities to learn with MCTE. Read more about the benefits of MCTE membership here.

Registration Fees for the 2023 Fall Conference:

Online registration ends Tuesday, October 10 at 12:00 NOON.

Discounts available for large groups from the same school. If you plan on registering THREE or more teachers from the same school, please contact MCTE Executive Director Jim Kroll for a coupon code to be used during registration. Individual attendee information will need to be entered for each ticket purchased. Discounts are also available for veterans of the military. Please contact Executive Director Jim Kroll for more information. Registration questions should be directed to MCTE Executive Director Jim Kroll at [email protected].

Past Presidents of MCTE: If you plan on attending the conference this year, we ask that you register to attend and contribute $25 to help defray conference costs and contribute to the publishing of the LAJM.

Lodging Accommodations

MCTE Fall Conference attendees can reserve a room for Thursday, October 12, 2023, at the Kellogg Hotel for the discounted rate of $132. For the conference rate code, email MCTE Executive Director Jim Kroll at [email protected]. Reservations must be made prior to September 22, 2023.