The Inaugural NJCTE Blog Post

Welcome to the very first blog post of the New Jersey Council of Teachers of English. We plan to offer regular posts.

But we can’t do it alone!

First of all, tell us your ideas! What would you would like to see in this space?

Second of all, write for us! Would you like to share your own post here? We welcome contributions from teachers, librarians, administrators, parents, and students who are interested in sharing their ideas with the NJCTE community. Feel free to pass along an idea for feedback or a finished blog post. For the latter, please include a one line biography (with links to twitter if you have a feed), a picture of any book you discuss, and a picture of yourself (if desired).

Here’s some of what we know already we’d like to see here:

1. Classroom/lesson reflections. What did you try? How did it work? Do you have pictures? Inspire us!
2. Education reflections. Share your thoughts about teaching, reading, writing, classroom management, or anything else. Keep it real but positive.
3. Technology ideas. There’s so much great stuff out there, but the question is always how are you using technology and how is it helping you? Please share!
4. Review of books. Tell us what you’ve read and loved. Explain what was great, include a few quotes, and suggest who else might like this book (readers who like so-and-so, grade level, interests). Keep the plot summary and spoilers to a minimum and only share your thoughts on the good stuff out there.
5. Student work. Do you have a student who has produced a wonderful piece of writing? Share his/her/their work with a receptive, broader audience who can also celebrate the teaching that produced this writing. If you submit the work on the student’s behalf, be sure you receive permission to do so.
6. Policy and practice. Do you have thoughts or expertise about New Jersey educational policy, particularly as it pertains to the teaching of English? Let us benefit from your expertise. Keep us informed about what we should know or be thinking about.
7. Have a favorite poem or cartoon to share? If it’s out there already, it’s probably in public domain. Send it along with or without a few comments about why you like it or why you use it in your classroom.

Again, these are just our ideas. We are just getting started!

Posted by Audrey Fisch, blog editor for NJCTE.

New Jersey Council of Teachers of English, the New Jersey state affiliate of NCTE, the National Council of Teachers of English