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MidTESOL Matters
Spring 2001 |
A Publication of Mid-America Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages
Message from the President
By Tom Riedmiller
Dear Members,
Greetings from Iowa—the land of
corn, beef, and several MidTESOL presidents. There must be something in the
water that breeds and cultivates presidents of MidTESOL. Maybe it is the clean
living and the cold winters that create active and stalwart types.
In this, my first message as President
of MidTESOL, I would like to thank those of you who turned in your ballots
last year and elected me to this position. I will try my best make this the
most productive of years ever for MidTESOL. I also want to acknowledge Jeanne
Angel and Phyllis Mithen, who helped me ease into this office. They both have
served as role models for me by executing the office of president with a sense
of humor, grace and a certain aplomb, making serving on the board seem less
like work and more like...well, its still work. But the tasks
seem more manageable and fun with people like Jeanne and Phyllis around.
So, the big question that many of you
are asking is what do I plan to accomplish? Well, my goal a president it to
continue to see MidTESOL grow. However, growth in membership is not the only
way to measure growth. With help from the board and dedicated members of MidTESOL,
I'd like to see MidTESOL grow by offering teachers in Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska
and Missouri more opportunities for professional development. With my 4 years
as newsletter editor and one year as First Vice President, this need was a
recurring theme in the conversations I had with teachers at MidTESOL conferences.
Therefore, after the dust has settled from the TESOL 2001 conference, MidTESOL
is going to explore more ways to serve teachers and the profession. This could
be accomplished by scholarships, additional grants and workshops—in addition
to our annual convention. To accomplish this, I would like your input as to
how MidTESOL can grow. Please let me know by calling me directly at 319-273-2182
(day) or 319-236-9819 (evening)—you can even call me collect if you like.
Or better yet, you can e-mail me at riedmiller@uni.edu.
As you may know, the TESOL 2001 conference
is coming soon to St. Louis and as you will see in this issue, this conference
is not one to be missed. For those of you who have experienced TESOL conferences,
you might remember shuttling back and forth to hotels and convention venues.
Well, no more of that. You will be happy to know that all of the regular conference
sessions will be held under one roof! Yes, you read correctly. This, we hope,
marks the end of scrambling across a major urban area in the middle of the
afternoon to make that all-important session.
In addition, the planners have taken a lot of time in placing related sessions
in the same block of rooms. Therefore, those interested in K-12 issues be
in one part of the conference center, and CALL presentations will be held
in another and so on. This, I hope, will make a good-sized conference feel
more intimate and less stressful.
Bits and Pieces. . .
Get your e-mail at the MarketPlace
at the conference. It will be amid all of the wonderful exhibits. . . . .The
job fair is FREE this year, bring your resumes and maybe that dream job will
be yours. Call me to volunteer. . . . Keep your eyes open for K-12 jobs opening
up everywhere. Contact your state rep and our employment coordinator, Monica;
they could possibly give your leads. Also, watch the web site at http://www.MidTESOL.org
for job announcements. . . Be on the lookout for a new IBP plant near Council
Bluffs, Iowa. (Council Bluffs is across the river from Omaha) . . .FINAL NOTE:
My Bosnian neighbors are great. They add life to this otherwise staid part
of town. Example: In the past, no one walked just for walking's sake. My new
neighbors do. They are very much outdoor people who give my neighborhood a
greater sense of community and life.
Best, Tom
Thomas Riedmiller
Academic Support Specialist
Culture and Intensive English Program
University of Northern Iowa
http://www.uni.edu/CIEP http://www.uni.edu/riedmill
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President - MidTESOL
MidAmerica Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages
http://www.MidTESOL.org
