“Rethink, Reshape, Reimagine, Revolutionize: Growing the Profession Post Pandemic”
Now through May 28, AACTE is accepting session proposals for the 74th Annual Meeting, to be held in New Orleans, LA, March 4-6, 2022. We also invite applications by May 14 from AACTE member faculty to review proposals.
The conference theme is “Rethink, Reshape, Reimagine, Revolutionize: Growing the Profession Post Pandemic,” conceptualized as follows in the call for proposals:
The events of 2020 challenged the field of education in dramatic and unprecedented ways. The advent of the pandemic thrust educators into uncharted territory and created a dramatically different, virtual context for teaching and learning. As the COVID‐19 crisis unfolded, teachers and teacher candidates quickly adapted their instruction to incorporate multiple modes of delivery, including virtual, hybrid, and in‐person instruction constrained by masks, plexiglass, and social distancing. The enormous investment of energy required to make the sudden shift, the isolation imposed by the threat of the pandemic, and the separation from colleagues tested the intellect, energy, and emotional resilience of educators. In the midst of this unforeseen and uncharted environment, a pressing challenge arose: addressing the striking inequities of access to technology and learning, clearly delineated along socioeconomic lines, which stood to further expand the achievement gap between white students and their classmates of color.
Beyond the global pandemic, the practice of teaching was further redefined through the horrendous murders and unjust deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and many other Black Americans. Educators embraced their new responsibility as front‐line workers in dismantling structural racism within the American education system. Schools played a critical role in educating students about citizenship and societal values, which have long perpetuated the cycle of racial injustice. And our educator programs realized the pertinent need to incorporate curricula to educate and guide learners to value the lives of all human beings and hold others accountable in practicing justice.
Amid this turbulent climate, educator preparation programs were tasked with providing effective online instruction, securing clinical placements in schools while addressing social distancing requirements, and collaborating with state licensing agencies to ensure their candidates would and could graduate on time. But in spite of these challenges ‐ or perhaps because of them ‐ a new wave of educational innovation is blooming. Teachers are pioneering initiatives to engage students in virtual learning. Teacher candidates are discovering new and innovative ways to add value to their placements. Teacher educators are developing alternative ways to both supplement and complement traditional clinical experiences. Addressing the complex needs of learners requires ALL educators, including teachers, school counselors, principals, superintendents, parents, and greater community members, to engage in the education of all students. And equipped with these modernizations and realizations, education leaders are forging pathways for collaboration and advocacy to further benefit all learners.
During AACTE’s 2022 Annual Meeting, we have an opportunity to reflect upon our journey through the recent events within our country and our world. We can assess the knowledge and insights gained from this dramatically imposed and previously unimaginable context for teaching and learning. We can share the innovations we have created, learn from the exemplary work of our colleagues and peers, and find inspiration to create the next set of breakthroughs in reimagining educator preparation. Further, we can examine the processes employed to develop these innovations, the ways in which we have tackled problems collaboratively, the practices implemented in supporting faculty, colleagues, and partners, and our advancements in establishing an equitable, accessible education for all students.
In the midst of the constant challenges and rapid change, many pivotal questions remain. Where do we go from here? How do we take what has been learned and apply it, magnify it, and build upon it in a post pandemic world? How do we utilize the discoveries of our research and the successes of our programs for the betterment of both our profession and education overall? How do we recover from the damage caused by the loss of learning at critical development stages? How do we continue to address the inequities brought to light, in order to shape a more equitable and just educational system? How do we apply what has been learned to further revolutionize education to serve all learners? Join us at AACTE’s 2022 Annual Meeting, as we delve into these crucial conversations to rethink, reshape, and reimagine our profession.
Session proposals should address this theme with a focus on one of the four strands listed below:
- Strand 1 – Preparing Educators In and For the Future
- Strand 2 – Renewing Democracy through Activism and Collaboration
- Strand 3 – Addressing Public Concerns for the Future of the Profession
- Strand 4 – Confronting the Challenges Facing Our Programs and Institutions
Read the full call for proposals (PDF), including suggested questions that each strand’s sessions should address. Then click here to submit a proposal, and click here to apply to review proposals.
For questions about the 2022 Annual Meeting, contact AACTE director of meetings and Events Linda Minor at lminor@aacte.org or (202) 478-4593.
Tags: Annual Meeting
