Lit Think at NCTE 2023
Reflections on the weekend and access to the presentation
Welcome to From the Teacher’s Desk, where we take turns further reflecting on our episodes and applications to the classroom.
This year we half fulfilled our dream to present together at NCTE. It wasn’t our first attempt to do so, but when we got the invitation last spring, we excitedly started making plans, including a practice run when we presented at a local summer conference hosted by my school district.
Despite Alicia finding out that she would not be able to travel to Columbus, we continued to plan for our presentation on pop culture at the national conference. Alicia worked on slides, we talked through it multiple times, and then met for dinner in downtown Indy to put the final polish on our introduction to the English teaching world. Our co-presenters, Bill and Melanie, offered their mentorship and expertise as seasoned conference presenters, and I (Sarah) presented to a full room of fellow English teachers on the first full day of the conference. You can find the link to our presentation here.
It was a wonderful experience and one that I hope to experience again, this time with my partner by my side. (And Alicia wishes the same.) For those of you joining us because you attended the session, thank you and welcome! Please check out our post from this summer when we reintroduced ourselves to our audience.
Exclusive Summer Episode 2023
Listen now (27 mins) | Alicia and Sarah take some time during their summer break to reflect on two years of podcasting and their hopes in preparation for Season Four, coming in August. Sign up for the newsletter and follow us on Instagram or Facebook. Music by Craig Harmann
One of the highlights of the weekend, in addition to presenting, was listening to Tom Hanks speak to us about his experiences as a student of English and life. One of the comments that stuck out most to me was his memories of learning about the art of theater and his experience as a member of the cast of Hamlet. He talked about the play within the play and Hamlet’s famous line:
To hold as 'twere the mirror up to nature.
As students and teachers of English, it is what we often do with our students. As podcasters, it is what Alicia and I are consistently trying to do with our show: demonstrate that pop culture, like literature, serves as a mirror by which we can better see and understand ourselves and our environment.
So thank you for joining us. Please share your favorite episodes or blog posts with friends and colleagues and hang tight for the second half of season four. We’ll be back in your ears in January.
Until then, keep on lit thinking, people.
Please “like” by clicking on the ❤ and share this post with your friends, colleagues, and fellow lit thinkers.
Great stuff!