NCTE Member Interview

Name: Daphne Foreman

Location: Iowa City High School in Iowa City, IA

Subject: Language arts

Organization: National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE)

After learning that there was no student affiliate of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) at her university, Daphne Foreman, fresh from leaving her career as a successful accountant in favor of the life of a high-school English teacher, decided to start one. Naturally, her fellow members voted her treasurer.

Daphne sees a teacher’s role as more than just teaching. "Having moved from a different career, it was important for me to be a mentor to my students; that was a big part of my interest in being in the classroom. Important life issues arise in the process of teaching English, so I really want to be a good friend to kids."

Based on the number of students who hang out in her room during open periods and after school, it seems that after five years of teaching, she’s achieved her goal. Daphne stresses that her successes in the classroom have come mainly through the support of colleagues, many of whom she met through NCTE.

Family Education Network (FEN): Why did you decide to start the NCTE student affiliate at your university?

Daphne: Back in ’93, some fellow students and I attended the NCTE national conference in Minneapolis and presented research performed by one of our professors. We were absolutely sold after that on the importance of being involved. In the university classroom, we were learning mostly theory. Through NCTE, we were able to have access to more practical materials and benefit from the experience of active English teachers from all over the country.

FEN: Now that you’re a practicing teacher, what are the benefits of being an NCTE member?

Daphne: I’ve met many teachers who think that the NCTE is only for professors or researchers and not "real" teachers, but that couldn’t be further from reality. Their publications, such as English Journal, are extremely useful to the "real" teacher and not only contain ideas and materials for the classroom, but also articles about current issues relating to education. I’ve found it so important to be up on issues such as standards and testing because parents are always asking about them. There are publications for all levels of K-12 educators as well as ones for department chairs, university professors, and community college educators. And there are the publications that are very research intensive.

The conferences are really great, too. I think it’s more than half the benefit. I helped organize our state conference in Des Moines several years ago and met so many great people, some of whom became my mentors. And this I think is also very important – finding mentors. Only the teachers who have had effective mentors know how essential they are to our professional growth. I think that in addition to all of the speakers, workshops, and hands-on stuff, the conferences provide a way to connect to others. It’s really uplifting to see how much talent is out there.

I get a lot out of the various professional development opportunities and workshops that are sponsored by the national and local affiliates. I attended one by a Sioux storyteller about the role that storytelling can play in teaching reading and writing. We learned storytelling skills and how to teach them to our students. It was very energizing.

FEN: What would you tell another teacher who was considering becoming a member?

Daphne: I would say that the benefits of membership are commensurate with how much a person participates. If you’re willing to attend a conference every now and then, if you’re willing to make the time to read some of the articles in English Journal, and if you’re willing to be inspired to learn from others, then membership in NCTE can be one of the best investments in your career.

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NCTE Member Interview

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NCTE Member Interview

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