Slavic and East European Languages
Applications due November 15, 2023
K-12 teachers of Russian as a World Language are invited to apply to participate in the first two-year cohort of the AATSEEL K-12 Teacher Excellence Program. This AATSEEL (American Association of Teachers of Slavic and East European Languages) program for K-12 teachers is supported with funding from Indiana University R. F. Byrnes Russian and East European Institute; University of Pittsburgh Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies; University of Wisconsin Center for Russia, East Europe, and Central Asia; University of Texas Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies; Ohio State University Center for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies.
This AATSEEL initiative is a professional engagement program that seeks to recognize and support excellence in the teaching of Russian at the K-12 level. A cohort of ten pre-college teachers of Russian will participate in this two-year program which will begin in January 2024 and end in the spring of 2025. The program consists of professional development and mentoring in the first year, and professional engagement/presentation and leadership in the second year.
Program Objectives:
to provide recognition of K-12 excellence in the teaching of Russian
to create and sustain a professional network for K-12 teachers
to bring more K-12 teachers into AATSEEL in a way that sustains their continuing involvement
to provide professional development to K-12 teachers
to promote professional engagement of K-12 teachers by mentoring them to submit proposals and present at the AATSEEL annual meeting
to promote leadership from more K-12 teachers in AATSEEL
to provide a mechanism to build more bridges between Russian programs K-16
Support for Participants:
Program participants will be expected to attend approximately six online meetings over two years, an in-person workshop in Las Vegas on Thursday, February 15, 2024 (arrival on February 14, 2024), the AATSEEL Conference in Las Vegas on February 15-18, 2024 and the virtual 2025 AATSEEL Conference (online; dates still to be finalized). Participants will receive full financial support for participation in the two-year program. This support covers all costs associated with the attendance of two AATSEEL conferences including: AATSEEL membership and conference registration fees, airfare, hotel for four nights, a per diem to cover cost of meals not otherwise provided, and professional development materials.
Program Dimensions:
1st year participation: focus on establishing cohort cohesion/sense of community and professional development (January 2024-Spring 2025)
Pre-AATSEEL conference: “get to know one another” virtual session
In-person AATSEEL pre-conference workshop: Teaching Russian with the World-Readiness Standards for Language Learning and the Russian Language-Specific Standards.
Attendance of AATSEEL pedagogy panels (required attendance of some pre-identified panels to include a workshop on creating curricula to promote diversity, equity and inclusion)
Attendance of a few other designated conference events.
Post-conference virtual debrief in March 2024 and initial brainstorming ideas for classroom applications that can be developed during the following academic year and presented at the 2025 AATSEEL conference.
Post-conference virtual Spring follow-up: introduction to proposal process, continued discussion to lead to more concrete plans for classroom application/presentation (to lead to submission for AATSEEL proposal - either individual panel presentation, roundtable, or poster session)
Individual spring mentorship as needed for submission of a proposal to present at the 2025 AATSEEL Conference participation by first proposal deadline of July 1, 2024.
2nd year: participation and presentation at 2025 AATSEEL conference and follow-up (Fall 2024 - Spring 2025)
Online group meetings in Fall 2024 and in January 2025 to discuss and rehearse presentations for the conference
Presenting an individual talk, participating in a roundtable or poster session presentation at 2025 AATSEEL conference
Attendance of other pedagogy virtual panels at AATSEEL 2025
Attendance of an event that would focus on bridge-building K-16 at AATSEEL 2025
Post-conference virtual check-in by program leads with cohort members
Spring virtual mentoring meeting and individual follow-up for those able to present at 2026 in-person AATSEEL conference.
Program Administrators:
Presenters and mentors for this second cohort are:
Lee Roby, Friends School of Baltimore, eroby@friendsbalt.org
Bill Comer, Portland State University, wcomer@pdx.edu
Tommy Tabatowski, The Noble Academy, ttabatowski@thenobleacademy.org
Program Coordinator:
Mark Trotter, Indiana University, martrott@indiana.edu
If you are interested in participating, please complete the brief online application form (https://forms.gle/vhLqDBaWMgdmH1MQA). Priority application deadline is November 15, with notification by December 1, 2023.
Please address any questions about the program to Mark Trotter martrott@indiana.edu.
We welcome applications from all K-12 teachers of Russian. Preference will be given to applicants in the early stages of their K-12 teaching career at accredited US middle and high schools, but any K-12 teacher of Russian is encouraged to apply.