The Importance of Community, part 1

This post is part one of a two-part series. Guest contributors to this post are Erin Almeranti, Eric Richards, and Andrea Schweitzer.

A few weeks ago, I attended the CI Summit in Norman, OK. There, I worked with Squad 2 (led by Andrea Schweitzer), and although I was in a "staff member" position, I still got SO much from attending sessions, experiencing language labs, and learning from others. However, for me, the most important part of attending any in-person CI/ADI conference is the community. 

Being part of a CI/ADI community has been my lifeline these past 12 years in which I have gone all-in with CI instruction. I know that I would NOT at all be the CI implementer that I am today if it were not for my community. These people are the ones who purely by their friendship and our common passion for CI encourage me and make me want to strive to be a better ADI teacher. I have learned so much from them over the years - if you have read my blog, you will find that most (if not all) of the CI/ADI activities and strategies about which I have written come from them! I absolutely love how we share a deep common mutual respect for each other. They are the ones who keep me motivated when the novelty of the school year begins to wear off, and real life begins. They are the ones who remind me that I am not alone in the trenches. These are the people who refill my cup when it is empty. I am so thankful to have seen and hung out in person this past summer at CI Iowa and CI Summit with so many in my CI community who made me laugh and through their sheer presence encouraged me and always reminded me afresh that I am not alone as a CI teacher. 

So, I have asked many of my CI Summit team members to contribute their thoughts on the need for and the importance of being part of a CI teacher community. I received such a number of responses that I have to divide this topic into two separate posts as a result! I am so grateful to these people, because I have learned so much from them. I hope that you will enjoy reading their writeups and that it will motivate you to be a part of a CI teacher community, whether it be online or in-person!

"The CI/ADI community is like fuel for language teachers - providing encouragement, guidance, and genuine camaraderie to those who are part of it. Whether you’re the only language teacher in your district or part of a larger department, teaching languages can sometimes feel isolating. After all, it’s a very different experience from teaching subjects like math or science. There’s also the challenge of teaching what is often defined as an elective—seen as non-essential—where you must convince students to choose your class and see its value. That’s what makes the CI/ADI community so special. It not only embraces the unique nature of language teaching, but the community also offers the empathy and understanding that help fellow language teachers feel truly seen in a profession where that isn’t always the case."       - Erin Almeranti

"After 20+ years of teaching, people ask me, "Why do you still go to conferences?" The short answer is: community and the connection. Through our community of educators, I continue to learn, grow and refine in my craft. It is inspiring to see all the great work others are doing in the classroom. Also, the support and encouragement our community gives is second to none. The school year can wear us down and by the end, our cups can be empty. But being in this community of teachers continuously motivates you to be the best educator you can be. They fill your cup and help keep the fire lit. Without them, I don't know where I would be in my career." - Eric Richards

"The first few years that I was dabbling with CI, it seemed like I would always hit a wall and retreat back to my traditional textbook tools.  I was a lone language teacher with no other CI teachers that I knew of in the DFW area at that time.  Thus, whenever I went to a CI conference, if I met someone from the DFW area, I got their contact info and started creating a local PLC for myself and for those DFW teachers that wanted to join in and share ideas.  It was a great help, and many of those teachers in that group still inspire me today.  Additionally, I began sharing a hotel room at summer conferences back in 2014 with a Kansas City French teacher named Bess Hayles... after a few years of conferencing together we made the commitment after one of them to stay in touch with each other regularly throughout the school year, to hold each other accountable and to troubleshoot ideas when needed.  We've continued meeting in recent years--Elicia Cárdenas joining us as well--and having that support and "accountability" team has been tremendous.  Lastly, it's amazing how generous and inspiring the CI teacher community is at large.  You need an idea??  There's a blog post or a Facebook group or a demo video on YouTube or an upcoming webinar, etc., to give you new ideas at your fingertips.  All of that keeps you moving along the "path to ADI-teaching proficiency" and greatness.  Don't be discouraged!  Plug in to the CI community online or in your community.  Phone-a-friend when the school year "going-gets-rough" sets in. You can do this!!" - Andrea Schweitzer

Part 2 of this topic will focus on how to find CI community and will feature more writeups from others!