Volume 61 Issue 4 April 2020

The English Pub

The

ACTELA’s Newsletter English

Arkansas Council of Teachers of English and Language Arts Pub
In keeping with the Letter from the Editorial Staff
changes all around us,
this issue of our
newsletter is Hello ACTELA, on your friends--just like normal.
introduced by
During these times we are
comments not from COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, the novel
looking to the internet for entertainment
our President but by coronavirus, whatever you may be
and comfort. Thank you to all the readers
words from our calling it, is affecting all of us--not just the
around the nation and around the world
editorial assistants. rich, not just the poor, not just the
for staying home and taking the time to
We offer them as an educators, and not just the store
read our newsletter. We see you lighting
example of the need workers. Everyone we know is being
up our map. We will
we all share and the affected. However,
push through and in the
means we all have to we should not let this
coming weeks or
empower students damage our
months things will get
everywhere to speak relationships. In these
back to the new normal.
up and respond to troubling times we
The change coming will
their lives in creative should still celebrate
be world-altering, but
and hopeful voices. birthdays and
we are all in this
anniversaries. We
together. Maybe we can
must support our
grow no longer as
teachers, our
scattered nations
students, our co-
Inside this issue: around the world but
workers. We should
find our way forward as
remember our friends
one human race
From the Classroom 3 are also staying in, and they are just as
learning, sharing, and communicating.
lonely as we are. Don’t forget to call one
Announcements 5 another, text one another, and check in Emily Jackson and Braden Taylor
NCTE News 7 Editorial Assistants
Readers & Writers 8

Updates 10 We’re within your social distance!

Critical Thinking 12
Visit our website: www.actela.weebly.com
Reading Suggestion 16 and LIKE our newsletter!

Interview 17 Email our editor: walter@uamont.edu

Holocaust Studies 22 Friend us on Facebook:

Arkansas Council of Teachers of
Global Perspective 24
English Language Arts
Spanish Translation 26
And Join ACTELA! Become a member.

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 Editorial Note
by Dr Kay J. Walter
For some years now I’ve been complaining about a growing
hesitation among students to look a stranger in the eye, grasp
hands, and confidently announce, “Hello! My name is . . . and I
am pleased to meet you.” This diminution of social skills is
reflected in their writing when they say things like this: “Whenever I read “Ode on a
Grecian Urn,” I think that I believe that it’s possible John Keats seems to mean the
girl whose ashes are inside might have been pretty.” The physical act of shaking
hands creates a strong start for communication and develops self confidence. A
confident learner has an advantage over a timid writer even if they both are struggling
to grow an understanding of lyric Romantic verse.
Has the time arisen when we must sacrifice the foundational handclasp? At
present, we are all busy social distancing ourselves to inhibit the spread of a deadly
viral outbreak. Will we ever shake hands again? The sign below is posted on every
door of my office building. When I talk to colleagues from around the country, I hear
of schools that are shuttered where even teachers aren’t allowed in. Personally, I
would be unable to teach if I didn’t have access to my office. That’s where I keep the
most relevant books from my personal library to share with my students (via Zoom
these days). It’s where I have a webcam and technological access to my classes. At
home, I barely have a cell phone signal, and that only occasionally.
Teachers in (and now out) of classrooms around the world heroically stand to
confront the need for calm and resourceful instruction. I’m proud of all of us, and I
want to celebrate the victories Arkansas teachers and their students are enjoying,
even in the midst of plague winds and chaos. We are still teaching. Our students are
still learning. We will persevere and succeed.
This newsletter stands as a tribute to our collective accomplishments. My
student staff presents the front-page letter, another student offers a picture of her
niece as an early reader, and Grover Welch shares his challenges connecting with
students through AMI. Adam Clemons checks in with encouragement to foster critical
thinking skills in all our lessons, and he gives us some direct
and free resources to help in this cause. An instructor of
foundational courses for educators provides us with a review
of a book destined to become a classic for inspiring children.
We have an interview with Sharon Coote, an active advocate
for literacy in Arkansas, and also a report from a course in
teaching Holocaust studies. Our Global Perspective is a
bilingual message on bilingualism from a recent graduate
and future educator.
There are numerous reasons to celebrate the
achievements of Arkansas ELA teachers as the schoolyear
draws to its close. Maybe we didn’t get everything done we
intended, but do we ever—really? Let’s focus on our victories
and give one another a friendly wave! We’ll shake hands
again soon.

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 by Grover Welch, Newport Special Schools—High School

In the eighties I was a Transformer guy. I loved comic books, cartoons, and
Transformers. In 1986 those mighty robots walked onto the big screen in an
animated movie that was equal parts awesome and amazing.
I loved watching that and loved the soundtrack, especially Stan Buck’s
“The Touch.” This song seems so antithetical in the COVID-19-informed present,
but actually I find it encouraging. I have a very Social-Emotional approach to
teaching. I talk up my students, encourage,
and do as much as I can to raise them up.
However, in today’s environment that
has been greatly affected. At first I was
stunned that I may not see again the kids I
have worked with all year. Then, I began
working to maintain those relationships
outside of school.
I developed three needs areas and
four approaches that seem to be working.
The three needs areas as I see are
Encouragement, Security, and Support.
These each have individual roles in the
students’ lives currently.
Encouraging students to read and
complete AMI work is a chore. I try to film
two conversational videos a day. These videos do have instruction in them but
are not solely designed to teach. I try to let them know how I am feeling, dealing,
and growing. My most recent video was simple enough, “Hey guys. I hope you are
doing well. I have had a hard time sitting back during this time and staying
home. You all know that I am in my environment in my classroom teaching you
guys face to face.” I am giving the kids that introduction and then something
personal about how I feel. My hopes are that this spurs them to feel they can
share their feelings too. I don't want my kids sitting at home in an environment
with educational and emotional limitations and thinking I do not have their back.
Security is vital to students who are trying to learn. I am trying hard to
assure my students that they are learning, are gaining ground, and are going to
be able to come back as successful sophomores. Remember, our students count
on the rigor of the school schedule and systems to give them security in their

3
lives. The schedules that govern every day of 180 days of their year become
supports for safety. Kids will complain at school, whine not to come, and even
skip school, but without school as a focus for their resistance, they may feel lost.
They always know the structures that keep them safe, even if at times they do
not enjoy those structures.
I encourage students to email me with questions and try to answer each
email. I answer a lot of content questions but also am blessed to be able to
answer other life questions as well. This support allows the
kids to continue to grow, and it allows me to continue to
encourage their SEL growth. Socially and emotionally I
want to give students an understanding they still have a
connection to me every day. The email format does not lend
itself to long chats, but we are able to carry on
conversations of a sort.
In asynchronous environments, access to students
is limited. In our virtual interactions, I have developed four
approaches that I am using. Two are technological. I am
currently emailing all students daily. These emails contain information on how to
proceed with learning, where and what the school needs to get out to them, and
often a little anecdote about what I am doing. Sharing my own struggles during
this time allows students to feel less anxious about their situations. They know
other people are going through very similar things.
Thanks to smartphones and computers, keeping in touch has never been
easier. These days, your average person has access to a slough of messaging
options, from the humble text message or voice call to online messaging apps like
WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger. Simple text and voice can only take you so
far, though, and it’s nice to be able to see your students while you’re talking to
them. Yes, there’s no real replacement for face-to-face time, but video calling can
really take the edge off not seeing your students. Video chatting is immensely
popular, however, some districts recommend against it. Therefore, I do videos on
all types of things like walkthroughs of assignments and additional material. Our
school posts such videos on the school site where students can find them.
Outside the technological realm, I have been sending cards to students
with encouragement on them and looking for opportunities to see them in the
community. I try to talk to any I see at
Walmart or during delivering student meals,
being sure to maintain a six-foot social
distance.
If you’re finding it hard to work in the
current world of homeschool, remember the
Transformers. As teachers it is our touching
the students’ lives that leave the deepest
impact, and they come to rely upon us. So find
your way to signal, “I’ve Got the Touch” and
keep our kids wrapped safely in our
metaphorical arms.

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 Predictably, readers are navigating to our web presence from even more
locations. Some of these may be old friends who are self-isolating in new
places, and others are, no doubt, new readers finding us for a first look. We
welcome you all! Over two dozen points of light added to our map in March
indicate readers in the following new spots: Elizabeth and Westfield, NJ; East
Aurora, NY; Burnet, TX; Mount Pleasant and Johns Island, SC; Farmington,
UT; Skokie, IL; Harrisburg, SD; Andalusia, AL; Irvine, CA; Saginaw, MI;
Brookfield, WI; Cambridge, Gunnislake, Hartlepool, Carnforth, Trowbridge,
and Shanklin, United Kingdom; Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Seoul, Republic
of Korea; and Camden, Maumelle, Harrison, White Hall, Heber Springs, and
Charleston, Arkansas. We invite you to share our newsletter with all the
literacy enthusiasts you know and look forward to replying
to your online comments.
 Dr Kay Walter took part in a webinar sponsored by
Echoes & Reflections, “Who Will Write Our History?” A
Special Conversation with Director Roberta Grossman.
 Student Editorial Assistant from The English Pub office,
Emily Jackson, graduates next month and takes her place
among the ranks of Arkansas public school ELA teachers.
ACTELA salutes your accomplishment and wishes you a
long and prosperous career.
 During the final days of face-to-face instruction, I asked
my freshman composition class to suggest a list of words
they connected with John Ruskin. Here are their
responses:

5
 When we reviewed the list
in a Zoom meeting, my
students noticed that
these qualities are exactly
what we all need most
right now. During this
time of global upheaval,
perhaps we would do well
to reread some Ruskin.
 The editorial staff at
The English Pub offers
sincere thanks to our
readers for following
current guidelines to stay
home. Our map tells us
that you are in and busy
reading!
 UCA is proud to announce their fall 2019 ELA graduates. Jessica Stratton
and Haley Chancellor graduated in December 2019. Jessica is a 7th grade
ELA teacher in Bryant Public Schools. We know you are both doing great
things and can’t wait to hear about them in articles for our newsletter.
Write soon!
 We also congratulate the following spring 2020 ELA graduates from UCA:
Brooke Moorehead, Kenzi Brenton, Haley Murray, Catherine Ziller, and
Martha Pearce. ACTELA wishes you all a successful teaching career.

Basic membership in
ACTELA begins at $20.
Student discounts and
lifetime memberships
are also available here. WHAT A BARGAIN!

6
 Spring
So far the NCTE convention is still on for
2020! Please check often for updates. We
look forward to seeing you there.

¡Confluencia!
Songs of Ourselves
Many educators have had to make big
changes in their classrooms since the
start of the COVID-19 outbreak. Click
here to find online resources for your
students and family.

If you are active on Twitter, use the

April 2020
hashtag #NCTE20 to find constant NCTE
updates and even talk to other NCTE
members!

Say thank you to teachers for all the hard work they
have put in during this time of uncertainty and during
every other day of the year. May 4-8 is Teacher
Appreciation Week.

NCTE Connections will be under construction for the

next few weeks and unreachable. April 30 at 6:00 p.m.
ET the site will go down. Please remember this when
looking for information.

7
Readers and Writers

Regular readers of The English Pub will recall the recent article by
Joy Holmes in the November 2019 issue telling us about the literacy
instruction of an early reader, Courage Holmes. His mother offers this
photo of the newest reader in the household, his sister Victory
Holmes. We look forward to many more photos of the reading
adventures of these two as they grow into Arkansas scholars.

8
 Leighla Harrell, who is three years old, is a student at Head of the
Class Preschool. Leighla loves to read and is pictured here enjoy-
ing a book at her local library. Thanks to her mother, Constance
Williams, and her aunt, Jikayla Goins, for sharing her photos with
us and for encouraging Leighla to pursue her early love of books.

A Message to Garcia
Are you familiar with the book that propelled Elbert Hubbard to international fame?
It was once among the top 3 bestselling books, surpassed only by The Bible and the
dictionary. Today it remains in the top 30 bestselling books and is a remarkable story.

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 Arkansas Anthology
The deadline for submissions hit the same week
that schools closed, and that’s typically the
week most submissions come through, so the
Arkansas Anthology this year will be a lighter
issue. Publication will happen sometime in the
next couple of weeks.

AEJ 2020
Due to the recent social distancing and remote-learning guidance
due to COVID-19, the review staff from the Arkansas English
Journal has extended the deadline for submissions to June 15,
2020. This gives writers additional time to reflect upon the ways
that they have monitored and adjusted instruction to best make
their content equally accessible to all students. If nothing else, this
pandemic has shone a light upon the disparities our students face
regarding digital devices, access to resources and materials, and
support systems at home. It would be wonderful if teachers
across the state would summit reflections on how they faced this
crisis and how their students were supported.

10
 Read any
social
distance
good books
lately?

Think on These Things

By the time I met Adam Clemons, he was already a
successful student studying French to complete his
Bachelor of Arts degree in History. I take full
responsibility for his addition of an English major to his
program of study. His earnest devotion to learning and his
enthusiastic response to my stories of European travel
persuaded me to undertake an initial journey abroad with
students. All the journeys I’ve made since then with
students are due to the success of that first trip.
In the years that have passed Adam has completed
three graduate degrees, mastered other languages, and
made many international journeys of his own. He has
worked in any number of libraries around the country,
including at UC Berkeley.
When he last wrote for The English Pub in October
2015, he told us of his adventures working in the West
African Research Center in Dakar, Senegal. At present he
works in the library at University of Mississippi, and he
shares with us his ideas about helping students learn to use
critical thinking skills in his article on page 12.

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 by Adam Clemons
Research and Instruction Librarian and
Associate Professor, University of Mississippi

In a world rife with “fake news” and “alternative facts” and an endless supply
of information told from every imaginable angle, teaching our students at all
levels to think deeply and critically about complex topics is more important
than ever. Developing critical thinking skills inside the classroom will surely
pay dividends outside of it as students engage with an onslaught of slanted
information on a daily basis, well after their time in a classroom has come to
an end. With this in mind, I will devote the rest of this essay to defining what
it means to critically think and why it is so important, describing how I
incorporate critical thinking exercises into my research methodology
instruction sessions at the college level and how you can easily do the same
with your high school students, no matter which career path they take.
Signaling the importance of critical thinking, the University of
Mississippi, where I am a Research and Instruction Librarian and Assistant
Professor, launched “Thinkforward,” the University’s Quality Enhancement
Plan (QEP) in February of 2019. At the center of the five-year plan is a
university-wide goal to foster critical thinking skill development among lower
division, general education students.
According to the QEP, critical thinking
“involves thinking about complex
problems, gathering and evaluating
information, comparing alternative
conclusions, and communicating a
conclusion.” To achieve this goal, the
University is investing in resources to
help faculty and professional staff more
effectively teach critical thinking skills.
As a librarian, part of my
professional responsibility is to teach
first year students how to navigate the
wide-open world of information for
research purposes, so shifting some of

12
my focus to teaching critical thinking skills has been largely seamless. The
key is, as I have learned, all about engagement. Regular library instruction
requires creative thinking to keep college students engaged. A step-by-step
overview of the library website, strategies for developing search keywords
and phrases, and demoing a few relevant academic databases are not among
the most exciting topics unless you, the student, have a research paper
deadline looming. That research paper assignment is the engagement tool,
so it’s a bit easier. But keeping students engaged during critical thinking
skill building exercises that may not have obvious and immediate payoff is a
little trickier.
One solution I have found to be effective is to incorporate critical
thinking exercises into the larger lessons on research strategy. For starters,
it fits nicely within one of the cornerstones of research methodology
instruction, critically evaluating information. Taking that a step further,
critical thinking exercises often lend themselves nicely to hot topics and
current events, something many students will
already know a little (or a lot) about. Package all
of this into a critical-thinking-themed hands-on
exercise and students will inevitably find
themselves participating and asking questions,
the tell-tale sign of engagement.
Here’s an example of a critical thinking
exercise I did with a colleague of mine for a First
Year Writing course. Students are given the
following prompt:

Consider the quotation from Martin

Luther King, Jr., “The arc of the moral universe is long,
but it bends towards justice.” Do you think history
inevitably moves toward improving peoples’ lives? Why
or why not? Take a position and write an essay
answering that question. Be sure to use examples to
back up your claims.

After a short class discussion on the initial prompt, students were

given a second prompt:

Write an argument that takes a different, even opposite,

position to your previous stance. Be sure to use
examples to back up your claims.

Asking the students to turn their initial argument on its head to

consider the opposite side is an effective way to have students critically
engage and think about a topic.
During my visit with the class, we took the exercise one step further

13
by asking students to think about where they would go to find data to
support their argument that history inevitably does or does not move toward
improving peoples’ lives. This forced them to consider even further what
types of indicators would support their arguments. Some common examples
included infant mortality rates and education levels across a number of
different variables including gender and ethnicity. In order to find data to
incorporate into their arguments, I demoed the academic database, Statista,
which makes available market and public opinion polling data as well as
government data from around the world. Students then used Statista to find
data that supported their arguments.
As you can no doubt tell, this complex exercise was carried out over
several class periods. Also, as a librarian, I typically only meet with a class
once during the semester for the research methodology session. So, suffice it
to say that this is a non-typical example but I’ve included it here because I
think it adequately illustrates an approach that challenges students by
asking them to answer a seemingly straightforward question, consider the
alternative argument, and then find data to back up their claims. These are
useful skills to complete assignments in the writing course, for sure, but
these are also useful skills which transcend the classroom environment and
are broadly applicable in their lives.
But there are other, less time-intensive ways to achieve critical
thinking goals in the classroom. For example, in almost all classes I meet
with throughout the semester, I like to spend some time discussing the
importance of evaluating information. This skill is one of the fundamentals
of sound research. But, instead of asking students to evaluate an academic
journal article or scholarly book, I ask them to go to the news aggregator
Google News and find information about a topic that interests them. Instead
of focusing on the titles of each news article on the results page, I ask them
to focus on the source, i.e. who is producing the information, what is known
about the organization or entity, and what sort of agenda might they have?
The goal here is to encourage students
to question the sources first before
considering the information therein.
Afterall, in most cases, the titles of
news articles are designed to capture
your attention and encourage a click
(otherwise known as click-bait) without
considering the neutrality, or lack
thereof, of the source.
I often follow this up with a
conversation about evaluating sources.
I like to use the Media Bias Chart from
AllSides, an aggregator of news
sources with balanced, diverse
perspectives, as a starting point:

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This chart is a great tool to encourage students to consider the presence of
bias in all news sources. In fact, the creator of this chart, AllSides is a great
resource for teaching the importance of considering multiple perspectives on
a single story. For example, the site’s Balanced Search feature allows
students to view results from the right, center, and left of the political
spectrum, as defined in the chart above. Depending on the topic, this is a
really good way to see how different news outlets portray current events.
Once again, these are skills that transcend the classroom.
Perhaps the best part about AllSides is that it is completely free to use.
Whether you have an entire class period or only a few minutes to devote to
critical thinking exercises in your classroom, AllSides is a great resource to
teach your students the importance of thinking deeply and critically about
information. The Media Bias Chart often stokes conversations about news
sources and the Balanced Search feature shines a bright light on media bias
from all sides. If you teach your students these skills now, they will be better
prepared as first year college students (if they choose that route) and better-
informed global citizens.

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 Manjhi Moves a Mountain
Author: Nancy Churnin
Illustrator: Danny Popovici
Publisher: Creston Books, LLC
Publication date: 2017

Manjhi Moves a Mountain is centered on the actual life story of Dashrath Manjhi.
He sought to make life better for everyone in his village situated deep in the heart
of India. Using only a chisel and a hammer over a duration of twenty-two years,
Dashrath whittled a path through a mountain separating his economically poor
village from a village that flourished with jobs, food, schooling, and a hospital.
This amazingly true, vibrant, and easy-to-read tale shows that one strong-
minded individual can make a difference if the heart is big enough. It is a
brilliant reminder that the inspiration of one persistent person can alter the
world and bring communities together. It challenges readers to ponder what
mountains they can move to improve their communities. It also offers links
(crestonbooks.co and nancychurnin.com) to a curriculum guide which provides
insight into what others are doing and how readers can share their own
encounters. This book is likely to motivate many readers never to give up on
accomplishing what they dream and to trust that with tenacity and
determination they too can move mountains, even if it takes several years.
Thank you to the author, Nancy Churnin, illustrator, Danny Popovic, and
publisher, Creston Books, for providing respected insight into another culture in
a manner that encourages patience and cultural mindfulness. This wonderful
book for classrooms of students ages five and up can be used in so many ways!
This review is provided by Dr Denise Baldwin, School of Education, UAM.

A trailer for the movie, Manjhi: The

Mountain Man, with English subtitles is
available from YouTube here.

16
 Community Involvement in
Literacy
Interview with Sharon Coote:
Teacher, Director, Preacher, and Author
By Braden Taylor, UAM

You have been a literacy enthusiast through many endeavors for many
years. What gives you faith in the power of language?
I think being quarantined because of Covid-19 most of us have seen the power of language. We can
no longer communicate with a hug or smile. We can’t rely on non-verbal language. We must call a
friend or write a family member. Without language where would we be now? We watch TV; we
read books. I listen to books on my walks. Without language enduring this exceptional time would be
hell. With language it’s really not so bad. I can explore new recipes, catch up with old friends and
students, and read to my heart’s content. Without language I couldn’t do any of that. All forms of
language, oral or written, make our lives easier, richer.

Did you have a favorite teacher, and what was the most important lesson
you learned from him or her?
I had a lot of wonderful teachers, I must say. My mother, who was not a teacher in a school system,
was always teaching me something. In my family, we all have great grammar skills because my
mother was a stickler for good grammar. But as far as a great schoolteacher, I had a great senior
English teacher. My senior English teacher was very stern and very standoffish, so what I really
liked was that she was also my homeroom teacher. During my sophomore year, I walked into
homeroom one morning, and there was a book on my desk. It was an old, old book called Lorna
Doone. It was considered a classic, I think. I held it up to Miss Barnes, and she just gave me her

17
 stern look and mouthed the words, “Just read it.” She took the time to put it on my desk, so I took it
home and I loved it. I brought it back and put it on her desk. The next day there was another book
on my desk. That went on for three years. She pretty much directed everything I read. She never
asked a question about a book. She never asked if I liked it. She just continued to pick the books I was
reading. That’s not to say I wasn’t reading anything else, but what she gave me I read. We had a
great relationship, and other than answering questions in class, we never spoke. Because she made that
extra effort to find books she thought I would like to read, I would call her my favorite teacher.

Tell us about your own experiences as a classroom teacher.

First of all, I loved it! I loved every day I went to school. Ironically I never
wanted to be a teacher; my mother made me become a teacher. She told me I
could be anything else in the world, but I must also be a teacher. The first day I
walked in to do my student teaching, I got there early. The first class was at eight
then after that was homeroom. The supervising teacher was not there. I waited
outside the room and waited, and at 8:20 he still was not there. So I walked into
the class and introduced myself and asked to see their literature book. It happened
to be the one I had in school, so we turned to a page I knew and I began. I was
stopped when a student said “We’ve already done that story,” and I said “You
haven’t done it with me. You’ve already read it, so this should be great. Let’s
Sharon Coote poses for chat.” And I did. The supervising teacher came in ten minutes before nine with a
her yearbook photo as a paper under his arm and coffee cup in his hand and said, “You’re doing fine,
school teacher ca. 1985. carry on.” I went home that day and hugged my mother because I knew that day
that teaching was what I wanted to do. From the beginning I loved it.

What teaching opportunities have you had outside traditional classrooms?

In what other places have you been able to support English and Language
Arts instruction?
Well, because I started and ran a summer theatre for 27 years, I feel like I was always teaching
language arts. Even the musicals I staged had a lot of words that are not used too often. The words
the actors do not know, they should probably look them up. But seven out of ten times they will not.
So, you as the director have to know what those words mean and why they are used. You teach these
words, and the actors are learning. This comes up a lot when directing Shakespeare, seeing how a line
related to a character, location, or tone. Also, I am a mother. I have three sons, so I teach all the
time. As a parent you teach a child how to read out loud. I was a preacher, a swimming instructor, a
theatrical director. I guess I am always teaching.

18
Why is it important for students of all ages to play with language, and can
you give some examples of activities parents can use to show students the
power of words while they are learning at home?
We would play all kinds of board games such as Scrabble. Reading aloud to one another is a great
activity. I do think the most important thing parents can do with their children is read. If children
cannot read, they will be lost for life. The first thing a parent can do to improve their children’s lives is
to help them to read. Help them read to you. Take them to the library, the physical act of going and
getting reading material shows them how important it is. I also think it is good to write. The act of
writing a thank-you note is wonderful and not enough people do it anymore.

You have travelled around the world. What is your favorite memory of
finding a communication connection in an unexpected place?
One evening in Verona we were at a restaurant at an outside table. I had worked on my Italian
before we left but I still didn’t know too much, only a few things like “bill” or “table.” The waiter did
not speak any English. Fortunately, the couple at the table next to us. She was Romanian and he
was German, the man spoke English and Italian. He asked if he could help and I was very happy to
say “Yes, please.” I asked him to ask the waiter to make a suggestion, and the waiter gave an option.
I did not want that for dinner because I didn’t know what it was, but the waiter insisted and the man
who was translating said “The waiter says you’ll like it and if you don’t he’ll bring you something
else.” It was Roman Egg Drop Soup, and it was delicious.

Will you continue to travel

and communicate with
new people, or has the
recent pandemic changed
your view of the future?
Why is continuing to
connect important to our
humanity?
Well, we were scheduled to
leave for a week in southern
France and three more weeks
in northern Italy in early
April, but of course that has
been put off. And, yes, we

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 plan to keep traveling. Travel is just too exciting to stop, and
we are at an age where we don’t know how many more years
of European travel we have in us. I think we can fit in a few
more countries and meet new people. I never thought that
wasn’t an option. I think after this pandemic is over people
will want to reconnect. We just can’t turn our backs on one
another. I think we have all seen the value of helping one
another in this situation. That is one of the good things about
this pandemic. We have learned that we do have people who Shari Coote (front left) tours
care about us. windmills on Mykonos, 2019.

What book did you love

most as a child, and how
did you find it?
There was a book called Peter
and Prue. It was about kids
who had fantastic journeys.
We lived in a duplex, and our
elderly neighbors gave it to me
when I was two. It is probably
not in print anymore. As a
young reader I lovedJohnny
Tremain, a Newberry Award
winner. The winners are for kids’ books on all topics. All the Newberry Award books are good reads.

Who is your favorite author now and why?

John Steinbeck is my favorite author, and The Grapes of Wrath is my favorite book of all time and
has been for a long time. Books just put you in a different world and make you think about so much.
The Grapes of Wrath just wears you out. It make you laugh and cry, and it teaches us so much
about our country during an awful time. My favorite nonfiction writer is David McCullough. I love
his book, John Adams. Another nonfiction favorite is Undaunted Courage by Stephen Ambrose.
What advice do you have for ELA teachers in Arkansas who are struggling
to help their students continue to learn and grow through the end of our
school year?
I am not sure because I have never taught online, but I think it is more important than ever to keep

20
in touch. One of my favorite things to do when I was teaching was to send a postcard to my students’
parents. Even now I have students contacting me and telling me they found my postcards all these
years later. So it is really important not only to stay in touch with students, but it is just as important
to stay in touch with their parents. Maybe at the bottom of an email or personal phone call,
recommend a book both the student and parent could read together. Invite the parent to join the
conversation about what the student is reading. I do think it is important to have parents in a child’s
education. I think many teachers miss out on this. It is important to be aware of the kids outside of the
classroom. Know what they are doing in their extracurricular lives. I am not sure how to keep up
with that because of the virus, but I know that supporting and encouraging students is super
important.

Sharon Coote in Bern—giving Einstein hairstyling tips, 2018.

The most important

thing parents can do
with their children is
READ.

21
 Learning about
Teaching the
Holocaust
by Dr Kay Walter, UAM

In March, in the middle of the virus onset, conferences I had planned to attend
began cancelling. Papers I’d workshopped with friends were put on hold, and
opportunities to reconnect with colleagues and reinvigorate my inspiration to
teach evaporated. It was about that time that I remembered the Echoes &
Reflections organization I’d learned about at an NCTE convention. I’m always
shy about undertaking new adventures alone, so I talked it over with a friend
who teaches mathematics and together we embarked on an April training course
in Teaching the Holocaust: Empowering Students.
I know quite a bit about the British Civil War and Victorian cultural shifts,
but I know embarrassingly zip about 20th century history, so I had a lot to learn.
I’d never puzzled over the meaning of the term “antisemitism” before. I didn’t
realize that Jews weren’t allowed to be teachers. I wasn’t aware that a vast
archive of firsthand records and artifacts is available to those who incorporate
Holocaust studies in their classroom curriculum.
In this course designed primarily for middle and high school teachers, I
was able to identify the connections I need to make in my university classes—to
Shakespeare plays, to William Blake’s Romantic poetry, and to John Ruskin’s
declarations that architecture tells the story of a culture if we read it with care
and attention.
I learned about “bystanders” and
“liberators” and the importance of defining
such terms for students who are
investigating Holocaust history for what
may be their first encounter. I made note
of the Glossary of terms Echoes &
Reflections provides. I dove into the vast
video archive and watched Paul Parks tell
his story about meeting a woman who
remembered him and his kindness from
when she was a little girl in Dachau
concentration camp and he was a soldier

22
in uniform come to save her. His words, quoting hers, “I know you by your eyes”
still ring in my soul as testimony of the importance of showing compassion to
every child we encounter.
I learned about the Kindertransport that saved Jewish children by tearing
families apart. I found a ready link to the Geneva Declaration of the Rights of the
Child. I examined the Pedagogical Principles for Effective Holocaust Instruction
and considered their insistence that teachers Use Primary Source Materials,
Encourage Inquiry-Based Learning and Critical Thinking, and Foster Empathy.
These sound pedagogical approaches adapt readily to all that ELA teachers in
Arkansas attempt in our classrooms, so the effectiveness of this direction rings
true.
I took part in these webcasts: “`Who Will Write Our History?’: A Special
Conversation with Director Roberta Grossman,” “Mindful Exploration: Resilience
in Times of Change,” and “Echoes of Night:
Personal Reflections from Elie Wiesel’s Student.”
I connected with IWitness, part of the USC
Shoah Foundation, and learned to create
assignments there enabling students to access a
wealth of video testimonials recording the
accounts of witnesses.
There was no way to plumb the vast
extent of free resources available to teachers in
the three weeks I had, particularly as one of
them was spent dodging tornadoes and without electricity and the other two
were spent navigating my students’ transition to online learning and modifying
and implementing my formula for assessing their performance. Final grades,
after all, were due before the work for my course was complete. Nevertheless, I
got a glimpse of the possibilities, and I have the summer before me.
I made note of the upcoming webcast Sherry Bard will offer on July 1st,
“Creating Context for Teaching Night” and have bookmarked the link to other
upcoming webcasts sponsored by Echoes & Reflections. Whether we directly
teach Holocaust studies in our curriculum or not, developing a sensitivity to the
topic and a sympathetic means of introducing it to students is essential to
helping them understand the importance of an empathetic response to the world
they live in.
The information I gleaned from my participation in the course has
implications in my own classrooms as I teach research skills, composition, world
literature, Shakespeare, and other courses. It will help me discuss the
importance of developing communication skills and the responsibilities that
come with education. It will help me explore with my students the importance of
recognizing and defending the humanity of every child. It will enable me to share
with them the power of voice that a treasury of records and primary documents
provides, and it will highlight the wonder of memory.
ELA classrooms in Arkansas, or their virtual cousins, can feel a world
away from the gritty realities of concentration camps in World War II Eastern
Europe, but we have local the relics of Japanese internment camps in Jerome to
remind us and reason enough to thank God the outcomes of those moments in
Arkansas history differed from those of the Jews during the Holocaust.

23
Global Perspective
El bilingüismo en el aula
de ingles/Bilingualism in
the English Classroom: A
Bilingual Reflection
by Ana Rodriguez-Mesa

Las preguntas frecuentes sobre los Frequently asked questions about

estudiantes bilingües son casi todas bilingual students are almost all the
iguales: ¿Benéfica o daña ser bilingüe same: Is it beneficial or harmful
cuando la materia escolar es totalmente being a bilingual student when
en inglés? ¿Como afecta el aprendizaje school lessons are taught entirely in
inglés sabiendo otro idioma? ¿Qué es lo English? How does knowing another
que las escuelas están haciendo para language affect English learning?
ayudar estudiantes viviendo en hogares What are schools doing to assist
bilingües? Estas preguntas son mejor students living in bilingual homes?
contestadas preguntándole a los These questions are best answered
estudiantes mismos. Viniendo de una by asking these students themselves.
familia bilingüe, averigüé con dos Coming from a bilingual home, I
estudiantes que corrientemente son found answers from two bilingual
estudiantes bilingües en el sistema students currently enrolled in
escolar público de Arkansas: mis Arkansas’ public school system: my
hermanos. siblings.
Ser estudiante bilingüe, con apoyo Being a bilingual student, with
de la familia y especialmente con apoyo
escolar, puede ser una experiencia muy
fructífero y duradero. Para mis
hermanos, el apoyo que recibieron de
sus maestras y escuelas fue lo que
realmente allanó el camino para una
exitosa experiencia educativa bilingüe.
Con el crecimiento rápido de
estudiantes bilingües en Arkansas, el
estado ha lanzado programas educativos
como Inglés para Hablantes de otro
Lenguaje (ESOL) que son dirigidos a
asistir estudiantes bilingües con el

24
aprender escolar. Estos programas familial support and especially
trabajan para proporcionar muchos with scholarly support, can be a
recursos y servicios para ayudar a las very fruitful and enriching
escuelas en sus esfuerzos por apoyar experience. For my siblings, the
a los estudiantes en el desarrollo de support they received from their
las habilidades necesarias para teachers and schools was what
comunicarse efectivamente en inglés really paved the way for a
tanto dentro como fuera de la successful, bilingual educational
escuela. Otros recursos que las experience. With the rapid increase
escuelas proporcionan incluyen of bilingual students in Arkansas,
intérpretes y traductores que asisten the state has launched educational
a las familias de estos estudiantes programs such as English for
entender lo que ocurre en la vida Speakers of Other Languages
escolar de sus hijos. (ESOL) that are aimed at assisting
Lo más interesante de estos bilingual students with academic
estudiantes bilingües es como las learning. These programs work to
lecciones en las clases de inglés
afectan la vida en sus hogares. Desde
la primaria, las lecciones en el idioma
ingles son muy importantes en crear
una distinción entre su idioma nativo
y su idioma secundario porque
muchas de las lecciones primarias en
inglés son específicamente para
desarrollar el lenguaje. Mis hermanos
aprendieron la diferencia entre la
palabra yellow (amarillo en inglés) y
la palabra hielo en español notando
la diferencia fonética entre las dos
palabras a través de sus ejercicios de
vocabulario. Estos son los ejercicios
que sirven para enseñar a los
alumnos como pronunciar la palabra
y a la misma ves conectarla con el
color y con sus letras
correspondientes. Aunque hielo y
yellow son muy similares para
estudiantes apenas desarrollando el
lenguaje, estas lecciones son muy
importantes en clarificar la confusión
para ellos. En esta manera, las
lecciones en clases de inglés son muy
importantes.
Kristian Rodriguez, a current
Al mismo tiempo los padres de
bilingual student, plays for
estos alumnos benefician de estas
Star City;’s Junior High
Football team.

25
lecciones primarias. Muchos padres de
estudiantes bilingües fortalecen su
comprensión de inglés o empiezan a
aprender el idioma al mismo paso que
sus hijos. Mientras mis hermanos
aprendían sus lecciones del lenguaje
inglés, mis padres también beneficiaron
de estas lecciones simplemente
ayudando a mis hermanos terminar sus
tareas o estudiar para sus exámenes.
Aunque mis hermanos son mayores y
Angela Rodriguez
celebrates El Día de La
Virgen de Guadalupe.
26
provide many resources and
services to help schools in their
efforts to support students in
developing the skills needed to
communicate effectively in
English both in and out of school.
Other resources that schools
provide include interpreters and
translators who help the families
of these students understand
what goes on in their children's
scholarly life.
The most interesting thing
about these bilingual students is
how the lessons in English
classes affect life in their homes.
Since elementary school, English
language lessons are particularly
important in creating a
distinction between a student’s
native language and their
secondary language because
many of these primary lessons
are specifically for developing
language. My siblings learned the
difference between the word
yellow and the word hielo (ice in
Spanish) by noticing the phonetic
differences between the two
words through their vocabulary
exercises. These are the exercises
that serve to teach students how
to pronounce the word and at the
same time connect it with the
color and its corresponding
letters. Although hielo and yellow
sound nearly identical for
students just developing
language, these lessons help
clarify any confusion for them. In
this way, lessons in English
classes are especially important.
At the same time, the
parents of English language
learners benefit from these
 Rodriguez
sisters,
Angela (l)
and Abagail
(r), enjoyed
a visit to the
Little Rock
Zoo before
the viral
outbreak.
matriculados en la secundaria, las
lecciones en ingles todavía conectan con
su bilingüismo, pero en una manera
diferente. Ahora el foco está en
entendiendo la etimología de las
palabras que tienen origen en español. A
medida que su vocabulario crece, esta
habilidad es muy importante
especialmente estudiando literatura en
un ambiente de secundaria. Muchas
veces mis hermanas se encuentran
estudiando literatura minoritaria que
incluye palabras en español que
conocen y entienden. Sin duda, esto los
ayudará incluso en sus futuros
esfuerzos académicos.
La vida bilingüe es la realidad
para un grande porcentaje de los
estudiantes en Arkansas. La diversidad
de Arkansas sola va creciendo y
entendiendo como las lecciones en ingles
afectan la vida bilingüe de estos
estudiantes es importante para seguir
asistiéndolos a tener una experiencia
productiva sin ninguna confusión.
También es importante que nuestras
escuelas sigan apoyando a estos
estudiantes con recursos necesarios
para asistirlos a ellos y a sus familias
con las barreras de idioma.
27
primary lessons. Many parents of
bilingual students strengthen
their understandings of English or
start learning the language at the
same pace as their children. While
my siblings learned their English
language lessons, my parents also
benefited from these lessons
simply by helping my siblings
finish their homework or study for
their exams. Although my siblings
are older and enrolled in high
school, English lessons still
connect with their bilingualism,
but in a different way. Now, the
focus is on understanding the
etymology of words originating in
Spanish. As their vocabulary
grows, this skill is especially
important in studying literature in
a high school setting. Many times,
my siblings find themselves
studying minority literature that
includes Spanish words they
know and understand. No doubt
this will help them even in their
future academic efforts.
Bilingual life is the reality
for many students in Arkansas.
The diversity of Arkansas
continues to grow and
understanding how lessons in
English affect the bilingual life of
these students is important in
continuing to assist them to have
a productive experience without
any confusion. It is also important
that our schools continue to
support these students with the
resources needed to assist them
and their families with language
barriers.
Blackwell’s in Oxford, England is the
largest bookstore in the world. They
have developed this Book Quiz to
help entertain Book Lovers like us
who are safe at home self-isolating.
Alternatively, here are language arts games
to help us occupy our younger readers.

Email Contacts for Ideas and Input

Membership jeffw@uca.edu

Newsletter walter@uamont.edu

Anthology Submissions ARAnthology@gmail.com

Teacher Initiative sunnyf@uca.edu

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