Dear AMTESOL Members,

The Year of the Rabbit is nearing its end, and it was anything but warm and cuddly.  Snow and storms filled 2011 since we were together, and I want to say how good it was to see so many people come together to help each other.   

I want to reflect briefly on our last annual meeting, which was held at the tail end of the Year of the Tiger.  Almost 300 of us gathered in the Loveliest Village on the Plains to teach and learn from each other for AMTESOL 2011.  The Pre-conference workshops' attendance was greater than expected, and teachers from seven states and several different countries attended the entire conference.  In the next few weeks, we will all catch up with each other and the latest in local TESOL issues at AMTESOL 2012 in Oxford, Mississippi, on January 27-28.    

If you are looking for an opportunity for more great networking and learning in 2012, the Year of the Dragon, plan on attending the 2012 SETESOL Regional Conference.  Tennessee TESOL will host “Connecting and Reflecting, September 27-29, 2012, in Knoxville, TN.  The deadline to submit proposals is April 30, 2012. 

For even more professional development experiences for next year, why not attend the international TESOL 2012 conference?  The 46th Annual TESOL Convention and Exhibit will be March 29-31, 2012 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Closer to home, there are several opportunities to contribute to your local community and to our organization by getting involved with AMTESOL as a member of the executive board, as a contributor to our newsletter, or by participating in our conferences as a presenter or a host of the conference. 

Sincerely,

Mary S. Diamond
2011 AMTESOL President