Why Attend

Why Attend #NCTE23?

• NCTE’s Annual Convention is the premier professional learning experience for the English language arts community. By attending, you’ll engage with and have access to the newest innovations and research, the brightest thinkers in ELA, hundreds of authors and illustrators, and the most robust networking available anywhere in the field.

• Customize your learning: Within the more than 600 concurrent sessions in total, there are strands of programming dedicated to specific levels from preK through college. You can attend the sessions that are most relevant to your development, aligned to the topics and issues that are most pressing to your professional setting or teaching level.

• Bring the learning back: Develop bonds that lead to sustained professional learning groups in your school and across digital networks to embrace and implement the ideas gained during #NCTE23.

• Get credit for your learning: Check with your school or district to see if participation in the 2023 Annual Convention will count toward your recertification or continuing education credits. NCTE offers credit by partnering with an accredited university. Learn more by emailing the instructor on record.

How to Attend?

Directly ask your supervisor or administrator for funding/reimbursement by following these best practices:

Informally inquire about the possibility. Example: NCTE’s Annual Convention happens this November; it’s the premier professional learning opportunity available for ELA educators. You can learn more about it on this website: convention.ncte.org. Attending is a way for me to meet leading teacher voices, research scholars, and authors to continue my growth in service of students and literacy. Can we find funds to support this important experience for me?

State your case formally and intentionally. Example: Use template. A best practice is to lift up the anticipated impact that attending will have on your practice and that of your colleagues (by presenting back to them key takeaways from the professional learning upon returning), and therefore, on student achievement.

• If not approved for full funding/reimbursement, propose partial support. Example: I understand the reasons for why fully funding this opportunity is not possible. Would you consider partially funding this PD for me so that I may still be able to attend?
• Ask if COVID-19 funding, i.e., ESSER funding, has increased the allocation toward professional learning in your department. Example: I know that ESSER funds, as the result of COVID-19, can be used for professional development and must be used by this fall. Has the allotment for our department changed as the result of these funds?

Plan your budget. You can get a very clear picture of exactly how much this event will cost by looking at the Registration and Hotel & Travel pages of the website.

NCTE Convention Scholarship opportunities are also available; September 5, 2023, is the application deadline.

Get creative and use crowdfunding sources to cover registration. The support for getting teachers the professional learning and experiences they deserve is out there—make public your wish to attend and explicitly state your need(s).

Experience #NCTE23!

Below you’ll find section tracks to help guide your experience at NCTE’s Annual Convention in Columbus, Ohio, this November.

Teachers of our younger students will find plenty to explore at #NCTE23.

From incredible authors and illustrators to the leading experts and innovators in our field, every hour is packed with sessions designed just for elementary teachers. There is also an Early Childhood Education strand focused on teaching and advocating for preschool and early elementary-age children. Learn more.

There is so much happening in the Middle Level Section at NCTE.

From Section-specific events to a thoughtfully chosen program, you’ll notice an energized focus on crafting sessions that speak to the complexities of teaching students in the middle grades and bringing leading authors and educators to the podium. Discover new ideas, new tools, and new friends! Learn more.

NCTE’s Secondary Section has selected a program with the best professional learning you’ll ever find, plus a giant network of colleagues you’ll want to stay connected to all year long!

Whether you love teaching poetry, the Bard, critical literacy, choice reading, disciplinary writing, or some other specialty of grades 9–12, this Convention is rich with learning experiences for you. And for instructional leaders searching for the maximum learning experience, you’ll also want to join NCTE’s Conference on English Leadership (CEL) for its Annual Convention at the end of the NCTE Annual Convention. Learn more.

NCTE’s College Section represents a wide diversity of experiences, reflected by a variety of Convention offerings.

You’ll find sessions presented by members active in our English Language Arts Teachers of English (ELATE) group that address the needs of those who work in teacher education at the college level. There are also sessions pertinent to teaching English in the two-year college, assessment in composition courses, first-year writing, and current research in the field. If you teach college English, you’ll be intrigued by a range of interesting sessions on literature. There’s truly something for everyone! Learn more.