CCIRA January Newsletter 2019
January 2019!!
Click on "Inspire!" to access registration on our website!
Have you and your colleagues registered yet?

CCIRA 2019 Conference Registration is still open until January 21st. Wonderful sessions are still open!

Find our list of speakers, registration book, and registration at ccira.org   
2019 CCIRA Conference Highlights
Leslie Blauman

Teaching Real Writing Literature
Sessions 309 & 469
Shawna Coppola

Renew Your Writing Instruction

Sessions 367 & 466












Ruth Culham

Great Ideas on How to Teach Writing

Sessions 110 & 268
Rose Cappelli and Lynne Dorfman

Using Mentor Texts to Support Writing

Sessions 166 & 263
Partners in Education
at the Conference

We are lucky to partner with PEBC! Check out the PEBC sessions and presenters throughout the conference. These experts have a variety of ideas for teachers and educational leaders.
Some of these sessions include:
Sessions 101, 102, 104, 259, and 457
Tattered Cover has some great resources for teachers to use in their classroom. Sign up for their sessions and learn more about these resources.
Sessions 120 & 331
Join our InnEdCO presenters and learn more about how to integrate technology into your classroom instruction.
Sessions 321 & 415
A Message from CCIRA President
Amy Ellerman
Resolve to Make Time

Last January there was a #twowords movement trending across educational social media circles. I’m not sure where it originated—please let me know if you remember—but the idea was for teachers to share the two words that synthesized their personal or professional goals for the new year. All month the blog posts and Twitter feeds circulated, inspiring me to reflect on what my own two words for 2018 might be.

Ironically, I never was able to narrow down to just two words myself. . . confirming a larger issue I struggle with every year: so many balls in the air!

As educators, we often put our own needs after those of our students/teachers/families/communities. The urgent (but often less important) tasks are prioritized over the more important (but less urgent) work of our own professional learning and goals. The most common frustration I hear in schools is around time—the lack of it, how much of it is spent in ways that feel out of our control, and the sincere proclamation that if only we had more of it, oh, the places we could go.

So this year I am determined to make time —those are my two words. To carve out space (with great intention) for the activities, tasks, and work that has the greatest meaning and impact on my life and the lives of others. I choose to take control of my own time, to be proactive about building my schedule around that which challenges me and reflects the joy I feel for teaching and learning.

This will, of course, involve saying no to to things that are less important (not my best thing, if I’m being honest). It will also require me to advocate for the work I believe in most deeply.

Leadership in CCIRA connects directly with my beliefs around building and supporting learning communities for teachers. Professional learning and connection to fellow educators should be an essential for teachers—not a luxury. We should not feel guilty about making time to read, to attend workshops, or to interact with our PLNs (online or in real life). Annual events like the CCIRA Conference are exactly the type of experience we should make time for; we owe it to ourselves to invest in our own learning.

I would encourage fellow educators to prioritize their own needs for learning this year—to make time for those opportunities that fill them up and power them forward. Joining the community of educators at the 2019 CCIRA Conference will reinvigorate and inspire. We all deserve to be reinvigorated and inspired (and we should never feel guilty taking two days away from our classrooms to learn and grow). Our students, colleagues, and communities benefit when we stay current and continue building deep instructional expertise. There is also compelling research around the connection between teacher wellness and the social emotional wellness of our students. If being part of a vibrant and motivated community of learners fires you up and reminds you why you chose this complex and challenging profession, then you should be at the Denver Marriott Tech Center February 6-9, 2019.

On behalf of the CCIRA Executive Committee, I would like to wish everyone a very Happy New Year! Please reach out if we can support you in any way. I hope to see as many of you as possible at the 2019 CCIRA Conference in February. And I encourage you to resolve to make time for whatever matters most in your own lives. (What are your own #twowords for 2019?)

Did you enter for a gift card to use at the conference? The answer to our question was....You should be at the PPIRA Mini-Conference next October 19th, 2019!
The winners are:
Autumn Wright
Leslie Coleman

Congratulations!
We will be in touch with you both!


Another chance to win!

Answer the question below and send your response to Anne Cook at annecook59@gmail.com to win a gift certificate to use at the Conference on Literacy in February!
What does the President of CCIRA resolve to do in 2019?
New Year Teaching Tip

Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources Western Region is proud to announce the 15th annual Teacher Librarian Day on Friday, February 15th, 2019.
This year's theme is Voices . From our students to our mentors, the everlasting voices throughout each of our lives give us reason for empathy, perspective, and rational understanding of the world around us. Recognizing every voice and developing these skills in our students through primary sources as windows of the past help our communities to become more civically minded, thoughtful, and curious.
 
The morning of TLD will offer inspiring short TED-style talks focusing on innovative ways to use primary sources in the K-16 classroom. In addition, the afternoon of TLD will feature hour-long breakout sessions from a number of our speakers as well as educational partners in Colorado.
 
Act fast, there are 50 substitute reimbursement tickets left. 
 


 
CCIRA Grants and Awards
 
Visit  CCIRA t o look over the array of grants and awards CCIRA offers. Begin to think about applying for a grant or nominating a deserving educator for an award to be presented in the Spring of 2019.
 
Please join in the excitement surrounding the new CCIRA Blog! It is off to a great start and will open up your world to ongoing professional development ideas with the ease of your computer screen! Start today by clicking on this link: 
Don't forget to respond to the Vice-President election ballot that was sent in mid-December!

CCIRA Executive Committee

Amy Ellerman , President: ellermanamy@gmail.com
Jessica Rickert, President Elect:   jessrccira@gmail.com
Sharon Miller, Vice President: slmiller90@gmail.com
Anne Cook , Immediate Past President: annecook59@gmail.com
Michele Warner , Secretary: bmwarner1227@comcast.net
Sue Goodenow , State Membership Coordinator: smg970@gmail.com
Molly Rauh , Director of Membership Development: molly.rauh@gmail.com
Cathy Lynskey , Treasurer: clynskey2000@gmail.com
Lisa Kahn, Administrative Assistant: lisakahnccira@gmail.com
Is your local council, state committee, school, or community doing something extraordinary for literacy in Colorado? Do you have a great idea to share with other educators on how to enhance literacy in the classroom? Do you know of a conference or event that CCIRA members might be interested in attending? If so, please contact Anne Cook to submit information for publication.