This summer, our organization launched its first ever book club. The group, led by VATESOL Secretary Laura Lewis, met in July and discussed The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henriquez.

VATESOL member and ESL teacher in Virginia Beach Public Schools, Kay Fedor, wrote this reflection after participating in the book club. We are grateful that she has allowed us to share her words on our blog:

Thanks so much for arranging the summer book club as I thoroughly enjoyed reading and sharing with like-minded colleagues. It is obvious that we are all drawn to our chosen profession by our love for our students, or "kiddos" (as coined by WendySue Clausson).

The text we read just demonstrated to me that we all have the desire to belong to the human race with inclusivity. I believe that if we continue to act with kindness and listen with two ears to the story of others with empathy and without judgement, our world will heal. WendySue shared that she has witnessed the positive cultural change at her school because of her advocacy and patient kindness toward others. It took time, but it has happened. For me, as a visual learner, I see our role as the pebble that is being skipped across a pond. It begins with us, one pebble at a time, creating a ripple effect across our small group, classroom, school building, district, and beyond.

Together we can do this...

"Just as ripples spread out when a single pebble is dropped into water, the actions of individuals can have far-reaching effects." - Dalai Lama

Thank you to all of our members who participated in this summer's book club. VATESOL is hoping to organize another book club in the future. Stay tuned!