Newsletter No. 43 - April 2012 From the President Dear APIBA Members and e-group subscribers, In view of the 30 April deadline to pay our APIBA dues (extended until 4 May), our Office has been contacting many of our Members. It is always sad to hear about those who wish to stop being Members – or graduate teachers who do not want to become Members – because they “have no time”. This unfortunately usual reply appears to stem from the misconception that that being a Member of a Professional Association is yet another “activity” in our hectic schedules. What does being a Member of a Professional Association involve? Does it necessarily require a substantial time investment? Of course, a Teacher Association (TA) thrives thanks to the enthusiasm and commitment of its Members and it is always good to be able to attend events and participate in SIGs, Subcommittees and even in the Executive Committee. However, it may be the case that for a period in our professional career some commitments prevent us from participating as actively as we would like to, and yet we continue “to be” Members, as in a way this may be considered the “permanent state” of being a Professional. Some of the benefits of being a Member of APIBA are tangible, such as access to professional development opportunities at no / low cost, scholarships and special discounts. However, the most valuable benefits Membership confers are intangible, namely: - Your professional status as a Member, which guarantees you hold an officially-recognised degree as a Teacher of English. This status will appear in your CV, biodata, online Profile and it is valued when applying for a job or a scholarship, or giving a presentation at an academic event. APIBA Members with their dues up to date can provide proof of their Membership. - Professional growth opportunities through networking with colleagues. A TA extends the networks you may already belong to (the Institution where you studied or work, online CoPs) and provides forums (events, SIGs, Subcommittees, Executive Committee) in which you get to know more colleagues and establish strong personal and professional bonds. Please read other benefits APIBA Members themselves mentioned (read the comments underneath this Blog post). I hope many of our current Members continue to belong to APIBA and that many graduate teachers will contact APIBA and become new Members soon. Now enjoy our Newsletter, where you will learn about this year’s APIBA Annual Seminar, which will pay homage to Prof. Ana María Armendariz, the 2012 FAAPI Conference, the APIBA Firsttime Speaker Scholarship, the new APIBA Knowledge Socialization Programme and much more. Soon we will announce more events for 2012, so stay tuned to the APIBA e-group! (APIBA Members also to APIBA Members e-group) Warm regards, Analía Kandel presidente@apiba.org.ar
APIBA Annual Seminar 2012