Mautner presents at national conference Three CA English teachers—Allison Bass-Riccio, Theresa Mautner, and Emily Roller—recently attended the National Council for the Teachers of English annual convention. Held in Baltimore, Maryland, from Nov. 20-24, the conference brought together thousands of educators from across the globe to be inspired, rejuvenated, and introduced to new ideas and strategies to use in their profession. The theme of this year’s conference was “Spirited Inquiry,” focused on sparking genuine curiosity in the classroom by honoring the role that questioning plays in deepening our understanding of the world around us. The weekend kicked off with a keynote address from George Takei of “Star Trek” fame. Takei recently published a graphic memoir entitled “They Called Us Enemy,” depicting his experience growing up in United States during World War II. Other notable guests included Laurie Halse Anderson, author of “Speak” and “Chains,” and Ibi Zoboi, author and National Book Award finalist.
struck from behind at a red light and, just a year prior to taking Wolfsdorf ’s class, was involved in another serious car accident. Mautner temporarily left the classroom during the peak of the graphic video. Later, she was asked to be interviewed by Wolfsdorf about her experience in the class. This conversation evolved into a component of Wolfsdorf ’s Ph.D. thesis, part of which was published as a scholarly article that served as the basis for the NCTE presentation. In Wolfsdorf ’s words, “The presentation used multiple lenses and frames of reference as a means for more comprehensively and structurally examining how complex and nuanced the issue of student trauma can be in the English classroom and beyond.” Mautner’s portion of the presentation focused on recounting her experience in the course and techniques she uses in her own classroom to scaffold students’ engagement with sensitive subject matter.
Bass-Riccio, who teaches World Literature and Postgraduate Seminar, had a wonderful experience at the conference. She shared, “Not only did I get to hear Mautner, co-chair of CA’s English authors whom I have admired for years, Department, presented an article she such as Henry Louis Gates and George co-published with her graduate school Takei, but I also had the opportunity to Theresa Mautner, Adam Wolfsdorf, and professor, Adam Wolfsdorf, whose meet and network with up-and-coming Chrissy Wallace. research focuses on the intersection authors.” One session focusing on actionbetween psychology, literature, and based research for students helped Bassstudent trauma. A graduate of Harvard, Wolfsdorf holds a Ph.D. Riccio think about assignments that focus on analysis beyond the in English Education from Columbia University, and teaches typical research paper. multiple courses in the English Education departments at New Roller shared that she appreciated the opportunity to “listen to York University and Columbia University. Wolfsdorf is also well-known authors speak about their craft.” Roller hopes to currently the English Department chair at Bay Ridge Prep in integrate what she learned into her courses: World Literature and Brooklyn, New York. Mautner and Wolfsdorf were joined by English I for International Students. She explained, “Both Tara Chrissy Wallace, a clinical social worker. Westover and George Takei gave me language and anecdotes that The inspiration for Mautner and Wolfsdorf ’s article dates back I can bring to my classroom when we do our own memoir unit.” to 2015, when Mautner was a student in Wolfsdorf ’s course Westover closed out the weekend by discussing her memoir, on Teaching Drama. Wolfsdorf showed his graduate English “Educated.” Westover grew up in a survivalist family that did not Education students a video of a car crash, not knowing that believe in formal education or Western medicine. She managed Mautner’s life had been affected by numerous car crashes. During to educate herself by studying for the ACT and then gaining Mautner’s junior year of high school, her father, Michael West, admission to Brigham Young University. She graduated magna was driving his daily morning commute when a car traveling in cum laude in 2008 and went on to study at Cambridge University, the opposite direction crossed the double yellow line, colliding ultimately earning her Ph.D., even though she lacked a GED. She with a car that flipped over and drove on top of West’s car. West is currently a Senior Research Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy was taken by helicopter to the emergency room and made a full School Shorenstein Center where she studies the media’s impact recovery, but the experience left Mautner hesitant to drive. In on ideological polarization. 2006, Mautner sustained a concussion when her father’s car was 30
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