Reflections on a Year as TESL ON Board Member – from Mitra Rabie

Guest Contributor: Mitra Rabie

As a devoted English instructor, I have always thrived to be a rich source of inspiration and support to my students and their academic success. To my understanding so far, the overall composition of the elected Directors reflects a balance of perspectives from different sectors and regional diversity, and I am sure that as part of this Board and its Committees, I will learn a lot that I can then share with the community members.

I think one of the key reasons that motivated me to run for a position on the TESL Ontario Board of Directors has been the Board’s mission and vision as a leading authority to provide support and direction to professionals, government bodies, and industry stakeholders involved in the English language education field. It has been a great professional success for me to be appointed as a Board member and to serve on three of its Committees: Nomination, Research Advisory, and Strategic Planning.

Here are some of the most important highlights of sitting on TESL Ontario’s Board of Directors:

• possessing a thorough knowledge of TESL Ontario’s mission, vision, and values 
• engaging in strategic thinking and relationship building to advance the strategic objectives of TESL Ontario
• holding personal and professional integrity and informed judgment
• collaborating positively & communicating effectively as a team member with other Board members and management
• providing counseling to the Board by asking relevant questions & proposing practical solutions at a strategic level
• being a committed member to spend some quality time to actively participate in Board & Committees’ orientations and meetings
• showing enthusiasm and willingness to continue learning and upgrading one’s own knowledge and skills

In my opinion, the TESL Ontario Board is the right place for me to share what I have learned in my teaching practice as an instructor and researcher, through time, and learn from other Board members who are experienced practitioners in the same field but at different levels. Connecting with other English instructors, inter/intra-provincially, helps me understand the norms of English teaching and learning in different contexts and have a better cognizance of challenges that both teachers and students are facing. TESL Ontario is that professional hub that gives us–the devoted professionals–a space for reflection & future planning in ESL studies and practices based on the universal principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, innovation, novelty, and excellence to guarantee the high-quality design and delivery of English lessons worldwide to knowledge-seekers and skills-developers. 

One of the greatest achievements obtained so far, in our recent meetings and collective talks, is the collaboration of TESL Ontario with TESL Spain to expand our further ties & collaborations in ESL by exchanging ideas, holding joint meetings and probably hosting an annual conference in the near future. We can make this happen, if and only if, we work together as a team by listening to different voices and respecting each other’s opinions to reach a consensus that opens the path to achievements for all those who are extensively working in this field.

The TESL Ontario community is the place where we can hear each other’s voice, reflect upon, and share our unique expertise to boost the quality and the future of our profession. If you see yourself as a passionate, knowledgeable educator and effective communicator with personal attributes of commitment, contribution, integrity and leadership, then, this is the best networking circle for you to join, share and learn at the same time.

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Author Bio

Mitra Rabie has a Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics majoring in English Pedagogy (TEFL/TESL) with almost three decades of teaching and researching experience in the “Adult Education” field. She was a full-time faculty in the Department of English Studies (1992-2012) and acted as the Department Chair for two years in a State University back home. Mitra is a TESL Canada and TESL Ontario certified English instructor with 10 publications and over 25 presentations in National & International Conferences. Currently, she is teaching in YUELI at York University and SELS in Seneca College. She was recently appointed as a member-at-large in the TESL Ontario Board of Directors and the three Committees of Nominations, Research Advisory & Strategic Planning.