The Cardinal

Shine a spotlight on award-worthy individuals 

Kaleigh Baker, OFLA Past-President

It is that time of the year again to be thinking about those among us who are making positive contributions to the teaching and support of World Languages. As Past-President and the Awards Chair, I would love your input in honoring these individuals by nominating them for one of our various OFLA Awards.

Why Your Nominations Matter:

These awards celebrate those in the state who make significant impacts, whether through innovative teaching methods, community engagement, or inspiring language advocacy. 

Lucas Hoffman, OFLA Executive Treasurer
French Teacher, Sylvania Schools

As OFLA members, you may not always see the direct impact of your membership dues—but trust me, they do make a difference! I wanted to take a moment to share just how important your support is and how it helps drive all the exciting projects and initiatives we’re involved in.

Teri Wiechart, OFLA Parliamentarian and Bylaws Chair

It’s time to think about the OFLA Annual Conference, Languages Alive in 2025, April 3-5 at Columbus State Community College with Room Blocks in the Canopy and Drury Hotels.  Registration opens in January, but now is the time to get PD leave time from your administrators. Bring a colleague to share the experience.

Why should you attend this in person conference?

In recent years, online conferences have become increasingly popular, offering convenience and accessibility from the comfort of our homes. While these virtual events have their merits, there’s a unique value in attending conferences in person that online formats simply can not replicate. As we navigate this new era of hybrid and virtual gatherings, it’s crucial to understand why in-person conferences continue to hold significant advantages.

One-Year Memberships for Those Who Recently Passed Their RESA

Let’s celebrate the newest members of our profession!  

Maria Herman, OFLA Membership Chair
German Teacher, Maumee City Schools

Remember when you began teaching?  Everything felt so overwhelming.  For me, even the little things, like keeping track of what came into my mailbox in the office, were a struggle.  However, having fellow world language teachers to turn to for support, ideas and even just to commiserate with was a huge help!

For the first time ever, OFLA is proud to offer teachers who have recently passed the RESA (Resident Educator Summative Assessment) a complimentary one-year membership to OFLA.  That’s right!  One year free of charge.  One year to get the discounts on professional development and exclusive access to tips, tricks and other world-language related content, webinars, videos, etc.

So, let’s support our novice teachers who are just entering the profession and may be feeling overwhelmed.  Let’s show them the ropes and not let them fall through the cracks.  If you know someone who has recently passed the RESA, please contact me, Maria Herman, the OFLA Membership Chair, at member@ofla-online.org, to start the process of getting that complimentary membership.

Beth Hanlon, OFLA Executive Recorder and Editor of The Cardinal
Spanish Teacher, Oberlin High School

Welcome to the 2024-2025 school year!  I hope your year started off well!  

As a member of the OFLA board, I can tell you that the board is working hard again this year to bring more exceptional opportunities to members.  But, if you don’t mind me asking, how are you engaging with OFLA?  If you are in need of ideas, here is a list of a few!

1. Follow OFLA on Social Media

At the August board retreat, the OFLA board discussed how to bump up our engagement with members via social media. We are making an effort to be more present on our social media platforms. You can find us on Facebook, @oflaohio on Instagram and @OFLA1 on X (Twitter). Make sure to follow us to like and share our posts!

An Update from your Professional Development Committee

Alexis Blum, OFLA Professional Development Chair
Spanish Teacher, Wapakoneta High School

Welcome back, OFLA! I hope your school year is off to a great start. OFLA has been busy planning some great professional development opportunities for you this year. We are excited to share the following collaborative cohorts: 

Engage and Elevate: Building Resilient Learning Environments 

In this monthly webinar series, we will meet to discuss, plan, and collaborate with teachers all over Ohio on the challenges and triumphs of teaching today. These meetings, held virtually, will cover a range of topics, including (but not limited to) engagement in the classroom, addressing student needs, chronic absenteeism, cultural differences in the classroom, and more. This cohort will develop a plan of topics to fit the needs of the group; topics will be discussed and decided as the year progresses. All meetings will be virtual. Conversation and collaboration is encouraged for these meetups.

JNCL Presents “Elevating Language Learning”

Lesley Chapman, OFLA Advocacy Chair
French Teacher, Sycamore High School

As language educators, we all aspire to influence our students’ futures as lifelong language learners, and our strongest language programs begin inside the classroom with the student experience.  But our students tend to suffer from imposter syndrome, don’t they? “I can’t do that.” “I’m not good enough.” As teachers, we can encourage, but students are much more comfortable hearing from their peers about their own experiences.

Enter JNCL (Joint National Committee for Languages) and their new webinar series, “Elevating Language Learning”. This series pairs language students with professionals who are using language in their fields of expertise for conversations about how multilingualism can lead to multiple opportunities both at work and in life.