Spaine Long Shares a Message

Sheri Spaine Long, PhD
AATSP Executive Director (2018-2023)

I invite you to consider the importance of Association. Join me in reflecting on my journey as an educator as we take stock of AATSP accomplishments over the last few years. 

¡Todos a una! Todos por um!

Background

The AATSP developed me as a teacher-leader, scholar and researcher, colleague, humanities professor, and administrator. I have always been proud to be a teacher. While studying for my master’s degree in Spanish, I joined the AATSP upon recommendation of my professors at the University of Iowa in 1981. I was all in. I loved being a Teaching Assistant and had recently returned from a semester at the Universidad de Sevilla. Later, I pursued my doctorate at UCLA, and I recall fondly decorating our student apartment with quarterly issues of Hispania. The AATSP’s flagship journal was ever present for inspiration and citation before Hispania became available online. 

Through the years, I participated in over thirty AATSP Annual Conferences. I served as Alabama’s AATSP Chapter President (1994), Hispania Editor (2010-2018), and most recently as the AATSP Executive Director (2018-2023). It has been an honor and privilege to support teachers in this unique leadership role. I have been fortunate to be a member of the AATSP Board of Directors for thirteen years and will remain on the Board as Executive Director Emerita through June 30, 2024. 

The Pandemic Executive Director

My executive directorship was defined by the pandemic. The job description of the AATSP Executive Director (ED) is found in the AATSP bylaws. The ED hones the collective vision of the Association in tandem with the Board of Directors. While managing all daily operations and finances, the ED is the AATSP’s official representative. During the tumult of COVID-19, we worked to support teachers while some were unable to continue. This difficult time of uncertainty shrank most organizations. Consequently in 2023, I am happy to report that the AATSP is on track to attain its pre-pandemic membership numbers. The AATSP is now poised for membership growth and is on firm financial footing.

For the AATSP, the pandemic years were productive and pivotal. We (re)considered our collective identity and rebranded. Educators and students from all backgrounds are essential to the AATSP. Like others during the COVID crisis, we focused on digital resources and revamped the AATSP website with our new more inclusive image. 

The AATSP Annual Conference was not overlooked during the pandemic. Cautiously, we staged two successful in-person annual conferences in Atlanta, Georgia (2021) and San Juan, Puerto Rico (2022). The 105th AATSP Annual Conference at the Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain (2023) is poised to be our largest event in recent years with registrants and co-registrants of over 1,000. I invite you to read my conference welcome statement. A strong annual conference is the marker of a healthy association with engaged members.

Association Matters

Formally affiliating with a professional association such as the AATSP allows us to express our passion for teaching Spanish and Portuguese and to develop in a broader context. My enthusiasm for and commitment to Spanish coincided with the rise of Spanish in the United States (US) in the 1970s when I was in high school. Blissfully today, Spanish in the US offers us the whole package: it is an undeniably eloquent language of study as well as the proud daily language of many living in the US and their offspring. The economic and linguistic prowess of Spanish in the US is irrefutable. Spanish garners well over 50% of all language enrollments at all levels of instruction in the US. My annual membership investment helps support the shared language enterprise.  

Of course, the AATSP does not live by Spanish alone. In the past, large universities housed Departments of Spanish and Portuguese. Because of this, I also enjoyed the study of Portuguese during my graduate studies. I recently wrote about my ongoing relationship with Portuguese as an AATSP member and summarized the AATSP’s key Portuguese accomplishments in The Portuguese Newsletter. On my last day as Executive Director, I will be with fifty AATSP members at our Portuguese Symposium at the Escola Superior de Educação Politécino de Porto, Porto, Portugal.  

Teaching’s Infinite Power

The value of language teaching and learning knows no boundaries because it is rooted in cross-cultural understanding. Having spent the lion’s share of my career in Alabama, I am gratified to have contributed to the education of an underserved population of learners. This allowed me to impact students that might not have had access to language learning, cross-cultural skills, and the values that we associate with it. Besides Alabama, I taught in Iowa, California, Colorado, North Carolina, and Wisconsin. My years as a Distinguished Visiting Professor at the US Air Force Academy granted me the exploration of the connection between language learning and leadership development. Knowing multiple languages and cultures helps produce good leaders.

Therefore, the work of language teachers is enormously important and has a deep impact on the lives of our students and our society. I have written hundreds of support letters for colleagues for promotion, tenure, and other accolades. The US educational system sadly does not incentivize and recognize even the most talented. Educators need more support than they currently receive for their essential work. A language educator’s job is tough but rewarding. Still, we teach. We must support each other through Association. 

Coda

I am proud of the long history of teacher-leaders in the AATSP. I have been privileged to work with board members and educators of the highest quality as well as dedicated staff. All that has been achieved over the last few years has been because of their praiseworthy efforts. Thank you for all your love, support, and collaboration.
 
To learn more about, our accomplishments and the state of the AATSP in 2023, view slides [PDF] from my final annual report.

As I transition from the art of working to the art of living, I look forward to landing the plane. I will relinquish the cockpit to my successor, the creative and talented María Carreira, who undoubtedly will take the AATSP to new heights. 

Sincerely,

Sheri Spaine Long, PhD
AATSP Executive Director

Plaza Mayor, Madrid