Northern Michigan University Professor Kel Sassi is among the 2024 recipients of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Leadership Awards. She received the Julia E. Berry Research Award for a project titled “Versatility and Resilience in English Alumni from a Rural-Serving Institution.”
“Dr. Kia Jane Richmond and I did some preliminary surveys of our English education alumni to find out what sustained them through Covid,” Sassi said. “The next stage of the research, funded by the Berry Award, is to hold focus group sessions with the respondents to dig deeper into what helps them persist in the field. We hope this information will be useful to any English educator, and we plan to use the findings to help us fine-tune our teacher preparation program.”
The award stipend allows Sassi to hire an undergraduate student to assist with the research and to provide gift cards to teachers to thank them for their valuable time.
“I was very surprised to receive the Berry Award,” Sassi added. “I have never received a national award before. This one is given only once every two years, and the NCTE is a large organization, so I thought my chances were slim.
“Very few English teachers in the U.P. are members of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE). They have many resources to support us, so I am hoping the news of this award will help highlight the work that NCTE does. Specifically, their new resource on book rationales can support English teachers when books they are teaching are challenged or censored.”
Sassi taught high school English for six years in Fairbanks, Alaska, before pursuing a doctorate at the University of Michigan. After graduating from U of M's joint program in English and education, she taught at North Dakota State University for 14 years and also served as director of the Red River Valley Writing Project. She is now co-director of NMU's Northern Shores Storywork Writing Project.
Sassi is beginning her third year on campus, with a focus on teaching methods courses for pre-service secondary English Language Arts teachers, as well as multicultural Young Adult Literature. Her interest in teaching Native American literatures has led her to study and question pedagogical approaches to such literatures.
“All teachers should be aware of American Indian boarding school history because it is essential to address the colonizing history of the land on which we live and work,” she said. “We should consider how understandings of Indigenous history, culture, and language have the potential to transform our teaching practice and help us live in balance with the land and each other.”
The NCTE Leadership Awards are given annually to recognize individuals who have demonstrated leadership and commitment in advancing literacy, the field of education and NCTE. Awardees are nominated by NCTE members, literacy education professionals representing preK through graduate education.
“Each year we review the vast contributions of so many scholars and educators to identify the works that exemplify the excellence and innovation we need to continue to advance our field,” said NCTE President Shelley Rodrigo. “This year's awardees represent a diverse, exemplary body of work that improves our understanding of literacy education, trends, and best practices and supports educators and students in improving literacy across the nation.”