Are proms, homecoming parades, lunch lines, hall passes, detentions, and study halls part of your past work life?

Or maybe show and tell, milk break, and recess duty?

And are you now awash in committee work, grant writing, abstract proposals, and syllabus templates?

If so, we want to hear your stories!

This roundtable seeks narrative presentations from academics who have previously taught in elementary, middle school, or high school settings. We will discuss the challenges of transitioning from a PK-12 environment to higher education, the benefits that our backgrounds bring to the higher ed table, and the lived experiences of professors who once taught in the elementary, middle, or secondary classrooms.

Topics may include, but are not limited to, the following:

-Working on a terminal degree while teaching PK-12 or at the postsecondary level

-What we miss (and don’t miss) about teaching PK-12

-The concept of community at both levels

-Lifestyle and priority shifts from one setting to the other

-How we view and approach our content areas and ourselves as instructors of our subjects

-How we view our mission as PK-12 teachers vs. college professors

The 57th Annual NeMLA convention takes place March 5-8, 2026, in Pittsburgh. Proposals are accepted through September 30, 2025. Abstracts are 200-300 words in length, and titles should not exceed 100 characters. Please submit your abstract at the session’s portal: https://cfplist.com/nemla/Home/S/21588

Modality: This roundtable session is in-person only.

For more information on the conference and to view NeMLA’s guidelines for abstracts, visit https://www.buffalo.edu/nemla/convention.html

Questions regarding the roundtable may be addressed to Lori Newcomb, LoNewco1@wsc.edu