Well, it’s almost here! No, not my annual Golden Girls marathon, but the first day of the 116th U.S. Congress. And with the new Congress comes an opportunity to meet some of the 435 people who work for you, 110 of whom are brand new to Capitol Hill and I’m sure would love to meet you. I can never emphasize this enough, but sometimes advocates I speak with take the term “public servant” for granted, forgetting that they have two senators and one representative (unless they’re in Washington, DC) dedicated to represent their interests in Congress. So, why wouldn’t you want to articulate your interests in person?

Meeting with your members of Congress and their staffs is one of the most important things you can do as a citizen, let alone a TESOL advocate, and you don’t have to travel all the way to Washington, DC, to do it! Your members of Congress have district offices that are close by, leaving no excuses to not schedule a time to drop in. Unfortunately, even for the most dedicated advocates, meeting with a member of Congress can cause a lot of anxiety, uncertainty, and confusion. With that in mind, I’d like to offer a helpful, brief, and (as always) unapologetic guide to meeting with your members of Congress. Continue reading →