2007 Honorary Membership Award Winner
Carol Windlinger

Cat Turner presented Carol Windlinger with the Honorary Membership Award during the Saturday luncheon at More Than Words, ELAC’s 2007 conference that ran from May 4-6, 2007 in Kananaskis, Alberta.  The following is Cat’s presentation speech.

Normally the Past President contacts the recipient of this most prestigious award, however; this year it has been our best-kept secret - until now.  It is my pride, pleasure and honour to introduce to you the executive’s choice of English Language Arts Council of Alberta Teachers’ Honourary Member for 2006-2007, Ms. Carol Windlinger!

Carol Windlinger is truly ELAC’s best-kept secret and probably the most-hidden treasure that ELAC has had.  For the past 12 years of her more than 23 years as an English Language Arts Teacher, Carol has been a very active member of the Calgary District and Regional ELAC as well as frequently sitting on the Provincial Executive! 

She is the backbone that has brought about some of the most significant changes to both ELAC and English Language Arts.  Her intuitive sense of what needs to change is uncanny and her thoughtful and insightful vision of how to make these changes is what causes her to stand out as a leader. 

As Publications Editor for ELAC, Carol played a significant role in the transformation of the two published journals of ELAC into the now rich and highly successful publication of Voices.  

At the local level, Carol has served as our President at least twice now, even stepping in as an Acting President last year.  Her creative touch helped us to have an incredibly successful in-service that cost nothing to members and the price of a membership to non-members thus building up our membership, and she also has implemented an annual tradition of celebrating retiring teachers of English Language Arts in our own party at the end of the school year.  Even our most successful event this year, our Dash Two session in September was Carol’s brainchild.  She consistently brings such a wealth of knowledge, experience, and leadership and puts her golden touch to every event she organizes.    

We, who attend the annual conferences when run by the Calgary teams – like this one, have also benefited from Carol’s “old wisdom” as she calls it.  Since 1996 biannually Carol has been the Program Chair of the Conference Committee and has sorted, selected, encouraged, cajoled and organized all the sessions provided at the conference.  This takes more than just skills at the paper shuffle – again Carol’s insightful awareness of the ever shifting needs in professional development to improve and support current practice is evident in each program we read. And this one is excellent!

The aforementioned contributions only lightly touch on Carol’s overall contributions to the practice of English Language Arts in Alberta.  The second guideline of the criteria for being a Honourary Member of ELAC is one’s continuous involvement in professional activities.  Well, here again her list of contributions is endless, so I will only highlight those that directly have impacted us provincially and regionally.  First and foremost is Carol’s participation in and leadership throughout the development of the new English Language Arts Program of Studies in Alberta.  Carol served as a Field Tester, Pre-Pilot and Pilot Lead Teacher, as a member of the Senior High ELA Advisory Committee, on the Exam Redesign Committee and was also a Contributing Writer for the first Implementation Guide.  Carol’s voice has helped improve the face of English Language Arts in this province.

On a more local level and as a classroom teacher for the Calgary Board of Education, Carol has also been the diamond in the rough.  Carol’s career as an English Language Arts Specialist spans more than 23 years. Continually, Carol has committed her time, effort and leadership to improving the quality of teaching and learning in the classroom.  She served as a Lead Teacher and provided Curriculum Support workshops along with collaborating in the CBE’s team project on the creation of Senior High Fiction and Non-Fiction Recommended Reading List.  

Carol Windlinger really has been the quiet, consistent voice speaking up and for the English Language Arts Teachers in this province.  Her leadership and mentorship is known throughout the CBE and deservedly she is the current Curriculum Leader of Senior High English at Sir Winston Churchill, one of our biggest and most academic high schools in Calgary.  Prior to being their CL of English, Carol developed, designed and implemented the curriculum for a course entitled Student Leadership in which since its inception, under Carol’s tutelage, the students have raised over $100,000 dollars to donate to many important community programs such as MADD, UNICEF, YWCA Sheriff King Home and Kid’s Cancer Care Foundation, to name only a few.

Well, her list of contributions and accomplishments could go on and on in order to reinforce the many reasons why Carol Windlinger is so deserving of ELAC’s highest award.  Carol’s contributions and her influence have quietly impacted the province of Alberta and its practice of English Language Arts.  Significantly, her nomination did not only come from members of the executive, but was compiled by those who are daily impacted by her incredible talents, passion and experience.  Students of Sir Winston Churchill, current colleagues and peers throughout the Calgary Public School Board have all helped to build this profile of Carol Windlinger’s professional significance.  Ultimately, it also speaks to her overall qualities as a human being and the depth of compassion Carol Windlinger exudes.  

It is now my honour to present to you this year’s recipient of ELAC’s Honorary Membership Award, to the gem, the backbone and the voice of English Teachers throughout the province of Alberta, Carol Windlinger.