Official Journal of OCTE

Published twice annually, spring/summer and fall/winter

Submission deadlines are February 1 (spring/summer) and September 15 (fall/winter).

The Oregon English Journal is a peer-reviewed publication which serves to reflect current content, theory, research, and practice in the teaching of English Language Arts at all levels, elementary through college.  The journal also publishes original poetry, fiction, and nonfiction.  Oregon English Journal is a forum for the open discussion of ideas.  Publicity accorded to any point of view does not necessary reflect or imply endorsement by the Council, its officers, or members.

Call for Submissions

Spring/Summer 2026 Issue

As OEJ Editorial Board members, we value and respect the commitment and professionalism that Oregon educators continue to demonstrate. Teaching has always been demanding, but many teachers today may feel as if they are under assault—directly through funding cuts, book bans, and restrictions on creativity, or indirectly through supporting frightened students, stressed families, uncertain political climates, and bleak budget projections. We recognize that these conditions require all of us to draw on deep wells of resilience in order to sustain hopeful, supportive spaces for students, families, colleagues, and ourselves during these challenging times.

Resilience, then, becomes not simply a desirable trait but an essential resource. Elena Aguilar, author of Onward: Cultivating Emotional Resilience in Educators, reminds us that resilience is not a “magical elixir” that removes the demands of teaching; instead, she writes, “resilience allows us to listen to students and their families and take in painful information because resilience ensures that we keep our hearts open to what we see and hear. Resilience makes us confident in our ability to manage our own, and others’, intense emotions” (2018, p. 13). With this in mind, for the Spring/Summer 2026 Issue of the Oregon English Journal, we invite you to reflect on how you build and sustain resilience. 

As you consider this, please feel encouraged—not constrained—by the following prompts. We welcome stories, reflections, and examples that illustrate how resilience shows up in your pedagogical practice and in your life:

• What habits or rituals have you developed for physical self-care and emotional well-being? (These form the foundation of resilience.)

• How do you support students in understanding and navigating their emotions?
• How do you model humor or integrate it into your lessons?
• What lessons or activities have you used to help students develop empathy?
• How do you foster curiosity in your classroom?
• What strategies do you use to guide students in recognizing their strengths, assets, and skills?
• What book, poem, or other resource have you shared with students to help them find or sustain hope?
• What is one strategy you’ve used to strengthen communication with your students’ families?

Editors  

• Kimberly Hill Campbell, Lewis & Clark Graduate School of Education and Counseling, retired
• Bob Bizjak, Hillsboro High School

oregonenglishjournal@octe.org

Editorial Board

• Joseph Fitzgibbon, Portland Community College
• Tim Gillespie, Lake Oswego High School, retired
• Erin Ocon, ESL Specialist, Vernon K-8 
• Wendy Swanson, Portland State University, retired
• Maika Yeigh, Lewis & Clark Graduate School of Education and Counseling

• Editor Emeritus:  Ulrich H. Hardt

Submission Guidelines

Submit an electronic copy of your manuscript/review in Google Docs format and an accompanying separate electronic cover sheet including

• your name
• mailing address
• email
• a 2-3 sentence biographical sketch

Submissions/reviews will be read by the Oregon English Journal Editorial Board members in an impartial blind reading. To ensure this, please do not include your name anywhere on the manuscript/review but on the cover sheet.  

Deadline for Submission for Spring/Summer Issue: February 15, 2026