Return to FCSS 50th Anniversary Conference in October Home

Welcome back to another school year!  For me, this time of year is always filled with anticipation and enthusiasm about the opportunities presented by a new school year and a new classroom of students.  I know many of you feel the same way about the start of school.  At the end of my third week of school, I have spent time with the new teachers to my school reflecting on their first weeks of teaching and am reminded of some essential truths in education.

First, we must work continually to stay connected; to our colleagues, our families, our students and their parents, and our community.  Sometimes we spend so much time on the latter it is difficult to find the time to interact with our peers.  Lack of interaction can lead to feelings of isolation and loneliness which can lead teachers to move into more sociable work settings.  It is important to remember to spend time each day socializing with your co-workers whether it during lunch time or planning period, or getting together for an after school social hour.

From our colleagues we can also learn so much to add variety to our teaching toolbox, from classroom management strategies, lesson plans that are successful, uses of technology, more effective ways of communicating with parents, and new ways of  motivating students.  A young, new teacher recently shared a successful lesson plan for student-made cartograms with me, and I am a twenty year veteran of our teaching field.

Finally, these new teachers have renewed my enthusiasm for teaching.  They are so excited to be in their own classroom and thrilled to have the job of their dreams.  It reminds me of how grateful I am to work in a profession that I love, one for which I have a great passion.                   

I want to encourage all of you to take excursions out of your classroom and converse with your colleagues, talk to teachers around the country on any one of the many electronic discussion groups available, participate in professional development opportunities offered by your district, or attend a conference such as our annual FCSS conference; this year held in Orlando.  These experiences offer rich learning environments and a time to renew professionally.

I hope this message finds all of you similarly renewed. 

Jane Palmer, President

Florida Council for the Social Studies