Guest Author

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!  At Impact Florida we believe a great way to honor Florida teachers is to share their voices. We are excited for you to hear from Kayla Fulghum, Collier County Public School (CCPS) teacher, in this week’s Insight post. Kayla was one of twelve Pre-Algebra/Algebra 1 teachers from CCPS that volunteered to […]

The uncertainty of virtual recruiting has teacher recruiters around the state and country crippled by the fear of losing the human element of face-to-face recruiting. While the pandemic has forced districts to adjust their recruiting strategies to a virtual platform, Polk County Public Schools had explored the world of virtual recruitment before the pandemic and made an exciting discovery: not only does it provide more stability for the recruiter herself, it also has allowed us to both personalize and expedite the recruitment experience for candidates as well. 

The teaching and learning of our students and teachers didn’t stop when the doors to our schools closed on March 13, 2020. If anything, the need for professional learning accelerated out of necessity. As a school and district, we quickly pivoted, mostly focusing on scaling technological adaptation for our teachers and helping families learn how to use new platforms, including Google Meet, Google Classroom, and PearDeck. I think it’s fair to say that we managed to do the best we could in the attempt to minimize learning loss as much as possible.

A child’s natural curiosity about how society works can serve as a powerful springboard for civic learning. As a parent and social sciences educator, I believe it’s our responsibility to help children develop an understanding of social issues along with the roles and responsibilities of being an active participant in our nation’s democracy. Equipping my

Throughout May and June you’ve been hearing from Florida teachers in a series of Insight posts with recommendations for summer learning focused on their area of expertise. With today’s Insight post, we wrap up this series but will continue to highlight and support Florida’s teachers. Stay tuned for a new series launching soon!    Creativity:

This summer is going to be unlike any summer we’ve ever seen.  There is so much going on in our daily lives, but we’ve got more time on our hands so I can’t think of a better time to write.  I LOVE writing, however, in my twenty years as an educator I have found that it is a passion many of my students lack.  Sadly, most children are exposed to writing in a way that has tainted their view of it.  “Let’s write for fun,” said no one, ever! Yet, writing for fun is exactly what I’m proposing. Writing can bring words alive so that they can dance across your brain, encompass your heart and captivate your soul.  

I began teaching Astronomy in 1997 and have always believed the goal is to not only teach the wonders of the Universe, but to allow students to learn new technologies, collaborate in a work-place like environment, and express their own creativity in the process of doing so. Even with the social distancing and distance learning we are experiencing, it presents an opportunity for us to look up and tap into an interest that your kids may have and that you may  learn together. 

Recently I had the privilege of testifying before the Florida Senate and House Education Committees on the vital importance of ensuring that Florida teachers are provided with robust, meaningful learning opportunities to continually refine their teaching practice. I was honored to present alongside a number of Florida superintendents and other experts in the field who