Monday, May 25, 2009

Enjoy A Summer By Planning Today

Summer break is a great time to refresh and renew your teaching spirit! Use the precious weeks away from the students and classroom to wind down from a successful year and reenergize for a new one packed with fun.

Before you leave the classroom, take a few moments to evaluate the year. What did you do right? Where did things go wrong? What did students enjoy? Where can students be challenged further?

By answering these questions you can easily begin to form goals and plan for next year. If you are attending National Leadership Conference, having this plan in hand will help you better prepare for professional development opportunities, exhibitor visits, general sessions, etc. If not, take your plan and scan through the FCCLA website for new things going on or areas you can expand. Don’t forget to include chapter officer goals in the plan!

Now that you’ve worked out a plan for the year, sit back and enjoy a much needed vacation!

Monday, May 18, 2009

Traveling With Students

National Leadership Conference is approaching! No matter what kind of experience advisers have at this and other meetings throughout the year, one this is true, managing students and chaperones is not an easy task.
Earlier this year Catherine Digioia-Laird, an alumi and former NEC, wrote an article for the Alumni & Associates website on chaperoning.


She lists key things every chaperone should know. Use her guide to successful traveling to educate and encourage good chaperones for NLC!

Monday, May 11, 2009

More Benefits from FCCLA!

For the first time, FCCLA has produced an online summer edition of The Adviser. We are excited to offer year round coverage of important topics for teachers!

This issue focuses on membership and the importance of recruitment, retention, and recognition throughout the school year and into the summer. Additionally, we have provided all the regular columns that advisers enjoy reading. You’ll find a note from Connie Rhoton, Chair of the Board of Directors, an article from Executive Director Michael Benjamin, a fun lesson plan from a new member of the National Consultant team and much more.

Click here to begin reading now! The Adviser/summer edition

Monday, May 4, 2009

Do you feel overwhelmed with your chapter's activities?

Are your FCCLA adviser responsibilities growing at a rate that you cannot believe?

If yes, than you need the help of an FCCLA alumni!

FCCLA alumni around the nation are more than willing to help the organization that turned them into ultimate leaders.

Ways to utilize the alumni in your area:

Alumni as Chaperones
Alumni enjoy reuniting with their advisers and working with your student members. If you are in need of assistance during your chapter's activities or an FCCLA local, district/region, state, or national meeting give one of them a call and ask them to be a chaperone, or "chapterone."

Alumni as Co-Advisers
Do you need help with the logistics of managing a chapter? Alumni have the experience necessary to assist you with managing your chapter. Utilize them in managing chapter community service committees or give them adminstrative duties such as creating spreadsheets, making copies, etc.

Alumni as Evaluators
Alumni enjoy seeing what your chapter has been up to. Use them as evaluators for STAR Events projects or have them proofread your chapter's program award application.

Alumni as Networkers
Gather a team of alumni and have them brainstorm area businesses that might be interested in donating funds or goods towards your chapter's efforts. You never know who they might be in contact with!

Alumni as Mentors
Alumni have been there. They know what it is like to be a teenager and have lived to tell the tale! Start an alumni mentorship program matching members with alumni in careers that are of interest to the member. Alumni can give members the time to help create resumes or apply for scholarships.

These relationships are usually just as important to the alumni as they are to the member.

How do I find these helpful alumni?

Contact your state adviser for a list of alumni in your area. Or, join the Alumni & Associates online community to access a data base of alumni in every state at www.fcclaalumni.org.