MONROE COUNTY, Fla. — Monroe County School District is pleased to announce the Florida Council for the Social Studies (FCSS) Elementary Teacher of the Year for Monroe County, Anne Osborne from Plantation Key School and the Secondary Teacher of the Year, Nora Laubenstein, from Key West High School.  Ms. Osborne and Mrs. Laubenstein were selected because of their ability to foster the development of democratic beliefs and values, the student ­teacher relationships they have built, their professionalism, and their outstanding teaching methods.

Ms. Osborne teaches several grades in the Gifted and High Achievers program at Plantation Key School. Ms. Osborne has a passion for social studies. She has attended numerous summer seminars sponsored by the Florida Humanities Council and The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. Her “coup de gras” social studies project this year was working with the Keys History and Discovery Center and the Art Guild of the Purple Isles (AGPI). The project began with a field trip to Indian Key to learn the history and flora of the island. After the field trip local artists from the AGPI provided guidance as the students brought back sketches.  After three more visits from the AGPI artists students created beautiful water color paintings that were exhibited at the Keys History and Discover.  Artwork then came to the hallway at Plantation Key School as a reminder of their trip until the end of the year when students took them home.

“Ms. Osborne provides hands on, authentic experiences that bring social studies to life for the Plantation Key School students. Our students are very fortunate to have a Ms. Osborne as their teacher,” Plantation Key School Principal Lisa Taylor said.

Mrs. Laubenstein currently teaches Advanced Placement World History and Advancement via Individual Determination (AVID). Mrs. Laubenstein loves what she teaches and she strives to get her students to become historians by instilling curiosity to learn from the past. This summer Mrs. Laubenstein will be leading her first overseas tour to Central Europe with some of her current and former students so that they can see part of the world through historical eyes.  “Nora Laubenstein helps make students connect history to the everyday world around them. Her ability to engage students in their own learning style enables them to be successful, not only in her class, but in other academic areas. Her work exemplifies excellence in education while building the confidence of the students she works with every day,” Key West High School Principal Amber Acevedo said.

Both will be honored at the FCSS awards dinner October 21, 2017, in Palm Harbor, Florida. For more information about the Monroe County School District’s Social Studies curriculum click here.