Hi everyone and welcome back to work. It is a bit of shock always to get back to work after having 2 months off, but there really is not any time to ease into a teaching job.

I have been very impressed with the posts on Facebook. Seeing fellow shop teachers sharing ideas and projects is in my mind one of the most important parts of being a member of the BCTEA. Over the many years being on the executive and hearing the issues that face shop teachers, I have come to realize that if you want or need a quick answer then you ask a fellow shop teacher. At one time that required knowing people personally. Now with Facebook we can ask questions, or share good ideas and projects with our whole BCTEA group. Walking into each class and having a good project for your students makes our jobs so much easier. Happy students mean good enrollment in your classes.

As president I feel that many are hoping that I can change class size, get better budgets, and help get recognition for Tech Ed programs. At this point I have come to learn that those issues do not seem to be negotiable for the BCTEA executive. I know where to put my energies. If you want to change anything at your school the best way is to work with your principal. He/she can change a class size in an instant. He/she can give you more of the school budget. He/she can elevate your programs in the eyes of other staff, the students and parents. As mentioned above, we seem to use conferences and social media really well to share project ideas. What about sharing techniques or ideas on how to tackle the issues mentioned above. If you have had some success at your school controlling your work environment, please share on facebook. If you do not know how to use facebook, ask someone who does to set you up on the BCTEA facebook page, linked through the BCTEA web site.

Lastly, please consider sending at least one representative from your district to the District reps meeting the day before the conference, and also for as many as possible to make their way to the conference in Kelowna this year.