The most difficult thing about finding information is working through hundreds of resources to find exactly what you are looking for. One of your best sources to steer you in the right direction is your media specialist. He or she can tell you immediately which professional journals are available at school and how you might shape your search for pertinent and useful information. You also need to visit the comprehensive Teach in Florida site, which contains a section on professional development opportunities in Florida. There you will find information about ongoing professional development as well as staff development tools, helpful links, online programs and other useful, convenient resources. Professional organizations dedicated to specific areas of education are another valuable resource for you. You can locate information online about state and national organizations in math, science, reading, physics, foreign language, speech, music and almost every aspect of school life. Check with your experienced colleagues about the organizations they have found to be helpful. They may even volunteer to accompany you to a State meeting if you would like to attend. Your school district will have information about training and professional development opportunities for the school year, as well as options at local universities, colleges or even other schools. Make it a point to periodically check your school district website for updates. There are also thousands of Internet resources to help you in your professional development. To get you started, here are some good sources to investigate: Yes, Teach! http://www.yesteach.org Specific information about teaching in Florida and online mini-courses on a wide variety of topics related to curriculum and instruction are featured here on this site provided by the Florida Independent College Fund. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development http://www.ascd.org This site offers a professional development survey that can help you get started, as well as online courses, some of them free, for beginning teachers. International Reading Association http://www.reading.org The IRA provides books, conferences and a video training series for teachers interested in improving their skills for teaching reading. National Alliance of Black School Educators www.nabse.org Publications, scholarship information and conferences are all described on this site. National Middle School Association www.nmsa.org Dedicated to all things related to middle school education, this site offers online courses, professional development and conferences. Learning Disabilities Association of America www.ldanatl.org Articles, workshops and teacher tips are available here for all teachers to learn more about learning disabilities and how to work effectively with a diverse population of students. Phi Delta Kappa www.pdkintl.org This well-respected journal also offers conferences, training and books about hot topics in education. For more resources, click here.