Liz Monseur

Reveling in the past might be history teacher Liz Monseur’s profession, but she’s all about living in the present. Leaving to teach one or two classes of Advanced Placement (AP) U.S. History at Wakefield Country Day School and spend time outdoors, Monseur has been with FHS for 38 years. She started teaching special education for learning disabilities in a variety of topics in the 1983-84 school year.
As the years passed, she transitioned into teaching both special education and general education social studies. “For the last 19 years, I have taught solely general education, primarily AP U.S. History, U.S. History and Civil War,” said Monseur. Every year she has focused on improving her teaching skills to, she said, “be more like the veteran teachers I look up to.”
Monseur completed her undergrad at James Madison University and attended George Mason University for her Masters of Education. Additionally, to certify for Dual Enrollment teaching, she has taken a variety of college courses.
Before coming to FHS, Monseur worked on her degree with a goal to teach in “a rural area that wasn’t terribly far away from my family.” Fauquier was perfect, and my college roommate and I both were hired here,” said Monseur. Her husband is an FHS alumni.
Outside of school Monseur loves to garden, bike ride, hike, play music and visit historical sites. She is retiring because she doesn’t “have the stamina to continue to put forth the effort it takes to do my job to my own standards,” said Monseur. She shared the retirement news with her students who were sad at first, but now joke about every piece of broken equipment in her classroom saying, “‘Oh, well, you won’t have to worry about this next year!’,” said Monseur.
She’s enjoyed the “welcoming atmosphere” and will miss her friends and the positive energy and humor of the students. Her favorite memories are from, she said, “‘the good old days’ of the smoke-filled teachers’ lounge with the laughter and wisdom of people long-since retired.” Monseur said she had a “great experience” at FHS due to her colleagues and “outstanding young people whom I have been privileged to know and teach.”