It’s time to stop and reflect on the good that is around us. Starting each day with an inspiring message of gratitude not only sets the tone for positivity, it also benefits you in numerous ways. Being thankful increases feelings of happiness and optimism. Gratitude fosters positive self-esteem and improves relationships. It helps to reduce stress.
Embrace the power of gratitude with these inspiring quotes.
“There are always flowers for those who want to see them.” – Henri Matisse
“If you want to find happiness, find gratitude.” – Steve Maraboli
“Enjoy the little things for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.” – Robert Brault
“Some people are always grumbling because roses have thorns; I am thankful that thorns have roses.” – Alphonse Karr
“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.” – William Arthur Ward
“Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” – Marcel Proust
“Gratitude turns what we have into enough.” – Aesop
“The more grateful I am, the more beauty I see.” – Special Olympics CEO Mary Davis
“An attitude of gratitude brings great things.” – Yogi Bhajan
“The single greatest thing you can do to change your life today would be to start being grateful for what you have right now.” – Oprah Winfrey
“Remember that what you now have was once among the things that you had hoped for.” – Epicurus
“Sometimes we should express our gratitude for the small and simple things like the scent of the rain, the taste of your favorite food, or the sound of a loved one’s voice.” – Joseph B. Wirthlin
“This is a wonderful day. I have never seen this one before.” – Maya Angelou
“We must find time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives.” – John F. Kennedy
“We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude.” – Cynthia Ozick
“Learn to be thankful for what you already have, while you pursue all that you want.” – Jim Rohn
“Gratitude sweetens even the smallest moments.” – Anonymous
“All that we behold is full of blessings.” – William Wordsworth
“Among the things you can give and still keep are your word, a smile, and a grateful heart.” – Zig Ziglar
“The more you are thankful, the more you attract things to be thankful for.” – Walt Whitman
This article is furnished by California Casualty, providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and nurses. Get a quote at 1.866.704.8614 or www.calcas.com.
California Casualty has proudly worked with the Oregon Education Association (OEA) as their exclusive auto & home provider since 1974. Recently our Account Development Manager, DeeDee Templeton, made a visit to the OEA headquarters in Portland to meet with board members of the OEA Foundation to deliver a special contribution on behalf of the California Casualty Charitable Contributions Committee.
In attendance and pictured above (left to right): Stephen Siegel – OEA Region I Vice President, Jennifer Underhill -OEA District 2 Board Director, Forrest Cooper – OEA District 4 Board Director, Enrique Farrera – OEA Vice President, and DeeDee Templeton- California Casualty Account Development Manager.
The OEA Foundation provides educators with grants up to $100 to help students meet basic, urgent, and immediate needs so they can succeed in school. Over the past 28 years, the OEA Foundation has purchased countless pairs of eyeglasses, provided many students with their first warm winter coat, paid for dental work and doctor visits, fitted new shoes on lots of feet, and even replaced a broken bedroom window. The Foundation is completely funded through the generosity of our members and community partners, and 100% of funding is used to support Oregon’s students.
The California Casualty Charitable Contributions Committee values the great work of the OEA Foundation and is honored to be able to provide support to the education community. OEA Vice President, Enrique Farrera stated “The OEA Foundation and students from all over Oregon appreciate the collaboration of California Casualty and their financial support. Without their contribution we would not be able to help so many students.”
To learn more about the OEA Foundation and support this organization,visit here.
You may have your eye on that new PlayStation for your nephew. But the holidays are also a great time to buy other big-ticket items from washing machines to kitchen appliances and even cars. That’s when many will go on sale.
If you’re looking to save this season, follow these tips for how to score bigger purchases for less, and how to save for everyone on your list.
The Best Times to Buy
You can usually find the best deals on Black Friday and on Cyber Monday—the Friday and Monday, respectively, following Thanksgiving. These are the times that many items go on sale. (See the next section for specific items.) Similar sales will be found on other major holidays, including New Year’s Day, President’s Day/Weekend, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, and Veterans Day. Small Business Saturday, a relatively new celebration, occurs the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Super Saturday, the Saturday before Christmas, often is a good time for last-minute deals. Finally, Amazon Prime Day and similar days from other retailers can offer substantial savings. That’s good for your budget.
In addition to holiday sales, off-season purchases can save you plenty. Buying an air conditioner at the end of summer, or a snow blower after winter is done, can be cost-effective. You’ll just have to wait until the next season to use it.
Holiday Sales
Some items take center stage during the fall and winter holiday season. These are often popular gift items, but not always. Bankrate reports that December is the best time to make these purchases:
Household appliances: New appliance models typically come out in November. That means sales start on last year’s models to make way for the new ones. This includes washers and dryers, dishwashers, refrigerators, microwaves, coffee makers, blenders, toasters, vacuums, humidifiers, carpet cleaners, and more.
Technology: November and December are great times to buy smart devices, tablets, smart watches, and computers, which often go on sale this time of year. Save even more by buying the previous version after the new one comes out.
Exercise equipment: December is a popular time to buy exercise equipment, with January coming in at a close second. Companies often have sales on home workout equipment, from treadmills and ellipticals to rowing machines and exercise bikes, starting Black Friday.
Security cameras: Prices are known to drop on these essential devices just around the time that thieves become active—during holidays. That’s when companies try to get rid of older models to make way for new ones, and often offer discounts.
Toys and games: Retailers start discounting toys and games close to the holidays so that they won’t be stuck with too much stock. However, popular toys sell out fast, so you may need to pay full price to get one.
New vehicles: Car prices drop at the end of the year as salespeople push to make their quotas. The best time to buy a new car is October through January 1. If you miss that window, May is when the new models start coming and dealers look to get rid of older stock.
More Ways to Save
Whether you’re buying a big-ticket item or a meaningful, smaller gift, use these tips to save even more.
Compare prices of an item at various retailers before you buy it. Use apps like Honey and PriceGrabber.
If shopping online, look for free shipping. There’s a free shipping day in mid-December, and many retailers participate.
Many stores offer discount codes during the holiday season and additional discounts for teachers, students, veterans, military families, seniors, nurses, and first responders. Look for or ask about discounts that apply to you.
Don’t wait until the last minute. You will tend to overspend due to the stress of getting something.
Looking for extra cash for holiday gifts?
Some insurance companies allow you to skip payments around the holidays. At California Casualty, you have the option to skip your auto insurance payment for two whole months. (You also have this option to skip in the summer.) Ask your agent for details.
Happy holidays from all of us at California Casualty!
This article is furnished by California Casualty, providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and nurses. Get a quote at 1.866.704.8614 or www.calcas.com.
You could use an assistant—someone to help with lesson planning and grading, someone to work one-on-one with students who need extra help, and someone who can help lighten the load of your never-ending to-do list. Meet AI, a.k.a. artificial intelligence, the latest trend in classroom support.
What is AI and how can it help?
AI refers to software that can perform tasks that typically require human intelligence. This includes learning, reasoning, problem-solving, and decision-making. AI can help engage students, create interactive learning experiences, and foster critical thinking skills. It can offer personalized learning geared to student interests and ability, presenting tasks of increasing difficulty with real-time feedback.
A word about AI concerns
AI is not without its concerns. Educators worry about plagiarism and cheating, where AI does the work instead of the student. There are also times that AI is inaccurate because its source is the Internet. That requires teachers to do some due diligence in identifying appropriate tools and discussing expectations and ethical considerations with their students.
How do you help students understand the proper use of AI? Teach a lesson on ethical considerations and appropriate use of AI. For example, it is not okay to use AI to write your essays or do your work. However, it is acceptable to use AI to:
Check your finished paper for grammatical errors.
Brainstorm ideas for an assignment or a project.
Simplify complicated text so that you understand its meaning.
Research a topic as long as you are also planning to fact-check the results.
As an educator, you can help manage the use of AI and address potential misuse.
Try out the AI platforms before you use them in the classroom, so you fully understand them.
Model the AI tool in class for appropriate and inappropriate use.
Get to know your students’ writing so you know their style and voice and can detect when they may be leaning on AI too heavily.
Ask students to personalize their writing with their own experiences. This is something AI is unable to do.
While you may use AI in preparation for instruction, student use generally starts in the upper elementary or middle school years. ChatGPT, for example, recommends age 13 years and up for its program.
AI for Teachers and Students
There is value in AI and teachers appreciate this time-saving tool. Here is a look at some popular AI tools for the classroom. Many of these are paid versions but there are free options, too.
Grading & Assessment
Classpoint AI can create quizzes from PowerPoint slides based on Bloom’s Taxonomy.
Essay Grader can grade an essay against a rubric of your choice in about 30 seconds. It also can detect if an essay was written by AI.
Formative AI automates the grading process and provides insight into student performance. It also generates assessments, including multiple choice, open-ended, and more.
Gradescope offers rubric-based assessments for paper-based and digital student work.
Socrative generates interactive activities from polls to mini-competitions and exit tickets.
Instruction
DitchThatTextbook provides ideas for lesson plans that go beyond the textbook.
Education CoPilot offers lesson plan templates, writing prompts, and handouts based on grade level and curriculum standards.
Nearpod offers interactive and engaging lessons, learning through gamification, differentiation, and formative assessments.
Parlay Genie provides discussion-prompts and higher order questions about a custom topic.
Teachmateai is a digital assistant with a wide variety of resources from report writing to class behavior and management to lesson planning and more.
Differentiation
ChatGPT can generate a passage about a topic at a certain grade level. Use it to create leveled readers for students. (Try Bing Chat as an alternative to ChatGPT; it often cites where it gets information whereas ChatGPT does not.)
Diffit helps you adapt materials to different reading levels, adjust for students with IEPs, and accelerate for advanced learners.
Subject-Specific
Hello History allows students to have lifelike conversations with historical figures.
PhotoMath offers step-by-step solutions for arithmetic, algebra, and calculus, including alternate ways of solving equations.
Soundraw enables students to compose music by genre and speed.
Slides & Videos
Bing Image Creator allows you to produce images from a text description.
SlidesAI produces professional and engaging Google slides from your text.
VideoAnt allows you to annotate a publicly available video with comments and questions for students.
Homework Help
Brainly is the place where students can ask academic questions and get real-time help with homework.
Homeworkai is an app that offers homework help, including simple explanations.
Oddityai provides answers to homework. Students need only upload a picture of the worksheet.
Do you have a favorite AI tool that’s not on this list? Please share it in the comments.
This article is furnished by California Casualty, providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and nurses. Get a quote at 1.866.704.8614 or www.calcas.com.
A motorcycle helmet is more than a fashion statement. It’s what stands between you and serious injury, or even death, in an accident. Not only that, but helmets also offer important protection against flying debris, pesky bugs, gusty wind, noise, and the ever-unpredictable weather.
There’s an art and a science to picking the right motorcycle helmet. Here’s what you need to know.
If you primarily ride on pavement, you’ll want a full-face, modular, or dual sport helmet. If you go off-road, you’ll need a dirt helmet. If you do a little of both, you’ll want to consider a dual-sport helmet that can handle the speed of the highway and the flying debris of gravel roads. You’ll also need to decide how much of your head you want covered. Helmets range from full-face to the top of your head. The more coverage, the more protection your helmet can offer.
Helmet shells are made of a variety of materials. These include hard plastic, carbon fiber, carbon Kevlar, and woven fibers with hard shells. Some materials are more costly than others. Helmets can range from a couple of hundred dollars to thousands. The price also depends on features like built-in communications for riding in a group. Just remember that double the price doesn’t necessarily mean double the safety.
Choose a helmet style.
Full-face helmets cover your entire head and face. They are made to offer full protection for street use, highway riding, and racing. The downside is that these helmets can get hot. They also may have a smaller field of vision than a dual sport helmet. Full-face helmets may be fitted with removable face shields or have vents that open and close to address these issues.
Dirt helmets are designed for off-road use. They are typically lighter than full-face helmets, offering more ventilation. They have a peak like a baseball cap that protects from sun. Instead of a closable shield, they have an opening where you can fit pair of motocross goggles.
Dual sport helmets are where road helmets meets dirt styles. They offer the comforts of road travel with the practical elements for off-road rides. There’s a larger field of vision than full-face helmets. The visor cuts down on sun glare.
Open face helmets protect your head and ears but not your face. They provide more visibility and ventilation than full-face and dual sport. There are even some open face helmets that have shields that can be snapped on. The downside is that, without a shield, your face is exposed to the elements. An upside is that you can eat and drink without taking your helmet off.
Modular helmets are a cross between full-face and open face helmets. The chin bar is hinged so that it can be flipped up out of the way. You can drink and it with it on. However, the chin bar must be down when you ride. Modular helmets are good for hot climates where a full-face helmet gets too hot after a short ride.
Dome Helmets/Skull Caps cover just the top of a rider’s head. While lighter and allowing more airflow, they lack serious protection. They don’t protect the ears, face, or chin.
Determine your head shape and size.
The shape of your head is different from the shape of your face, and just like faces, heads have different shapes and sizes. Knowing yours will save you a lot of time when finding the perfect fit.
The three basic head shapes are:
Long oval where the head is longer front-to-back than it is side-to-side.
Intermediate oval where the head is slightly longer front-to-back than side-to-side.
Round oval where the head is about the same front-to-back and side-to-side.
To find out your head shape, take a selfie from above your head or ask a friend to do it. If your head looks long and thin like a wide football, you probably have a long oval. If it resembles a slightly squashed soccer ball, you probably have an intermediate oval. If your head looks more like a soccer ball, you probably have a round oval.
To find out your head size, measure your head with a cloth tape measure:
Start the end of the tape about an inch above your eyebrows.
Circle it around so it goes above your ears and meets at the front, like you are wearing a headband.
That is your side-to-side measurement. Take the measurement in inches as well as centimeters as some brands use the metric system.
Try helmets on for size.
Now that you know your size and head shape, and the type of helmet that you want, you’re ready to try some on. Find your measurement on the size chart. Try different models and brands for the best fit possible. Some may be better for your head shape.
A well-fitting helmet should fit snugly.
Hold the helmet by the chin straps and roll your helmet onto your head from front to back. Don’t pull it straight down onto your head.
Once it’s on, try to roll the helmet forward off your head. You should not be able to do so.
Hold the helmet at the sides and try to move it up and side to side. The helmet should move your scalp and cheeks along with it.
Wear the helmet for as long as possible. There should be no pressure points or hot spots.
After trying it on, take it off and note any red spots or sore spots.
Check the safety certifications.
Helmets in the U.S. must be DOT-approved and manufactured according to safety guidelines. To qualify for DOT certification, they must pass four tests: impact test, penetration test, retention strap test, and peripheral vision test. DOT-approved helmets have a sticker at the back that includes the manufacturer/brand name, model number, and certification number.
Look for organizations like Snell that also test helmets. Snell is a third-party independent nonprofit standard and testing organization. They test in addition to DOT, but manufacturers must pay them to do so. The Economic Commission for Europe (ECE) and the European Safety Commission FIM also do additional testing. The more testing, the more assurance that your helmet meets safety requirements. However, additional testing also can raise the price of a helmet.
Pro Tip: Beware of imposters who sell novelty helmets with fake DOT labels. These helmets will be less than an inch thick and weigh a pound or less. By contrast, reputable helmets weigh about 3 pounds.
When to replace your helmet
Motorcycle helmets wear out after use. You should replace yours every 3-5 years or if your helmet sustains any damage. For added peace of mind, protect yourself with the right motorcycle insurance so that if you do get into an accident, you’re fully covered.
With the right helmet and the right gear, you’re ready to hit the road. Safe travels.
This article is furnished by California Casualty, providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and nurses. Get a quote at 1.866.704.8614 or www.calcas.com.
