Policing can be a different story for each rural and urban city. Due to large populations in cities, crime rates tend to be higher versus the countryside, so are we comparing apples to oranges?
Studies show that 80 percent of the U.S. population lives in urban or suburban areas, yet small towns remain attractive to nearly 45 million people. Some say that because of their jobs, families, lifestyle, choosing to live outside the busy urban areas, that the interest of raising a family in a smaller community will be less vulnerable to higher crimes. But did you know that police departments within these rural areas face challenges different from the urban sectors such as:
Lack of backup officers
Meeting friends, relatives, and/or neighbors at crime scenes as victims, suspects, and/or witnesses
Limited peer interaction
As for urban policing, crime is going to occur almost 54 percent more (and growing) than in rural areas. Urban environments commonly have more crimes, like homicide and assault whereas crimes in rural settings tend to be offenses related to agriculture.
These statistics are not to say that policing in one area is better than another, but to show us how different life as an officer across the country can be. All police officers risk their lives for the safety of their communities and for that we can be grateful!
Our Education Blogger is a public school teacher with over a decade of experience. She’s an active NEA member and enjoys writing about her experiences in the classroom.
Organize your classroom on a budget. From labeling to sorting supplies, this list of must-have, inexpensive classroom organization hacks will help get your school year off to a great start and keep it tidy all year:
Colorful Plastic Caddies
Plastic caddies have multiple uses in the classroom. Place materials in them for easy science experiment or art station set up. If your students sit in groups, use the caddies to store necessary, daily utensils and supplies. Use them for art supply storage, math manipulative storage, or to simply organize your desk. I purchased my caddies from Target in the dollar bins ($3 each). I have also seen them at various dollar stores.
Milk Crates
Milk crates are a perfect fit for folders and files. I use one of my crates to store Student Data Folders when we are not recording in them. When I need to lug around supplies, I tend to use a milk crate. When topped with a homemade cushion, milk crates make great seats and benches (see Pinterest for millk crate seat ideas and tutorials). Stack them for use a classroom library (ziptie each crate together for stability and don’t overfill). I found some durable milk crates on sale at Target when all of the college dorm items go on sale.
Binders
Binders are great way to organize just about anything paper-related. Use them to file away your master copies, one binder for each subject or hour you teach. A substitute binder makes preparing for your absences a cinch. Archive student work in student portfolio binders. Store absent work and extra copies in a classroom binder for students to access as needed. Binders also make tracking student data simple. Label your binders with these free, editable, printable binder covers and spines from Curriculum Corner.
Labels, Labels, and More Labels!
This will help you and your students locate supplies and materials around the classroom in a jiffy! In my experience, if it is labeled, I’m more likely to use it; I simply forget it’s there! I found several free, editable, printable labels on TeachersPayTeachers.
While plastic drawers aren’t inexpensive, you’ll see them as a savvy investment down the road. I purchased 4, 3-drawer units and will never go back to my previous method of organization. Label the drawers with each day of the week and place your lessons, materials, and other items for the day inside. Set aside drawers to label as “To Copy” and “To Grade” to help organize your piles of papers. I also use one drawer as the “Emergency” lesson plan drawer in case of an unexpected absence. Plastic drawers are helpful in storing and organizing manipulatives, art supplies, extra work, absent work, and copies for future lessons/units. Don’t forget to label your drawers!
Shoebox-sized Clear Bins
This one is a no-brainer. I never seem to have enough of these around. Small, plastic bins are one of the most versatile organization items in the classroom. Use them to store extra supplies, manipulatives, craft items, and games. Use labels to help identify what’s inside. They are easy to stack and easy for even the youngest of students to access. Dollar stores usually have these, but they aren’t great quality. I go for Sterilite and Rubbermaid brands when I can get them on sale. I also ask for these from parents in my Teacher Wish List at the beginning of the school year.
What are your favorite tricks to organize your classroom on a budget?
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.
Don’t have the hands-on materials you need to teach science? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Many districts and schools lack the funding to furnish science textbooks, materials, and equipment. There is a solution. These websites can help you teach science interactively using games, videos, experiments, and other student-friendly activities for FREE. They are an engaging supplement to your classroom instruction. So, reserve that computer lab, sign up for those tablets, and get science-ing!
Science Kids – Enjoy free activities, experiments, games, facts, quizzes, projects, lessons, images, and videos. Students can learn about animals, biology, chemistry, physics, space, weather, and mcuh more.
SheppardSoftware – Free activities and games for younger students. Topics include life cycles, animals, the seasons, dinosaurs, elements, chemistry, cells, and many more.
PBSKids Science Games – For the youngest of our gradeschool students. PBSKids Science Games uses popular PBS characters, like Dinosaur Train, Sid the Science Kid, and the Cat in the Hat, to help teach young students about dinosaurs, nature, engineering, and animals.
Bozeman Science – This collection of videos and other NGSS resources helps teachers and students better understand the Next Generation Science Standards. Search by grade level, standard, or disciplinary core idea.
Coolmath-Games (Science) – Don’t let the website name deceive you. This small collection of free kids science games cover topics like space, electricity, light, physics, and magnets.
Kids.gov – In addition to a library of videos on many subjects, Kids.gov has an assortment of science games intended for a middle school level audience. Students, grades 6-8, can enjoy science games within the topics of animals, energy, earth, environment, invention, innovation, and space games.
Learning Games for Kids – At Learning Games for Kids, younger students can conduct science experiment games, sing science songs, amd play space and weather games.
NASA Space Place – Students of all ages will flip for these space-related games. Topics include Earth, Sun, Solar System, Universe, and Science and Tech.
Mystery Science – Free teacher memberships through June 2018! Mystery Science is aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards. No prep lessons with visuals and activities for K-5th grade.
NOVA Labs – Experience the science occurring in the Evolution, Cybersecurity, RNA, Cloud, Energy, and Sun labs that provide meaningful, interactive tasks for students to complete. Students can also watch video clips on each subject. NOVA Labs is geared toward students in grades 6-12.
PhET Interactive Simulations – Free, meaningful lab experiences for physics, chemistry, biology, Earth science, and math. PhET covers a wide range of topics and grade levels.
Mr. Nussbaum – Mr. Nussbaum’s Science includes a large collection of science interactives, explanations, generators, and activities for students. The wide variety of topics is intended for students in elementary and middle school.
Turtle Diary – Turtle Diary’s science games are sure to spark the curiosity in students preschool through 5th grade. Students can explore early science concepts covering a wide range of topics while reinforcing skills through engaging activities.
“Move over; it’s the law!” That is the urgent message from public safety groups across the U.S.
Here’s why; many of us freeze and don’t know what to do when we see an emergency vehicle on the side of the road with its lights flashing. Not moving over is breaking the law, and could endanger a first responder, tow truck driver or highway worker’s life.
Traffic incidents are the number one cause of in the line of duty deaths for law enforcement officers and highway workers. On average, an officer or highway worker gets hit by a driver every day in the U.S. They include Colorado State Trooper Cody Donahue, struck and killed November 2016 by a distracted truck driver as he investigated an accident, and Johnson County Kansas Master Deputy Brandon Collins died when a driver slammed into the back of his cruiser in January of 2017. They are just a few of the hundreds of law enforcement officers, firefighter/EMTs and highway workers injured or killed every year while trying to help others.
Because of the human toll, every state in the U.S. now has a “move over” law mandating that drivers approaching a stationary emergency or maintenance vehicle with flashing lights must move to the next adjacent lane if it is safe to do so or to slow down significantly if unable to move over.
A recent poll found 70 percent of Americans have not heard of “move over” laws and didn’t know what they should do. That’s why jurisdictions across the country are stepping up education and enforcement about their “move over” requirements as the summer driving season gets into full swing. The odds are that you’ve seen a tweet, a Facebook post or a variable message board promoting the “move over” law in your area.
Penalties vary, but drivers who fail to slow down and move over can get a ticket.
Rather than get a ticket or cause a serious accident, California Casualty is asking you to slow down and move over when you see an officer, paramedic, firefighter, tow truck driver or road crew with their lights flashing on the side of the road. You could save a life.
Back to School Night can be a source of stress for many teachers. Make Back To School Night a little less stressful with these helpful tips:
Be Prepared Have everything ready to go the day before your Back To School Night. Make the most of your time by getting everything ready ahead of time so you can focus on having a successful evening. If you are giving a presentation, practice it several times so you appear confident and competent
Dress Professionally
You don’t want to make a bad first impression. Men should wear slacks, and a dress shirt and tie (a coat and tie is most professional). Ladies should wear a pant suit, a blouse with skirt or slacks, or a dress. Lay off the heavy perfume and cologne, but don’t hesitate to throw on more deodorant just before parents arrive.
Calendar
Provide a printed calendar and note important dates throughout the school year. Field trips, due dates of large projects, holidays, days off of school, parties, parent-teacher conferences, and testing dates are just some of the important events you should note on a parent calendar. Parents appreciate knowing this information in advance.
Curriculum and Programs Information
Your building or district may already have this information posted on a website, or available in printed form. However, it is always a good idea to let parents know what their child will be learning in your classroom. It can be as simple as making a bulleted list of concepts, or writing a short summary of what you will be teaching. Tell parents what programs/textbooks you use for core subjects. Don’t forget to include any tiered or RTI programs your school provides for students who need them.
Let Parents Know How They Can Help Create a list of things parents to do to help your classroom. You may need supplies or other materials for your classroom, and providing parents this list may get you what you need! It is also helpful to provide a list of volunteer opportunities, or a description of how a parent can help.
Communication
Don’t forget to provide your contact information. You may also want to be clear about your preferred method of communication. Explain to parents how you will get information to them throughout the year (email blast, newsletter, class website, etc.).
Make sure you have an easy-to-read schedule to give to parents.
Include the school day’s start and end times, along with any other times you may think parents will find helpful (lunch, specials, class periods, etc.).
Ways To Help Their Student
Create a list of ways parents can help their students to be successful in your classroom. This may look like a compilation of apps and websites that help strengthen skills, or it may be things parents can do with their children.
Tools
Will you be using online tools in your classroom that will need to be accessed at home? If so, provide a brief explanation of these tools.
Expectations
Describe your classroom management, class/building rules, and expectations. This includes student behavior, in-class assignments, homework, projects, policies for make-up work, etc.
Introduce Yourself
Tell a little about yourself. How many years have you taught? What grade levels and subjects? Where did you go to school? Including a few pictures may help parents view you as more personable.
Be Brief
It’s difficult to squeeze ALL of your vital classroom information into a 10-minute presentation, or onto a double-sided, 8.5 X 11 piece of paper. Stick to the items you feel will be most helpful for student success. Parents aren’t looking for a classroom manual, but rather some key points that will give them a sense of what the school year will be like for their student.
Have Fun Let your personality shine through. Incorporate a little humor, or even a little emotion, into the evening.
