by California Casualty | Educators |
Looking for some harmless jokes to play on your students in observance of April Fool’s Day? Look no further! I’ve compiled a list of innocent tricks teachers of all grade levels can pull off, because sometimes a good prank is just necessary.
- List all the students names on the board, and put random information next to each name – dates of no significance, random letters of the alphabet (excluding A-F), compass directions, etc. Do not explain the list. If they ask you what it is, say, “I’ll explain after lunch.”
- Put tape over the pencil sharpener hole.
- Act like there’s a joke coming (mention the date, look at the clock a lot, suddenly stare at the door). Then don’t play one.
From Squarehead Teachers:
- Switch classrooms for the day. When kids come in the door, it’s not their regular teacher they’ll see.
- Re-arrange every kid’s desk or table in the room.
- Announce that the fabulous field trip planned for today was cancelled because nobody brought in their permission slips on time.
- Ask everyone to turn in their homework that was due TODAY and is worth 90% of their grade for this 9 weeks.
- Tell your class that lunch is cancelled because the cafeteria ran out of food but everyone else at the school got to eat.
- Send several kids to the principal’s office for no reason. (Maybe warn the principal ahead of time.)
- Assign the kids new seats and then re-assign again several times during the day.
- Wear a Halloween costume and tell all the children they won’t get any candy this year because they didn’t dress up.
- Tell your students you’re all going on a field trip to someplace fun at the end of the day – When it gets to be almost the end of the day, tell them that the ‘fun’ place is actually their homes! Zing!
In need of free April Fool’s Day lesson plans and resources? Check out these links:
by California Casualty | Peace Officers |
Coffee and donuts are a cliché associated with cops. But much like surgeons and pilots, officers are needed for their immediate detailed focus and alertness. The lack of either can make a difference between success and failure, life and death.
Along with physical fitness and mental health mindfulness being the largest factors of law enforcement success, hydration must be a daily choice. We all have our vices, like coffee and sweets, but water will give the most benefit, especially if you’re sweating all the time. Replenish, replenish, and replenish. Dehydration not only causes fatigue, but can lower blood pressure, weaken joints, dry mouth, dizziness, and headaches. It’s time to know that it’s something to take seriously and just how important it is to your job safety, and the safety of others.
Hydration improves not only your mental health and physical performance, but also your decision-making skills, brain function, and attention span.
On an average day, men need to drink about 13 cups of water and women 9 cups. Or another way to see it is, drink half your body weight in ounces. If it sounds like a lot, we have ideas on ways into tricking yourself to drink more water.
- Sneak water into your morning routine: If you drink coffee in the morning as soon as you wake up, then drink a glass of water right before your coffee. Studies say to do it in the same space in the same routine.
- Get a water bottle. Get a goal. : First, find a new larger water bottle to carry with you. Next, grab a marker and draw lines across to make as time goals. (See picture). This will create a challenge to see how much you need to drink by a particular time of the day. Bonus: you can also get friends to do this with you too.
- Make it a game: If you friends just got new water bottles too, turn it into a match. Try this. The last person to finish their water bottle by lunch time buys lunch.
- Add water flavors: If water sounds gross or not a craving, add some water flavors to it. It’s another great way to trick yourself to drink water, especially if it doesn’t taste like water.
What ways can you sneak water into your daily routine? Do you know a co-worker or friend who would take the water challenge with you? How about just adding some flavor packets to the water bottle? We can all have a donut and coffees, but first a glass of water.
by California Casualty | Educators |
The National Education Association’s Read Across America Day is celebrated annually on March 2, Dr. Seuss’s Birthday. Schools, libraries, and communities encourage students to read using children’s author Dr. Seuss as inspiration.
Each year, my elementary school building hosts a day-long celebration. A schoolwide read-a-thon kicks off the day. Throughout the day, students visit stations featuring a different Dr. Seuss book and accompanying activity. Faculty and staff prepare and lead the activities while parent volunteers help guide students around to the different stations. Many times, the day culminates with a viewing of a Dr. Seuss themed movie, like “Horton Hears a Who” or “The Cat in the Hat,” complete with popcorn and drinks.
Looking for lesson ideas and other Seuss resources for your March 2nd celebration? My favorite go-to spot for everything Seuss is Seussville.com. Seussville.com offers a variety of free lessons and activities. Geared toward primary and upper elementary, the Read Across America Classroom Activity Guide contains 5 activities, each based on a beloved Dr. Seuss book. The Battle of the Books allows teachers to create their own bracket-style competition or tournament. You can even print Read Across America bookmarks. Check out Seussville.com for many more lessons plans, printables, activities, and projects.
Scholastic.com has collection of Dr. Seuss author study articles, activities, lesson plans, and unit plans. Find Dr. Seuss unit activities, lessons, and printables at A to Z Teacher Stuff. Discover many lesson plans, craft ideas, printables, and teaching idea at Apples4theTeacher. Explore reading and Seuss-themed resources at Edutopia.com.
It’s time to start planning your Read Across America celebration! Your district, school, or class can take the Read Across Pledge here and share your plans for March 2nd.
by California Casualty | Peace Officers |
As a police officer, physical and mental stresses are encountered daily, which can eventually take a toll. All of these stressors can lead to a hectic life. Burnout doesn’t happen overnight; it’s developed gradually and is different for each person. But the most common symptom for all officers is fatigue.
Here are some symptoms to watch out for when on the path to burning out:
- Lose Motivation
- Trouble Concentrating
- Poor Work Habits
- Poor Health
- Possible Depression
If you feel like things are leading to these symptoms, we have easy ways to help you get out of that slump.
Focus on being healthy: Eating better, exercise, and a good amount of sleep.
Pay attention to work hours: Start setting limits on your job hours, as much as possible. All work and no play make for a dull employee. Start creating a positive work balance.
Talking to Friends and Family: Reach out to your support system and communicate what some of your stressors are. You can even speak to your managers. They may provide insight that you may not have thought of before.
Staying Positive: Worry and stress happen every day for officers. This weight can get dull fast. Many organizations contribute to showing appreciation, and simply thank you for doing a great job and complementing on an outstanding performance.
Focus on the future: Whether you are deciding to finish out your career in law enforcement until retirement or looking to move on, having something to look forward to can be powerful as a means of change. Once you have figured out what path you want to take, start with the necessary steps to get there. Start with small steps if it is easier to make a change.
Again, everyone is different, and these quick suggestions may not be for you. But the important things to remember that making small changes can help your perception quickly give a peace of mind.
by California Casualty | Safety |
Have you ever thought about what exactly you have in your car as far as essentials? Your idea of emergency kits and necessities may need a refresh and some new additions.
Tissues and Wipes: Even if you don’t have kids, having wipes ready can help quickly clean up drink spills, cleaning off sunglasses, or messes from the kiddos. Also, consider having a large clean rag in the trunk. If a flat tire or oil leak occurs, it would be easy to clean off your hands.
Extra Phone Chargers: Who doesn’t need more phone chargers throughout the day? Be sure to put an extra car charger or extra battery accessories in the glove compartment. This could be a big saver if you need to call for help.
Umbrella: Because who knows when it will start raining.
Recycled Shopping Bags: These bags could help with those impromptu shopping trips.
Piece of Cardboard: In case you get stuck, this small trick of putting the piece of cardboard under one tire can make a difference.
Emergency Money: Keep it handy in the glove compartment in case of emergency for gas money, or a tow.
Blanket: It doesn’t have to be just for emergencies to help keep warm, but also for fun trips to the park.
These are just some ideas to consider keeping for those surprise moments. And as they say, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
