by California Casualty | Educators |
You got the job, you have the room prepared and you think you are ready for that first day in the classroom. But as the day arrives you are more nervous than you thought. Here are some tips you can take into the classroom from those who have been there before you:
- Look over your room one more time to make sure there is nothing to distract the students
- Create good traffic patterns
- Prepare for every silly question possible
- Have a lesson plan but be ready to deviate when teachable moments present themselves
- Have clear rules and expectations
- Don’t worry if the students don’t like you; teaching is not a popularity contest
- Build relationships with the other staff, administrators and the janitors (you will need their help)
- Use a normal, natural voice
- Stash a spare set of clothes for emergencies (ink gets spilled on you or someone becomes sick)
- Realize you’ll arrive early and stay late
It’s important for new teachers to be prepared and build a strong support network; research shows that up to 40 to 50 percent of new instructors leave the profession within the first five years.
California Casualty understands educating our children is a tough job. That’s why we created the $2,500 Academic Award to help educators purchase the classroom supplies and materials they need. Give your wallet a break and visit www.calcasacademicaward.com for more information.
And, the NEA® Auto & Home Insurance Program from California Casualty provides educators quality insurance with benefits not available to the general public:
- $500 personal property coverage for items stolen, damaged or destroyed in your vehicle
- Reduced or zero deductible for vandalism or damage to your vehicle when it is parked at work
- Rates guaranteed for a full year (not six months)
- Free identity theft protection with each policy
- Multiple payment options including EZ Pay and holiday or summer skips
- Superior customer service – 99 percent with a claims satisfaction rating of 96 percent, https://www.calcas.com/customer-feedback
New educators can explore the possible savings and benefits by calling a California Casualty advisor today, 1.800.800.9410 or by visiting www.calcas.com/NEA.
Sources for this article:
https://www2.ed.gov/pubs/FirstYear/ch3.html
https://teaching.about.com/od/pd/a/First-Year-Teacher.htm
https://www.edutopia.org/blog/classroom-management-tips-novice-teachers-rebecca-alber
https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/new-teacher-tips
https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2013/10/why-do-teachers-quit/280699/
https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2012/05/16/kappan_ingersoll.h31.html
https://horizon.unc.edu/projects/issues/papers/Hampton.asp
by California Casualty | News |
1) You’re looking for more than just a job.
For many companies, customer service is just a necessary expense. At California Casualty, it’s the very core of what makes us an exceptional company. It’s not just a job here – it’s a career. We back it up with educational and growth opportunities, benefits, and compensation that retains the best customer service reps in the industry.
2) You enjoy being challenged.
Customer service at California Casualty is vital to our ongoing success. You’ll be asked to counsel our customers on coverages, drive additional sales, and occasionally deal with some difficult situations. This job doesn’t get boring, and you’ll see the impact you make on the company every single day.
3) You want to be a part of something important.
We are a 100-year-old company with a very specific mission. We protect those who make our communities better. We take our responsibility to our customers very seriously. So seriously, in fact, we developed a Code to govern our actions. Each interaction you have with one of our customers can have a profound effect on their lives.
4) You live to serve others.
Our customers, Educators, Firefighters, Peace Officers, and Nurses, have dedicated their lives to serving others. It’s our job to serve them. If you enjoy helping truly great people, you’ll fit right in here.
If you think you fit the bill – visit our careers page to see current openings. It’s time to pursue a rewarding and fulfilling career in customer service!
by California Casualty | Safety |
Nothing is more precious than our children. We try and protect them as long as possible, including when they get their first car.
When it comes time for that purchase we want the safest one possible at a good price, but buying solely on price could compromise their safety. Researching safety and price can be an arduous process but Consumer Reports has done the work for you. After looking at vehicles that have electronic stabilization control, good handling and stopping in emergency maneuver tests, and have blue tooth features to discourage using the phone while driving, they came up with this list of the 10 best used cars for teens under $10,000.
- 2009-2012 Chevy Malibu – described as solid, comfortable and safe, starting around $8,100
- 2009-2011 Ford Focus – which they call fun to drive with a good view of the road, starting around $6,000
- 2010-2012 Ford Fusion – bigger and more sophisticated than its smaller cousin with better handling, starting around $8,000
- 2006-2014 Hyundai Sonata – which they described as comfortable and almost luxurious with good gas mileage, starting around $5,200
- 2010-2011 Kia Soul – a boxy vehicle that has lots of room and is considered “hip,” starting around $8,600
- 2011-2013 Mazda3 – safe, fuel efficient and fun to drive, starting around $9,800
- 2009-2013 Mazda6 – a sporty midsized sedan that parents may want to borrow, starting around $8,300
- 2004-2012 Toyota Rav4 – plenty of cargo space and all-wheel drive for inclement weather, starting around $7,300
- 2009-2010 VW Jetta – a sophisticated small car that handles well with good stability, starting around $7,200
- 2009-2014 VW Rabbit/Golf – some of the best selling cars that are still catching on in America with great room and secure handling, starting around $7,700
Most of these vehicles come with a 4 cylinder option, which the Insurance Institute for Highway safety recommends for younger, less skilled drivers.
Here is why safety is such a concern: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of injury and death for U.S. teens. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has found the risk of these crashes is highest among 16-to-19 year olds than any other age group.
California Casualty also has a commitment to the safety of teen drivers. We’ve partnered with law enforcement agencies, safety groups, educators and concerned parents to create and fund Impact Teen Drivers, an intensive campaign to inform young drivers about the dangers of distracted or reckless driving. The nonprofit provides training and powerful tools to help engage teen drivers and change their attitudes behind the wheel.
California Casualty can also make sure your teen drivers are protected with quality auto insurance. Contact an advisor today to learn about some of the best auto insurance rates for teen drivers, 1.800.800.9410 or visit www.calcas.com.
Sources for this article:
https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2015/05/10-great-used-cars-under-10000-dollars/index.htm
https://www.iihs.org/iihs/topics/t/teenagers/topicoverview
https://www.calcas.com/impact-teen-drivers
by California Casualty | News |
For many of us there is nothing better than reading a good book. Whether you’re like me (a traditionalist who loves the feel of turning pages), or you prefer to use your e-reader, getting a recommendation on a great read is always appreciated. Here are some of the best summer books of 2015 from the staff at Publishers Weekly:
- Modern Romance: An Investigation, by Aziz Ansari
- The Argonauts, by Maggie Nelson
- Meanwhile There Are Letters: The Correspondence of Eudora Welty and Ross Macdonald, edited by Suzanne Marrs and Tom Nolan
- Let Me Tell You: New Stories, Essays and Other Writings, by Shirley Jackson
- The Silenced, by James DeVita
- Flash: The Homeless Donkey Who Taught Me about Life, Faith and Second Chances, by Rachel Anne Ridge
- Finders Keepers, by Steven King
Esquire magazine has also compiled their list of great summer reading recommendations:
- Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life, by William Finnegan
- Speak, by Louisa Hall
- Love and Other Wounds, by Jordan Harper
- As If! The Oral History of Clueless As told by Amy Heckerling, the Cast and the Crew, by Jen Chaney
- Bull Mountain, by Brian Panowich
Personally, I am finishing up a couple great books: Hope to Die, the latest Alex Cross mystery from James Patterson, and Dan Brown’s, Inferno.
And of course, readers are clamoring over the release of Harper Lee’s Go Set a Watchman.
Whether it’s to escape to another land, solve a mystery or learn about someone who inspired you, what’s the best book you’ve read this summer? We’d love to hear.
And speaking of good reads, when’s the last time you reviewed your auto or home insurance policy? Make sure everything has a happy ending; call a California Casualty advisor today for a policy review at 1.800.800.9410 or visit www.calcas.com.
Sources for this article:
https://best-books.publishersweekly.com/pw/best-books/summer-reads-2015/top-10#book/book-1
https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/books/g2214/july-book-roundup/
by California Casualty | Safety |
As if texting and driving wasn’t bad enough, a new survey finds drivers are distracted by modern technology in numerous other ways: surfing the Internet, tweeting or taking and sharing a “selfie.”
AT&T talked with more than 2,000 people aged 16-25 across the U.S. who have a smartphone and drive at least once per day. Seventy percent acknowledged using their phone while behind the wheel. While texting and emailing were the most prevalent activities, four-in-ten were tapping into social media while driving and almost three-in-ten said the surf the net. Here is the breakdown of things people admitted they do as drivers:
- 61 percent text
- 33 percent email
- 28 percent surf the net
- 27 percent look at Facebook
- 17 percent snap a selfie
- 14 percent check Twitter or Instagram
Around one-in-ten said they conduct video chats, have shot a video or viewed a Snapchat behind the wheel.
Keep in mind that the average text takes the driver’s eyes off the road for five seconds – if they were driving 55 miles per hour that would equal driving the length of a football field blindfolded.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that every day nine people are killed and more than 1,100 are injured in crashes that involve a distracted driver. Unfortunately, teen drivers are more likely to be distracted and were involved in a disproportionate amount of fatal crashes.
These are more than statistics; they involve real people and impact real families. Sydnee W. was an Ohio teen who died in a crash just shy of her 18th birthday. She was driving distracted and not wearing her seatbelt. Fourteen year old Hunter C. was the victim of a crash where the 17 year old driver was distracted. Connor L. was just 16 when he was hit and killed by a distracted, unlicensed 18 year old driver. None of the families or friends of these teens ever thought their loved one would never come home again.
Many states have now banned the use of a hand-held device behind the wheel, but much more needs to be done. That’s why California Casualty has teamed up with law enforcement agencies and education groups to form Impact Teen Drivers, a non-profit that educates young drivers about the dangers of distracted and careless driving. Much of the effort involves peer-to-peer messages about the problem, including the Create Real Impact contest, awarding prizes to the individuals and schools who produce the most creative video, music, art or essay to prevent distracted driving.
Here are other ways Impact Teen Drivers battles inattentive driving:
- Providing resources to help student leaders fine-tune traffic safety messages they can spread to others
- Developing curriculum for elementary and middle school students focusing on seat belt safety, being a non-distracting passenger and speaking up in unsafe driving situations
- Leading Train the Trainers programs to empower first responders, educators, health professionals and community members so they can deliver high energy, fact based presentations to teens in school and community settings
- Holding parent-teen workshops to discuss graduated drivers licensing laws and sharing the “What Do You Consider Lethal?” campaign
California Casualty urges everyone to put the phone down while driving and talk to their teens about the danger of inattentive driving. Learn more about our commitment at www.calcas.com/impact-teen-drivers.
Resources for this article:
https://about.att.com/story/smartphone_use_while_driving_grows_beyond_texting.html
https://www.cdc.gov/MotorVehicleSafety/Teen_Drivers/teendrivers_factsheet.html
www.impactteendrivers.org
