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.
Emergency situations can happen any place and at any time, that is why it is important to prepare your classroom for any type of emergency.
1. Know Your School Emergency Procedures
Be aware of your building’s emergency procedures, how often drills are practiced, and the expectations of teachers and students during such drills. Your building should have protocols in place in the event of a fire, tornado (in certain regions), earthquake (in certain regions), intruder, and medical emergencies. Take time each month to review procedures with students and go over lockdown/evacuation routes and guidelines.
2. Learn where Medical Equipment is Located
Does your building have an AED (Automated External Defibrillator)? All fifty states have laws or regulations requiring that AEDs be available in public gathering places, and in some states this means schools must keep and maintain AEDs. Find out where the AED is located in your building. If you haven’t been trained on how to use it, ask your administrator to arrange a time when staff can be shown how to use it. If your building doesn’t have one, contact your administrator or school board.
3. Keep an Updated Class Roster With Important Information
Check your class lists to identify students with medical conditions. If necessary, talk with your school nurse about what to do for these students in emergencies. For more serious conditions, have a plan in place with the office and nurse if a serious medical event occurs. In most situations, students with serious medical issues will have some sort of individual health plan (IHP) on file for your reference. If a student who has an ongoing medical condition does not have an IHP, contact your building nurse who can get the process going if the family requests it.
4. Ask Your School to Invest in Emergency Staff Training
If you haven’t been trained in first aid, CPR, or other important emergency procedures recently, ask your administrator or nurse to arrange regularly scheduled training for staff.
5. Emergency Supplies You Should Keep In Your Classroom
These classroom emergency supplies should be stored in the classroom in the event of a shelter-in-place situation due to an emergency or lockdown. If your school does not furnish emergency supplies, ask your building’s parent-teacher organization, a local Boy or Girl Scout troop, or even an area church, for assistance obtaining supplies.
bucket (can be used to store items, can also be used as an emergency restroom)
tissues and toilet paper
baby wipes
disinfecting wipes
blankets or large towels
flashlight and batteries
hard candies
first aid kit with medical gloves and instruction manual
folder marked “confidential” with:
class list with student pictures
student emergency contact information
list of students with special needs and description of needs (i.e. medical issues, prescription medicines, dietary needs)
list of school emergency procedures
plastic bags or sheeting
work gloves
duct tape
masks
whistle
can opener
food
water (pouches or small bottles)
activities for students (cards, inflatable ball, travel games)
If your school doesn’t provide one, create a classroom “Go Bag” with necessities. An old backpack works well. Place or hang it near your classroom emergency exit. The bag is meant as a portable supply kit if a building evacuation is necessary. Recommended items include:
water pouches or small water bottles
first aid kit
whistle
baby wipes
disinfecting wipes
tissues or toilet paper
paper, markers, pencils
flashlight and batteries
list of school emergency procedures
activities for students (cards, inflatable ball, travel games)
folder marked “confidential” with:
class list with student pictures
student emergency contact information
list of students with special needs and description of needs (i.e. medical issues, prescription medicines, dietary needs)
Be sure to update your supply kits and bags yearly. Replace any expired items and be sure each kit is properly stocked and stored.
Are you prepared for an emergency at school? What emergency preparedness advice would you give fellow educators? Leave your thoughts in the comment section!
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.
San Mateo, CA, September 16, 2019 – One hundred and thirty nine public schools in 31 states will be receiving a $250 Music and Arts Grant from California Casualty. A total of $34,750 is going to provide materials, supplies, and instruments for art, music, and performance programs at the schools.
The Music and Arts Grant is designed to foster creativity in schools, such as choir, band, dance, film, theater, computer arts and graphics, or any K-12 curriculum that employs art for learning.
Examples of how the $250 grants for 2019 will be used include:
Purchasing special adaptive instruments for the Special Education Center at Mark Twain School in Garden Grove, CA, that serves special needs and medically fragile students.
Supplying watercolor sets for third grade students at Homer Davis Elementary School in Tucson, AZ.
Providing recorders for each music class student at Marie Roberts-Caney Elementary School in Lost Creek, KY.
Acquiring Diary of a Whimpy Kid books to foster the reading program at Garfield Elementary School in Yakama, WA.
Supplementing various art supplies (that the instructor often purchases with her own funds) at the Classical Studies Magnet Academy in Bridgeport, CT.
Buying an additional camera to allow more students to participate in the photography program at Filer High School in Filer, ID.
The entire list of Music and Arts grantees can be found here.
California Casualty has partnered with education associations since 1951. We understand the importance of music and arts education for children. Numerous studies have concluded that sharing a love of the arts enhances students’:
Brain development
Creativity
Classroom involvement
Music and art curriculum has also been shown to reduce disciplinary issues and dropout rates.
Unfortunately, many schools have reduced or eliminated music and arts education because of budget cuts. California Casualty hopes to fill the need with the Music and Arts Grant.
“Students love to showcase their creativity, and helping educators keep music and arts in the forefront of every-day learning is absolutely the right thing for us to do,” said California Casualty AVP Brian Goodman.
A pilot program in 2018 helped 50 programs at 46 schools in Kansas, Minnesota and Washington. This included purchasing ukuleles for the Kennydale Elementary School (WA) music and dance program, where music instructor Nikki Skinner said, “I look forward to, seeing students learn about reading music, playing as a group, working together and listening to each other as they grow and delight in their performance and celebrate an accomplishment.”
Dena Enyeart, at Cascade Middle School in Longview, WA, wrote this thank you note, “I was able to take the money from the Music and Arts Grant and have my students create ornaments. Other teachers made them with students too. We had 25 tables for our November Bazar, and raised over $1,200. This money has been used to help students in need finance their 8th grade trip to Washington, D.C., and we were able to purchase close to 80 shirts for students at our school (to promote school unity. Thank you California Casualty for the opportunity to apply for the Music and Arts Grant. My kids not only loved making clay items, it ended up benefiting our entire school.
Public K-12 schools needing funding for an arts or performance program can apply for the 2020 Music and Arts Grant from California Casualty at www.calcasmusicartsgrant.com.
Founded in 1914, California Casualty provides the NEA Auto and Home Insurance Program. Headquartered in San Mateo, California, with Service Centers in Arizona, Colorado and Kansas, California Casualty has been led by four generations of the Brown family. To learn more about California Casualty, or to request an auto insurance quote, please visit www.calcas.com/NEA or call 1.866.704.8614.
The staff members at Palmer Pubic School in Palmer, Nebraska are celebrating after being announced that they are the next school to receive a $7,500 School Lounge Makeover from California Casualty. “We will have a real place to meet, relax, and hold meetings – I can’t wait,” exclaimed English teacher Mary Gregoski, after learning she had submitted the winning entry. Mary, also the school librarian, is in her 10th year teaching at Palmer Public School in Palmer, Nebraska.
Mary is dedicated to making a difference every day, teaching life skills, building relationships, and impacting students’ lives. “I focus on what I can do to prepare them for what’s coming next, and I’m always asking myself, ‘What’s best for the kids?’”
“The staff deserves this for all that they do giving to students and the community,” said School Superintendent Joel Bohlken.
The school currently has no designated area where employees can eat lunch, visit and rejuvenate. Designers from EON Office Supplies will work with the staff to create a space with organized storage, new appliances and furniture, and soothing colors. The new lounge will be unveiled in October.
Mary applied for the makeover after a presentation from California Casualty’s Stephanie Whitmore during a Nebraska Education Association Leadership event. “We are just so grateful that California Casualty thinks about educators,” Mary added.
Palmer Public School is the 13th school to receive a School Lounge Makeover® from California Casualty. The contest was created in 2011 to provide educators a more conducive environment to take a break and share time.
Find more information about California Casualty and it’s giving programs at https://mycalcas.com/communityand stay tuned for Palmer Public School’s School Lounge Makeover big reveal!
Founded in 1914, California Casualty provides auto and home insurance for educators, firefighters, peace officers and nurses across the country. Headquartered in San Mateo, California, with service centers in Arizona, Colorado and Kansas, California Casualty has been led by four generations of the Brown family. Learn more about California Casualty at www.calcas.com.
Are your students truly engaged during your instruction? Getting, and keeping, students academically engaged may be one of the most difficult aspects of teaching.
The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) says the number one way to increase student engagement is to reach them through classroom technology: “By integrating technology in the classroom, educators can take learning experiences to the next level and significantly improve student performance.”
Increase student engagement with classroom technology by using some of these simple, online engagement tools in your next lesson.
EDPuzzle– Easily engage your students with video. Pick a video, add your magical touch and track your students’ understanding.
Flippity – Turn a Google Spreadsheet into a set of online flashcards, MadLibs, game show, and other cool stuff.
Kahoot! – Make learning fun with this free game-based learning platform. Choose any subject, in any language, on any device, for any age!
Safe YouTube – Watch, crop and share safe YouTube videos without comments, ads, or other distractions. Videos can integrate with Google Classroom or be downloaded as an .MP4 file.
Dotstorming – Create an online space for people to post digital sticky notes. Those notes can contain text and or images. Dotstorming takes the process of dot voting online to allow groups of people to collaborate on a topic.
Plickers – Collect real-time formative assessment data without the need for student devices.
CalCas Printables – Download free printable quotes, games, and interactive activities to use in your classroom courtesy of California Casualty. Or request a custom printable with a special theme, your classroom motto, a favorite quote, etc., and they’ll create it for you for free! Request yours today by sending a message to California Casualty on Facebook.
What web tools or classroom technology do you use to enhance engagement with your students? Please share in the comments below!
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.
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.
“Never Forget.” Americans associate this saying with the attacks on September 11th. However, many of our students weren’t even alive when the devastating attacks occurred. In many cases, if you ask a student about September 11th, they wouldn’t be able to tell you much, if anything, about the event. This is where our job as educators becomes critical. Teaching students about September 11th is a delicate, but necessary task. We’ve gathered tips and resources to help you teach your students about September 11th.
10 tips to remember before you begin teaching a difficult subject:
Make parents aware you’ll be discussing the event in your classroom
Find out what students know
Listen to students
Be as specific as possible, and clear up any misconceptions
Answer questions with facts, and if you don’t know, don’t speculate
Reassure students of their safety at school
Be prepared with plenty of resources – limit graphic pictures and videos
Talk about it – allow plenty of time for questions and discussion
Keep it simple – mostly for elementary students
It’s okay to get emotional – talk about why
Lesson Plans, Resources, and Videos:
9/11 Memorial and Museum – Explore the National September 11 Memorial and Museum’s lesson plans for all grade levels. Each lesson is tied to the Common Core Standards. Grounded in our collections, they are written for use throughout the school year and across subjects, including Social Studies, History, English Language Arts, and Art.
Scholastic: Understanding September 11 – Discover informative and poignant articles, lesson plans, activities, and stories. Use it as an interactive lesson for students or teach from provided lesson plans (along with printables).
History Channel: September 11 Attacks– Find out more about the history of 9/11 Attacks, including videos, interesting articles, pictures, historical features and more.
The Second Day– Watch this 40-minute documentary directed by a 14-year-old who was a kindergartener in Tribeca on 9/11. She interviews students, teachers, and first responders about the experience, how it affected them, and what they learned from the experience.
New York Times: The Reckoning– Discover stories, news articles, photos, and infographics on this interactive website about 9/11 and the world more than a decade later.
BrainPOP: September 11– Find animated videos, related readings, worksheets and more on 9/11 and a basic understanding of what happened that day.
U.S. Department of Education 9/11 Teaching Materials– Find lesson materials based on The Consitution and 9/11 and extraordinary citizens during 9/11, as well as basic teaching resources to learn about 9/11 and strategies to teach the emotion subject.
Recommended Books:
The Little Chapel That Stood by A.B. Curtiss
America at Warby Lee Bennett Hopkins
America Is Under Attack: September 11, 2001: The Day the Towers Fell by Don Brown
September Rosesby Jeanette Winter
14 Cows for Americaby Carmen Agra Deedy
With Their Eyes: September 11th–The View from a High School at Ground Zero by Annie Thoms
We the People: September 11 by Mary Englar
Towers Falling by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Nine, Ten: A September 11 Storyby Nora Raleigh Baskin
Messages from Ground Zero: Children Respond to September 11th by Shelley Harwayne
102 Minutes: The Untold Story of the Fight to Survive Inside the Twin Towers by Jim Dwyer & Kevin Flynn
Report from Ground Zero by Dennis Smith
Last Man Down by Richard Picciotto & Daniel Palsner
How do you teach about September 11th in your classroom? What tips would you give fellow educators when teaching this topic?
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.
Whatever your classroom management style may be, you probably use some sort of student reward or incentive system.
Student incentives can become expensive, but motivating and rewarding students does not require a heaping stash of fun-size candy bars or a treasure chest of Dollar Store prizes! Motivating students can be surprisingly simple. Try some of these no-cost, non-food student incentives in your classroom.
Help In Another Classroom or Another Staff Member – Team up with other faculty and staff members to allow students to help that staff member or teacher. When they get back to your class, have them share their experience to motivate others.
Computer/Tablet “Free” Time – Allow students “free” time on computers or tablets.
2nd Chance – Students receive a chance to redo an assignment.
Choose the Next Class Brain Break – Let a student pick the next brain break for the class, or even choose all of the brain breaks for the entire school day.
Assignment Reviewer – Students will review assignments with the class (homework, morning work, etc.) acting as the teacher during that time.
Choose Your Seat – Students may choose their own seat in the classroom. This can be short or long term.
Performance or Presentation – Students can present in some format, like “Show And Tell.” Perhaps a student has a special talent, like playing an instrument, or reading aloud a passage or poem in a dramatic way? It can also be a time for students to share interesting information about themselves, like sharing a personal artifact with a meaningful story.
Stress Relievers/Fidget Items – Students get to us stress-relievers like stress balls, putty, and other fidget items for the day.
Drop Lowest Grade – Allow students to remove their lowest grade on a test, quiz, or assignment for the grading period.
Extra Credit Opportunity – Students receive an opportunity to complete an extra credit assignment.
Morning Announcements – Students get to say school morning announcements or the Pledge of Allegiance over the intercom.
Hat Day – Students get to wear a hat for an entire school day.
No Homework Pass – Students receive no homework for the day or subject. This can be used for any subject and teachers may implement at their discretion.
Special Chair – Students get to sit in a special chair all day, like the teacher’s chair.
Lunch in the Classroom with the Teacher and a Friend – Students get to eat lunch in the classroom with you and a friend of their choosing.
Bring a Stuffed Animal – This, of course, is for the younger students. Students may bring a stuffed animal to school for the day.
What are some of your favorite non-food, no-cost student incentives?
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.
