by California Casualty | Educators |
Back-to-school is right around the corner, and if you have been spending your summer catching up on all of the things you put off last school year, it’s time for a break. Finish up what is necessary, and enjoy these last weeks of summer before school stars up again!
Here are some ways to maximize the rest of your summer break to help you return rested. Plus, some tips to get your mind rejuvenated going into those first few weeks of school:
1. These last weeks of summer: Relax…..or Play
- Book a last minute trip somewhere. Enjoy a weekend getaway to a city you’ve never been to, take road trip, or plan a stay-cation to explore your city
- Treat yourself to a great meal, enjoy a day at the spa, or try a new yoga class
- Spend a day poolside with friends or by yourself
- Visit your favorite museum
- Take your kids to an amusement park, go camping or bike riding
- Go shopping for just what makes you happy
- Volunteer for a cause that makes you feel good
- Spend a day binge watching movies
- Explore free concerts and festivals in your area
- Stay up late and sleep in
2. Right Before School Starts: Reflect and Evaluate
During the last weeks of summer it is important to get your mind ready to go back-to-school. However, you don’t have to stress about getting prepared. Take it day-by-day and follow these tips by Special Education Coach Elizabeth Stein from her article Three Things You Can Do This Summer to Be a Better Teacher in the Fall:
- Practice Mindfulness Everyday. Be more aware and accepting of circumstances and surroundings happening around you in every day life to better deal with stress and control your emotions in the classroom.
- Read, Reflect and Plan. Find a book that you actually enjoy, that can double for pleasure and professional reading purposes. Reflect on it’s content and try to create a list of ideas that can elevate your instruction plans for the year.
- Connect, Collaborate, Listen and Share. Spend a few days researching new technology-based tools and then link up with other instructors over lunch before the new school year. Share ideas and techniques with them and discover what they have learned, instead of doing it all on your own.
3. Those First Few Weeks: Don’t Burn Yourself Out
And finally, when the school year begins it is important to keep yourself in a positive head-space. Spend equal time doing things for school and things that make you happy to prevent getting burnt out. Wendi Pillars has written a piece for Edweek.org titled, Six Signs of – and Solutions for – Teacher Burnout. Burnout signs include:
- Exhaustion
- Anxiety
- Feeling overwhelmed
- Isolation
Wendi says when you are feeling any of these symptoms, it is important to practice these lessons:
- Let go
- Find balance
- Be selfish sometimes
- Embrace gratitude
- Accept healing
Allow yourself to become stronger, more determined and focused by practicing Wendi’s steps to prevent burn out, in life and in the classroom. Remember, these lessons in those first few weeks of school when it seems like you are constantly on the go and don’t have time for yourself anymore. Even though you are so used to doing things for others, it is okay to take time for yourself and do the things you love, as well as teaching.
This article is furnished by California Casualty, providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters and nurses. Get a quote at 1.800.800.9410 or www.calcas.com.
For more information visit:
https://bit.ly/2ShfWys
https://bit.ly/2YTAwHZ
https://bit.ly/2YSDooh
by California Casualty | Educators, Finances |
Teachers play one of the most important roles in our lives growing up. They are our role models, our best friends, our confidants, our parents away from home, and so much more. Teachers are continually molding the minds of children and young adults all over the world to prepare them to be the next citizens and leaders in our society. Without exaggeration, they are changing lives every single day. discounts for teachers
With all that teachers give to us, it is important that we give back to them. So, just in time for back-to-school, we have rounded up a list of companies that offer discounts for teachers as a, “thank you” for what they do.
Each store is linked for you convenience, just click on the stores name, and it will direct you to their discount page!
Supplies
Target: July 13-20 get a 15% off discount on back to school essentials and supplies in store and online
Michaels: 15% discounts for teachers year-round and special sales for educators throughout the year
Staples: 5/1-9/15 The Classroom Rewards Program lets 5% of each purchase by parents go back to the teacher of their choice as long as they are signed up for Staples Rewards
Office Depot and OfficeMax: 7/14–9/28 Teachers can get 20% back in rewards on qualifying in-store purchased as long as they are signed up for Office Depot OfficeMax Rewards
JOANN: 15% off discounts for teachers on every purchase daily
The Container Store: year-round discounts for teachers exclusively through email when you sign up for their free Organized Teacher Discount Program
Meijer: 7/7-9/28 use their 15% off with coupon for select school and office supplies; teachers can get a new coupon every time they shop in-store at the service desk
Lakeshore Learning Store: 15% off in-store qualifying items when you join their Teachers Club Members
Also be sure to check out Discount School Supply and Dollar Tree in-store and online, for amazing prices year round on all back-to-school essentials.
Books
Books-A-Million: 20% off discount on all items purchased in-store and free online shipping year-round with a free Books-A-Million Educator’s Discount Program Card
Barnes and Noble: 20% off publisher’s list price all purchases for the classroom
Half Price Books: 10% off year-round with an Educator Discount Card
Book Warehouse: 15% off in-store purchases when you sign up for their free Educators Book Club
Thriftbooks: offers 15% off all used class sets when you have 20 or more used books in your cart and you use code “APPLE” at check out
Another resource to find cheap books is First Book Marketplace, where all books are 50-90% off and they have free resources. They also have discounted supplies and basic needs for children including snacks, personal hygiene items, and clothing.
Free Resources
PBS: PBS Learning Media offers free standard-aligned videos, interactive, lesson plans, and more
National Geographic: offers free activities, lesson plans, videos, infographics, photos, and more for Pre-K- Higher Ed
BLICK: offers free lesson plans and educational videos for visual arts education, and will also offer your school a discount if you purchase art supplies in large quantities
redwritethink: offers free lesson plans, student interactivities, calendar activities, and print outs in reading, writing, grammar, critical thinking and more for grades K-12
COMMONLIT: offers a free digital library of fiction and nonfiction for 3rd-12th grade classrooms
NASA for Educators: offers hundreds of resources for free that support the STEM curriculum
sharemylesson: offers thousands of free lesson plans that you can manually align to your standards of teaching, they even have lesson plans to focus on gifted students and students with disabilities
Scholastic: offers free lesson plans, classroom printables, posters, calendars, apps, and other resources as well as discounted books
Clothing
Madewell: 15% off your entire in-store purchase when you show your Teacher ID
LOFT: 15% off your entire purchase when you show your Teacher ID
Banana Republic: 15% off your entire full-priced, in-store purchase when you show your teacher ID
J. CREW: 15% off your purchase with your Teacher ID
New York and Co.: 15% off your entire in-store purchase when you show your Teacher ID
Talbots: 15% off a full-priced purchase when you show your Teacher ID
Be sure to enter the $2,500 Academic Award Giveaway from California Casualty for your chance to win $2,500 to purchase supplies for your students and your classroom!
Happy back-to-school preparation! 🙂
This article is furnished by California Casualty, providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters and nurses. Get a free quote by calling 1.866.704.8614, or visit www.calcas.com.
by California Casualty | Educators, Health |
Summertime for teachers doesn’t necessarily mean “vacation”. There are, lesson plans to develop, hours of PD sessions, and classrooms to prepare. Many teachers have summer jobs or teach summer school, so accomplishing goals and tasks that get put off during the school year is easier said than done.
We’ve put together a game plan to help you accomplish the top five realistic goals that teachers tend put on the back-burner during the school year. Even if what you want or need to do varies from the list below, writing down your goals is a solid first step to achieving them – especially if you are a teacher who is short on time. So open up your planner, grab your Flair pens and get ready to amaze yourself.
Goal #1: De-clutter
Less clutter = less stress = happiness 🙂
How to Accomplish: It’s time to channel your inner Marie Kondo. Getting rid of all of the clutter you’ve put aside planning to get to later needs to be the first thing you do this summer. The first thing?! We know. Bear with us. The sooner you put away all the stuff you carted home from your classroom, address the mountain of laundry in the corner, and tackle the layers of memories of years past- barely hanging on- beneath the magnets covering the fridge; the quicker you can start enjoying your summer. Clutter causes stress. To avoid stress, we avoid cluttered areas or try to pretend it isn’t there. Identify the area or room that gives you the most anxiety and start there. The quicker the clutter is gone, the quicker you can focus on more important things-like a cold drink by the pool.
Goal #2: Sleep
This one is pretty self-explanatory…
How to Accomplish: Draw the blinds and turn off all of your alarms. zzZZZZzzzzZZZzzzZZZzzz
Goal #3: Exercise
It’s beneficial for your physical AND mental well-being.
How to Accomplish: You don’t have to go crazy, buy a gym membership or start training 24/7…unless you want to. Exercise can range from number of different activities like: taking a walk, swimming, riding your bike to the playground with your children, or an intense game of water balloons. Set aside 30 minutes, 3 or 4 times a week to move your muscles and de-stress. Start looking at exercise as positive, like playing with your kids, and you will be more likely to do it instead of sitting on the couch dreading getting on the treadmill.
Goal #4: Work On Yourself
Take some time for “me-time”.
How to Accomplish: Whether you want to get started on your MBA or have a Harry Potter marathon in your PJ’s; write down a few things down you want to do this summer, solely for YOU and YOUR happiness, and make sure to follow through. Here are a few examples that we have rounded up & linked to sources for you, just click on each word!
You give so much of yourself during the school year. Be sure to take a little time during the summer for yourself to do and discover things that YOU love.
Goal #5: Spend Time with Friends & Family
They miss you during the school year.
How to Accomplish: Make a point to do things together as a family, like eating meals at the table, taking a road trip, or having a picnic in the park. Soak up all of the family time you can. During the summer is also a great time to talk to the family that doesn’t get to see you every day, like your parents or grandparents. Schedule time to visit or talk to them on the phone. And don’t forget about friends! Friends play a key role in our happiness and mental health so, set aside some time to get together for a night out, a backyard BBQ, or your other favorite activities.
The key to accomplishing summer goals is to keep them realistic. So set aside some time, choose what goals would make you the most happy, and go get your highlighters because this summer you are going to accomplish ALL of your summer goals. One color-coded tab at a time.
This article is furnished by California Casualty, providing auto and home insurance to educators, law enforcement officers, firefighters and nurses. Get a quote at 1.800.800.9410 or www.calcas.com.
Accumulating professional development hours for re-certification can be expensive, especially if your district doesn’t provide the professional development resources for you or offer monetary reimbursement for coursework. You already spent enough of your own money on your classroom, so why spend more on professional development? No need to worry! There are online resources that offer free professional development in the form of webinars, webcasts, and modules. Many of these resources will also provide you with a certificate upon completion. Let the FREE professional learning commence!
