They work long hours supporting and educating our children. How often have you taken the time to say thank you? Here are 25 simple ways to say thanks:
Give a sincere thank you in person
Slip a thank you card on their desk
Write a special note in your child’s homework folder
Send a kind email to thank them for something specific they did for your child
Have your child write a note or draw a picture for them
Stop in for a brief moment before or after school to say thanks
Tell the principal and other administrators how much you appreciate your child’s teacher
Send in supplies for the classroom
Volunteer in the classroom
Chaperone a field trip
Volunteer to help with something at home (cutting out lamination, organizing files, etc.)
Offer to come in and help make copies or work on a special project
Give a gift card for Teacher Appreciation Week
Donate an iTunes gift cards so the class can download new apps
Buy a book to donate to the class library
Bring in homemade treats
Deliver a cookie, or other tasty treat from a local bakery
Find out what their favorite snack is and bring it to them
Recognize them with some takeout for lunch
Make a bouquet of pencils or highlighters or other school supplies
Compliment them on Facebook
Bring in their favorite soft drink or tea
Give them flowers
Buy a gift certificate they can use at a bookstore
Help with stress; bring a relaxing gift – bath salts, soothing lotions or gift certificate for a pedicure
Here’s another way to show appreciation for a teacher that made a difference in you or your child’s life; join the National Teachers Hall of Fame’s (NTHF) “One In A Million – Teachers Who Make A Difference” campaign. Anyone in the U.S. can place a teacher’s name into the Hall of Fame archives with a $1 donation. Donations of $125 will also get the teacher’s name placed on a brick of the NTHF donor’s wall of fame. Learn more about honoring a teacher at https://www.nthf.org/honor-an-educator.
California Casualty appreciates educators. Our relationship spans 65 years. We thank them with numerous giving programs that make a real difference:
$2,500 Academic Award – for classroom supplies and learning materials (calcasacademicaward.com)
Thomas R. Brown Athletics Grants – to help high school sports programs affected by budget cuts (calcasathleticsgrant.com)
California Casualty auto and home insurance is also specifically tailored for educator’s lifestyle with exclusive 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
Going green is not just a slogan for some Washington State schools. They are doing their part to teach our children life-long lessons about sustainability and stewardship of the environment.
“Kids are very creative and once we get them involved, they carry the concept even further than we imagined,” said Laurie James, coordinator of the Green Ribbon Schools project at Discovery Elementary School in Everett, Washington. Discovery Elementary is a 2015 National Green Ribbon Schools honoree.
The U.S. Department of Education urges schools and school districts across the nation to build sustainable programs using three key pillars:
Reduce environmental impacts and costs
Improve the health and wellness of schools, students and staff
Provide environmental education, which teaches many disciplines, especially in incorporating STEM, civic skills and green career pathways
Answering the challenge has resulted in schools that have reduced operating costs, which enabled administrators to dedicate more resources to instruction. It also promotes more student engagement and staff pride and productivity.
Discovery Elementary now has recycling and composting bins around the campus, a community garden and new fruit trees that produce a crop every year. The environmental message has been integrated into the curriculum, including health, science and math classes. Students create and build solar projects, set up bee hives, measure how much mulch and other organic material the garden will need, and learn about fresh foods and nutrition.
For Laurie James, it was more than just tackling a set of stated goals. “This has brought children from a variety of backgrounds together, building life-long lessons about sustainability and stewardship of the environment. The end result is not only children who have a new appreciation for how they can impact the future, but it also encourages family and community involvement.”
Another 2015 Washington Green Ribbon designee is Hillcrest Elementary School in Oak Harbor. Just like Discovery, the efforts at Hillcrest Elementary are student driven. There is a heavy emphasis on the garden; incorporating science, math and other curriculum. Students measure and design the best configuration for planting the gardens, and weigh, graph and calculate how much peat moss is needed to balance food scraps used in the compost bins. They also use real life marketing and accounting principles as they sell eggs from the chickens now raised at the school. Proceeds are donated to the local food bank.
Principal Paula Seaman said that being a Green Ribbon school has been a source of pride for the students and staff. “Other schools in our district are constantly visiting and working to set up a garden like ours,” she said. “We have been awarded more grants because of our designation…including $2,000 to enhance our garden. The award has united our community and students. They are committed to making Earth a better, safer and greener planet and know their contributions make a difference.”
While achieving Green Ribbon School status is a great honor, there is a missing piece to the process. Each year, schools and districts that meet the stringent criteria are honored in Washington, D.C., but can only attend if they have the funds to make the trip. For many Washington State honorees, that can be a challenge.
Attending a program honoring the hard work of students, staff and the community shouldn’t be a burden. Seeing the need, California Casualty stepped in as the 2016 local sponsor of the Washington Green Ribbon Schools program, providing some travel and lodging expenses. As a long-time partner with the NEA Member Benefits in Washington, California Casualty is committed and honored to serve educators.
“Having this financial support takes the sting out of the cost of being recognized,” said James. “It will relieve the stress of fundraising and is one less hurdle to overcome in this important process.”
California Casualty congratulates the 2016 Green Ribbon award winners announced this Earth Day: Bethel and Issaquah School Districts, Columbia Crest A-STEM Academy (Ashford), Gaiser Middle School (Vancouver) and Lakota Middle School (Federal Way). We are proud to help support a program that benefits the environment and future generations of students while highlighting the best in Washington State schools.
How do you start the first 10 minutes of your class? Roll call after the bell in the morning? Listing an agenda for what’s to come for the day, or recapping what happened the day before? What if you took an approach that was outside of the box? Imagine giving children positive feedback that might carry them through the day and help them treat others better.”
A Florida teacher is making headlines for shedding light on bullying, and teaching his students how they can make a change. During the first 10 minutes of every class, he compliments each student one-on-one as they come to the front of the class. He gives them affirming messages such as, “Everyone here loves you,” “I love having you in class,” or “You’re great at sports.”
Research show most bullying occurs in middle school (Grades 6, 7, and 8). This could leave kids with a lasting impression which might affect them later in life. Addressing the issue and involving the class in thinking positively can have a long-lasting impact
According to Education World, you need to be cautious on how to phrase positive compliments. Instead of saying “You’re excellent at…,” focus on how hard they are trying. A couple examples are: “I like watching you work so hard at learning. It means a lot to me that you don’t give up,” or “I appreciate how helpful you have been today.”
In other words, praise them for their effort, not for their expertise.
Next time your student does make a mistake, they will see your praise as being genuine, and not feel like they are not good enough. Experts say try and use compliments sparingly to reinforce activities, otherwise you may encourage a child that only works hard for praise, not for doing their best at a task.
Odds are you know Amelia Earhart, Rosa Parks, Susan B. Anthony or Clara Barton. But have you heard of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, an early pioneer in the suffragette movement; Janet Rankin, the first women elected to Congress; Memphis Minnie (born Lizzie Douglas) who became one of the top blues guitarists in the 1920s, through the 1950s or Delores Huerta, who co-founded the United Farm Workers Association with Cesar Chavez.
March is National Women’s History Month, with the goal of making us more aware of the women who changed American history, business and society. However, just like the right to vote, the push for a month recognizing the accomplishments of women took many years to become reality.
The seeds of the observation began in 1979, with roots in American education system. The week of March 8, 1978 was designated as Women’s History Week by the Education Task Force of the Sonoma County (California) Commission on the Status of Women. Dozens of schools planned special events and over 100 community women participated in special presentations in classrooms. The finale of the week was a celebratory parade and program held in downtown Santa Rosa.
A year later, other communities across the U.S. joined the celebration and agreed to support an effort for a National Women’s History Week, which was formally proclaimed by President Jimmy Carter in 1980.
Departments of education in many states adopted the celebration and encouraged curriculum to support the effort. Within a few years, thousands of schools and communities were celebrating National Women’s History Week. In 1987, Congress officially designated March as National Women’s History Month. This year’s theme is “Working to Form a More Perfect Union: Honoring Women in Public Service and Government.”
Since it gained traction in schools and classrooms, California Casualty’s education guest author Alan Haskvitz has assembled this list of some of the best resources for celebrating Women’s History Month for teachers and students:
Women in history is a topic that is rich in high interest stories and Common Core related standards. Possible integrated lessons can stress diversity, art, history, science and more. Just as importantly is the fact that the stories are compelling and often show the human spirit at its best, when facing challenges that require strength of character as well as determination.
With such a diverse range of options, I like having my students share their reading and research to cover more facts and also to motivate them to read about those women they may never have heard of before. Here is a list of 100 famous women; some may not be appropriate for every grade level, but there are enough to make for some excellent compare and contrast essays. Another fun project, after the presentations and to increase interest and listening skills, is to have the students collect facts about some of these and play 20 questions to see if they can guess who the name of the woman from the clues.
About the Author: Alan Haskvitz has taught for 45 years and has credentials in special education, gifted education school administration, and all core subjects. He has been inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame and was chosen by Reader’s Digest as a Hero in Education. Contact him at calcascares@gmail.com
Wouldn’t it be nice if we could all attend the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas? We could see the vendors showing off new interactive watches, the latest in cell phones, driverless cars, home WiFi based appliances and new technological wonders that can be applied in schools.
Yes, it would be nice to get super-geeked and tech-overloaded, but it’s just not practical. The second half of the year has just begun and there are classes to manage, tests to grade and new projects to challenge students.
If you are an educator, there is good news; Leila Meyer, an education tech writer went to the show. Here are the 10 Products From CES that she predicts will have the most potential to make it to the classroom:
DAQRI Smart Helmet – designed for industrial workers, the helmet brings a mixed reality interface with the latest technology for 4D virtual reality applications that can be used in the classroom
Kodak’s Super 8 Revival camera – designed for a new generation of video and film makers that has many applications for students and lessons, using actual film to deliver texture and vivid color, but with a digital transfer once it’s processed
Klaxoon Cross-Device Learning Platform – Klaxoon developed a collection of tools designed to support online, interactive learning activities for any mobile device using private WiFi and Cloud storage platforms
Samsung Galaxy TabProS – a two-in-one tablet that is small, lightweight and shareable in the classroom
Lenovo AirClass Interactive Virtual Classroom – the name says it all, a dashboard that is accessible for teachers and students that can track a student’s engagement utilizing emotion-analyzing software
ASUS C202 Chromebook for Education – specially designed for the abuse that comes from multiple hands in the classroom, it features wraparound rubber bumpers with reinforced corners, spill-resistant keyboard, scratch-resistant finish and shockproof solid-state drive
Panasonic Rug Speakers – a prototype unveiled that can be built into the carpet with controllers that can direct sound toward or away from specific people with potential for libraries and informal learning spaces
Hanvon Pentech ERT Technology – a pen that works with all-in-one touchscreen TVs, the pen uses electromagnetic resonance touch (ERT) technology that gives more accuracy and control when writing or drawing on a touchscreen display
XYZ Steam – 3D printers specifically designed for education with applications for science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEM) courses
XYZmaker – 3D modeling app designed to make 3D printing technology faster and more accessible
But having and using the latest technology for technology’s sake may not get the results many educators desire. It’s important to put it into a context of learning, as the tech-instructor at Meyer Elementary School in Lexington, Michigan found out. Jeff Dahl is teaching technology through various content areas, presenting it as something purposeful, connected to learning and relevant to real-world situations. He recommends:
Making it applicable to other class assignments
Don’t do it alone, collaborate with other educators
Embrace discomfort because students adapt quickly
Apply the SAMR Model with four levels
Substitution – technology acts as a direct tool substitute with no functional change
Augmentation – technology acts as a direct tool substitute with functional improvement
Modification – technology allows for significant task redesign
Redefinition – technology allows for the creation of new tasks previously inconceivable
Put tech integration in action
While there are many benefits to integrating new technology into the classroom, often times, the cost is out of reach for many school districts. That’s why California Casualty created the $2,500 Academic Award, to help educators purchase the materials and gadgets they need to help their students. Give your students the advantage they deserve, apply now for the California Casualty Academic Award at www.calcasacademicaward.com.
Every day they work hard to plant seeds in vibrant minds, helping grow a brighter future for California. They don’t do it for money or glory, and they certainly don’t do it alone. Their dedication is matched by supportive staffs and schools led by forward thinking administrators who push the envelope to incorporate technology and new ways of teaching.
We realize that all too often educators are the unsung heroes working hard to make sure our children excel. They give their time, encouragement, and frequently their own funds to make sure their students learn and achieve. Their reward is the satisfaction that they made a difference in a child’s life.
That commitment is embodied by Daniel Jocz, nominated as California’s candidate for the 2016 National Teacher of the Year. Mr. Jocz realizes that incorporating 21st century technology, like YouTube, in his high school social studies classes makes the content relevant, rigorous and engaging. Mr Jocz has taught for 11 years at the Downtown Magnets High School in Los Angeles where he is a department chair and associated student body advisor. Those who know Mr. Jocz say he instills a sense of success and pride that students take with them throughout their day and beyond school hours.
Another educator who digs deep to make lessons applicable and memorable is Tara Buford, an elementary school teacher in Escondido, California. She has a passion for learning and is committed to helping every child in her classroom. As a “life-long learner” herself, Tara wants to expand opportunities to make lessons fun and engaging for all of her students. “If I’m not having fun they’re not having fun,” she said.
Tara estimates that she spends as much as $1,000 a year of her own funds to make sure her students have the tools and materials they need to succeed. Her students benefitted in 2015 when she received one of California Casualty’s $2,500 Academic Awards. Tara was able to purchase electronic learning systems and games geared to preparing her classes for the Common Core curriculum.
California Casualty values the contributions of educators like Daniel and Tara. While we might remember a favorite teacher that motivated us, few of them get the public accolades they deserve.
That’s why we’ve teamed up for a second year to be the presenting sponsor of the California Department of Education’s (CDE) School Recognition Program that honors educators who inspire students to succeed, recognizes schools that continually show high achievement and celebrates the support staff that provide the backbone for quality education. California Casualty’s support makes possible the following 2016 California School Recognition Programs:
Gold Ribbon Schools – honoring exemplary public elementary schools which demonstrate significant gains in narrowing the achievement gap
Teachers of the Year – recognizing exemplary teachers and their contribution to quality education
Classified School Employee of the Year – highlighting those who symbolize the profession’s commitment to education
California Green Ribbon School Awards – recognizing schools that accomplish great things in the areas of sustainability and health
California Blue Ribbon Schools – celebrating schools that promote and support the improvement of education
With a relationship that spans 65 years, we understand that great teachers often need help to accomplish great things. That’s why we do more than just provide the CTA Auto and Home Insurance Program; we give back to the communities we serve in meaningful ways that have real impact on their lives. These programs include the $2,500 California Casualty Academic Award, that helps offset the money that educators spend of their own funds for classroom supplies and equipment; the California Casualty Thomas R. Brown Athletics Grants, given to public high schools in California that demonstrate the greatest need for their sporting programs; and the Impact Teen Drivers “Create Real Impact” contest, that awards students and schools that design the best interactive messages to prevent distracted and reckless driving – the number one killer of teens today.
Teachers and support staff do make a difference. Their devotion to our children is why the CDE’s School Recognition Program is so important, and why California Casualty is proud to be a sponsor.
