Today, we are so proud to profile our first TOP EDUCATION blog!
Not only is today’s blogger an amazing Kindergarten teacher, she is also competing as a top blog to win a charity donation to benefit one of her students.
Katie Mense, we are in awe.
Enough about us.
This is Katie’s blog…
It’s called Little Warriors. And it’s adorable.
After spending a little (okay, a lot) of time on the blog, we wanted to know more about Katie, her class, and why she took her experience to the web. Here’s what we learned…
Katie, how would you describe your blog?
Little Warriors is a Kindergarten blog and a place to gain and share teaching ideas, tips and materials. I love to share tons of pictures from my kinder classroom and have lots of free downloads available!
I have to ask. Where did the name come from?
The name of my blog “Little Warriors” comes from our school mascot. Our mascot is the Warriors and since I teach little kids (Kindergarteners), I thought the name “Little Warriors” was cute and appropriate.
You cover a lot of ground on your blog. But what is the focus or mission?
What I hope to achieve through my blog is just to share my ideas, resources and “things that work” for me in my classroom with other teachers. If a teacher comes across my blog and finds just one idea or resource that they can take and use in their classroom, then it is all so worth it to me! I hope that I can inspire others like some of the other bloggers have inspired me.
How did it all start?
It all started one night when I was searching online for some new, fun and creative ideas to use in my classroom. I stumbled across this totally amazing teacher’s blog, which led me to other teaching blogs. I was so incredibly grateful and inspired by their sharing, that I wanted to share some of my own ideas with others as well!
How long ago was that?
I started Little Warriors last February. So, it’s been about a year and 4 months.
What’s your favorite thing to write about?
I just love writing about new ideas and things that I have tried in my classroom. (Whether it’s one of my own ideas, or an idea I may have “borrowed” from another blogger.) I LOVE adding LOTS of pictures to go with what I’m posting about. I think it’s important for readers to not only read about, but actually SEE how to implement an idea. I LOVE visiting other teachers’ classrooms and getting new ideas from them. I feel like through blogging, I’m giving others the opportunity to “see” inside my classroom and take any ideas that they might find useful.
How would you describe your blog community?
The teacher blog community is absolutely AMAZING!!!!! I love them all so much and have gained many new friendships through blogging. I have been VERY surprised with how generous people are with their personally created materials and ideas!!!
I have also been impressed, grateful and humbled by the support that other bloggers and my amazing followers have given me! There are so many wonderful people out there that take the time to thank you for what you are contributing. I’ve gotten so many nice comments and emails from people just thanking me and who appreciate what my blog is about, that it makes me want to give more! It’s also an amazing feeling when another blogger recognizes an idea or product that you’ve created by posting about it on their blog. The support system in blogland is truly unbelievable! I’m so proud to be a part of it!
What has been your best experience as a blogger?
I have to say that my best experience as a blogger has to be the friendships and relationships that I have made. I have met so many generous, amazing and inspiring people through blogging. It’s so nice to have met other teachers that you can communicate with to get advice, opinions and feedback on issues that you might be facing in your own teaching.
What have you learned from the other bloggers?
Oh my goodness!!!! I can’t even begin to express the things that I have learned through blogging! Teaching blogs have brought my career to a whole new level. I thought I was a good teacher before I discovered and got involved in teaching blogs. Through the things I have learned, inspiration that I’ve been given, ideas I have picked up, and knowledge and resources that I’ve gained through this experience has made me 100 times the teacher that I used to be! Every time I blog hop through teaching blogs, I learn something new. It’s like going to the best workshop of your life every single day!
If you win, who will receive your charity donation?
I would like to donate my winnings to https://www.debra.org/. Debra stands for the Dystrophic EpidermolysisBullosa (EB) Research Association of America.
There is a little girl that goes to our school named Mareyna, that has EB. She is definitely a “Little Warrior.” The simple way to explain what she has is that she doesn’t have the fibers that keep the layers of her skin together so, with any rough touch, she blisters. Her Mom has to pop the blisters every night. If they break open she has raw skin that is similar to a burn patient’s skin.
Mareyna gets these blisters even from simple, everyday tasks like: her clothes rubbing against her, walking and through the movement and pressure of writing with a pencil. She has visible sores on her body EVERY day of her life. But, Mareyna is a little girl who you will NEVER hear complain. She works through the pain each and every day and is a very tough and brave little girl.
Mareyna actually has the least severe type of EB. The more severe people do not have the top layer at all and have to be totally bandaged. Many insurance companies don’t cover the “bandages” because they say they are “just bandages.” But, there are actually special bandages that are needed and a month bill for them is $5,000. Usually one parent has to stop working to care for the child, so the income is cut. Debra also had a wound care clearing house where people can get some of the bandages for free through donations. Debra also puts on a conference every other year to bring the families together and better educate them about this condition. They are working on a cure through bone marrow transplants.
(Katie wrote an awesome blog post about EB and little Mareyna. Check it out here)
We’ve had such a great experience getting to know Katie. It’s no wonder her blog has taken off and has such a great community around it. If you want to vote for Little Warriors, click here. To check out more of Katie’s materials and postings, click here! Thanks, Katie!
The recent story of a student who was given an “award” for having the most homework excuses has generated a great debate across the social media world.
Cassandra Garcia, an Arizona third grader, received the “Catastrophe” award for having the most excuses for not turning in her homework during a classroom awards ceremony. According the Garcia’s teacher, the award was a joke – but it has raised the ire of both the student’s mother as well as a huge number of internet users who are watching the scenario unfold.
This raises a series of questions:
Who is at fault? Did the teacher exercise questionable judgment, or was this an attempt at motivating a child who regularly failed to hand in assignments?
Does this constitute bullying by the teacher? Was this an attempt to humiliate the student or to create a change in a negative behavior pattern?
What is the role of the parent? Should this story have even made it to the media? Does the parent have any responsibility for the student’s lack of homework performance?
I’m not ready to completely absolve the teacher because I don’t know that publicly discussing the issue was the best approach. However, I do know that if I was that third grade student, embarrassment at school would be nothing compared to what I would have to deal with when I got home.
If I was ever recognized for my lack of work, my parents and I–not my parents and the newspaper– would be exchanging some words.
I think, ultimately, this leads us to a larger issue, which is the increased need for teachers to not only instruct, but also take responsibility for lessons that should most likely be taught at home. Every year, we hear more and more stories of parents who aren’t taking an active role in their child’s education. In this scenario, this mother contacted the media regarding this ‘award’ instead of focusing on the real problem: that her child simply wasn’t doing her home work.
Whew, it has been one busy week around California Casualty. This week is both Nurses Week & Teacher Appreciation Week.
As you can imagine, trying to show how much we appreciate you has been a slight challenge. I mean… where to start?!?
Leading up to this week, I have been trolling the web, searching for articles, quotes, and gifts that our nurses and teachers would appreciate. (You can check out–and judge–the fruits of my laboron ourPinterest account.)
While scouring the web, I found this quote by Henry Brooks Adams about teachers…
A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.”
And guys, it got me thinking.
So in this blog post, I’d like to talk a little bit about a teacher who is still influencing my life, 15 years after we met.
Growing up I wasthat kid in the classroom.
I always got my work done, was a good student, but I was annoying.
Chatty is an understatement. I was that kid who finishes her work then distracts everyone around her who is trying to finish. That kid who hides the hermit crab in her desk to play with when she’s bored. That kid who, once silenced with a final warning, starts passing notes.
My poor teachers.
But then I had this teacher, Mrs. Setter, who took the glue, hermit crabs, and gel pens out of my grimy little hands and replaced them with this:
… and boy was it beautiful. It had my name on it. Written inhot pink, perfect teacher handwriting. It was just for me.
The deal was I could use this pass whenever I finished my work. I didn’t have to ask. Just show it to Mrs. Setter, and down the hall I went.
The best part? The librarian let me pickany book I wanted.
Didn’t matter what age level the book was intended for. If I could handle it, and the content was age-appropriate, it was mine. And off I went, back to class, book in hand. And while everyone else was finishing up their math sheets, I would read, read, read… and Mrs. Setter? She got some much-deserved silence outta me.
peace was found.
Fast forward 15 years…
And to this day, I’m a book junky. I still fill my spare time–whether it’s time spent on the train or sitting in a waiting room–with a book in hand. I still think the only way to judge a good book is by how sad you are when it’s over… because there’s no more left to read.
And when I think back to the roots of my literary obsession, I come back to Mrs. Setter. Here was anoverwhelmed, underappreciated teacher who took a kid with too much energy and channeled that into something that would occupy her hands, silence her mouth, and completely rock her world.
Her creative problem solving led me through the magic wardrobe into Narnia, sent me afloat with Huck and Jim, and introduced me to Alice and the Queen of Hearts.
She led me to a world that once explored, I never left. And for that, I will be forever grateful.
So, on this Teacher Appreciation Day, be sure to thank your kids’ teachers.
You have no idea what worlds they are opening up for them.
But also take the time to remember the teachers who have influenced your own journey, just like Mrs. Setter did mine.
The California Casualty team headed to Miami to meet some inspiring educators at the United Teachers of Dade Council of Steward meeting. During our trip, we asked teachers how they thought we could improve education in America. Check out some of their answers in this YouTube clip!
Here are a few of their suggestions:
Get Parents Involved. Steve Goldman, a Government & Economics teacher in Miami, said it best: “Teachers only have them during the day, parents have them the rest of the time.” Check out these tips from the U.S. Department of Education on how you can help your child succeed when the school day is over.
Involve the Community. California Casualty is a proud partner of the education community.We have been providing auto and home insurance to educators for more than 60 years. Be sure to follow @TYeducators on Twitter to hear news and special offers for the education community.
Value our Educators. Teachers give so much, they deserve something back. Over the next year, California Casualty will show how much we value educators by giving away School Lounge Makeovers to four schools. We love thanking our teachers by giving out small gifts and offering insurance that matches their lifestyles. Be sure to follow us on Facebook to hear how we’re giving back to this deserving community.
Join the conversation! How else can we work together to improve education in America?
If your high school athletic program is struggling due to budget concerns, you may want to apply for a California Casualty Thomas R. Brown Athletics Grant – but quickly. The deadline is February 15, 2012.
Check out this interview with our CEO Beau Brown from Jeff Fisher, founder of High School Football America. Click to listen
“We want to ensure that as many schools as possible are considered,” said Doug Goldberg, Senior Vice President for the company.
Following a successful inaugural year, the 2012 California Casualty Thomas R. Brown Athletics Grant program will distribute a total of $75,000 in grants of $1,000 or more to support public high school athletics programs across the nation..
California Casualty established the grants program because education budget cuts have drastically reduced support for school athletics, in some cases forcing programs to shut down altogether. Chairman Thomas R. Brown experienced the positive impact of playing sports as a youth. “Athletes learn teamwork, discipline and that hard work pays off,” he said. “They’re a valuable complement to what’s learned in the classroom.”
San Mateo, California, November 15, 2011 … When teachers gather first thing in the morning in their school lounge at Quartz Hill Elementary, they aren’t much inspired by the fading color scheme and tired furnishings. But that’s going to change soon because the school just won a $7500 makeover of the lounge from California Casualty.
The San Mateo based, nearly 100-year-old company providesauto and home insurance for educators and other public-service professionals. Recognizing the lifelong impact of teachers and noting the current financial strain on public schools, California Casualty created the School Lounge Makeover contest.
Each quarter, one randomly drawn lucky winner will enjoy a major transformation of the one space teachers can go to rejuvenate and recharge.
Linda Lounder, a teacher at the Quartz Hill, CA school, submitted the winning entry.Along with 89 other staff members, Lounder is elated. “A new lounge will make our jobs just a little easier,” she said.
Work will begin in January. Local design professionals and other contractors will update the current salmon and brown color scheme and then address other items on the staff’s wish list. Lounder said the room serves multiple functions – as a meeting place, a quiet, restorative space and also offering work stations to teacher aides – and the makeover will meet all of those needs.
California Casualty’s School Lounge Makeover continues nationally through July 2012, with next drawings slated for late January, April and July next year. Winners of each random drawing will also receive the $7500 cash prize and assistance form local resources.
Any NEA (National Education Association) member is eligible to enter, and can enter once per quarter or until their school becomes a winner. All NEA members at the school may also enter, thus increasing their chances of winning.
If your high school athletic program is struggling due to budget concerns, you may want to apply for a California Casualty Thomas R. Brown Athletics Grant – but quickly. The deadline is February 15, 2012.
San Mateo, California, November 15, 2011 … When teachers gather first thing in the morning in their school lounge at Quartz Hill Elementary, they aren’t much inspired by the fading color scheme and tired furnishings. But that’s going to change soon because the school just won a $7500 makeover of the lounge from California Casualty.