Cooperative Living September 2023 - 23

PEOPLE & PLACES
Supporting Our Teachers
Four ways to help lighten
the burden for educators
Story courtesy of Family Features
T
eachers are more than leaders in
their classrooms. Th ey are leaders
in the communities they serve,
committed to educating the leaders
of tomorrow, and their value cannot
be overstated. To provide an optimal
learning environment that equips their
students for success, teachers oft en go
above and beyond, sometimes at great
personal expense.
An analysis by My eLearning World
estimates teachers will spend an average
of $820.14 out of pocket on school
supplies during the 2023-24 school
year, the largest amount ever, which
doesn't include all of the hours dedicated
beyond the traditional school day.
To help alleviate some of the burden,
consider these ways parents, guardians
and community members can contribute
and support the efforts ofeducators.
VOLUNTEER IN
THE CLASSROOM
One ofthe easiest ways to learn what
life is like in the classroom and truly
understand the needs is to spend some
time there helping out. Many school
districts could use volunteers to assist
with one-on-one tutoring, organizing
library books, chaperoning field trips,
speaking to classes about career paths
and more. Start by checkingwith your
child's teacher or calling the front office
to see what opportunities might be
available.
ASSIST WITH CLASSROOM
REGISTRIES
Well-equipped classrooms are
Wellll-equipped classrooms are
l
essential to student success, but
teachers cannot do it alone. To help
assist educators in reducing out-ofco-opliving.com
pocket
expenses for classroom supplies,
Walmart's ClassroomRegistry allows
teachers to create personalized lists of
items they need, making it easy for the
community to contribute to and support
their efforts. Tailored to educators
with personalized creation flow and
recommended classroom items unique
to each grade level - including popular
items such as stationery, classroom
decorations, art supplies, classroom
treats and rewards such as stickers
and " edutainment " items - teachers
can share their lists quickly and easily
through direct links to their custom
registries. Registries are also discoverable
via the registry search using the teacher's
last name and state.
WORK WITH YOUR STUDENT
AT HOME
Not all learning takes place in
the classroom. You can model the
importance ofyour child's education at
home and create good habits, such as
doing homework at a certain time
each night, getting a good night's rest
before school, and using lessons learned
in the classroom during family time.
Contact your child's teacher to learn
more about the lesson plan and what
youy can do at home to assist with your
student's education.
ATTEND SCHOOL BOARD
MEETINGS TO VOICE SUPPORT
Because important decisions that
impact teachers are often made by
those not in the classroom every day,
keeping tabs on the issues impacting
teachers and local school districts can
help you advocate for educators ifthe
need arises. Start by attending a few
school board meetings to learn how
they operate and get a handle on issues
directly impacting teachers. Then make
youy
r voice heard-or run for the
school board- to support policies
and actions that serve teachers' best
interests.
*
September 2023 * Cooperative Living * 21
PHOTO COURTESY GETTY IMAGES
http://www.co-opliving.com
Cooperative Living September 2023

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