Career Life
Remember back in March and April when we were all suddenly home with our kids 24/7, trying to teach them, keep them engaged, and prevent them from destroying the house? We professed our gratitude to teachers on social media and pledged to show more appreciation and support in the future. Well, the future is now and teachers need support more than ever as they enter a new school year in the midst of a pandemic. There are many ways to support teachers – most without leaving your house.
1. Share your expertise.
Reach out to a teacher you know and offer to share your experience or expertise with her class. Talk about your trip to Australia. Demonstrate how to prepare a perfect omelet. Discuss proper dental hygiene. Introduce students to budgets, credit scores, and investing. You probably have a skill, knowledge, or experience teachers can use to build a great lesson plan. And you don’t even have to step foot inside a school to share it! You can present the information through Zoom or even a pre-recorded video.
2. Offer tech support.
If technology is your jam, there are teachers who would love your help. Offer to walk them through technology they are struggling with, such as adding video to a presentation or making sure their camera, microphone, and speakers are operational. Even just answering questions, such as the differences between Zoom and Google Meet, would be a big help for many teachers. If you’re a tech person, you probably have some old tablets or laptops you’re no longer using. Consider donating them to a teacher to pass on to a student in need.
Related: 20 Time-Saving Google Classroom Tricks for Teachers
3. Help erase a teacher’s Amazon wishlist.
Ask a teacher to share their classroom Amazon wishlist. Share it with your own network with the goal of wiping out the list completely. Many communities are using Facebook groups to work together to make sure teachers have supplies and teaching tools without maxing out their own credit cards.
4. Grab extra hand sanitizer and wipes.
Not ready to tackle a whole wishlist? No problem! Teachers who are returning to the classroom will be thrilled to receive Lysol wipes, hand sanitizer, hand soap, paper towels, and tissues. Most teachers are worried there won’t be enough at school and that they won’t be able to find the items when needed.
5. Volunteer to handle clerical tasks.
Some teachers will be working from home, while others will be back in their classrooms. Either way, they have more work than hours in the day. Offer to sanitize books, stable packets, laminate learning materials, or anything else they need.
6. Buy teachers gift certificates for food delivery.
A teacher’s day isn’t over when the students log out or get on the bus. There are still meetings, calls, papers to grade, lesson plans to create, and so much more. They’re exhausted by dinner time. Gift teachers with vouchers for takeout restaurants, grocery delivery, DoorDash, etc. Gift cards for coffee are also always appreciated.
7. Believe teachers when they raise concerns.
If teachers say they’re stressed out, overworked, exhausted, and feel unappreciated, believe them. If they say they’re worried about the safety of returning to school, believe them. Believe them when they talk about challenges in the education system. Bonus: ask how you can help.
8. Ask teachers their opinions when it’s time to vote.
One of the best ways to support teachers is to ask and listen to their thoughts when it comes to education policy. Ask how policies and candidates will impact students and teachers. Ask who they recommend for school board positions and why. Don’t understand something related to education on the ballot? Most teachers will be happy to chat with you about it.
9. Stand up for and advocate teachers.
One of the best ways to support teachers is to speak up when people are bashing them. People are horrible to teachers in the comments of news articles on social media. Stand up for teachers. Let bullies know you stand with teachers. If you’ve made the choices to listen to, believe, and stand up for teachers, advocating is the next step. Attend school district meetings. Write letters to policymakers. Vote in the best interest of teachers and students.
10. Prepare your children for the new school year.
One of the best ways to support teachers right now is to talk to your children about what to expect this school year. It’s going to be a whole different ballgame than what they’re used to. If your child is doing remote learning, discuss the schedule and video meeting etiquette. If your child is returning to a brick-and-mortar school, go over social distancing rules and talk about proper mask use. (Don’t share it with a friend, use it to store snacks, or sneeze into it.)
Need more ideas for ways to support teachers? Just ask a teacher how you can help! 2020-2021 is going to be a stressful year for most educators and they’ll be thrilled with any support and encouragement you can give.
