In today’s new normal, school districts and teachers have so many things to juggle in the classroom. Things like virtual learning, student and teacher fatigue, diversity and inclusion are all at the top of their minds.

The start of 2020 brought the excitement and beginnings of a new decade and has been one of the most memorable of my life. I was born in the last quarter of 1979, so this is the start of my 5^th decade. The excitement I felt at the beginning of the year for the new decade seems like so long ago at this point and that excitement has largely faded given the devastation that the COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked in America this past year. Facing this adversity has allowed me to look at life with a whole new perspective and an appreciation for just how fragile life really is.

TeacherTalk Open Forum:
The State of Remote Learning

Tuesday, September 22, 8:00 PM EDT
(A recording will be available to registrants)

Teaching amidst a pandemic isn’t for the faint of heart.

Let’s get real as we unload the down and dirty on what educators struggle with – and are learning to overcome – during remote teaching in the middle of COVID-19. Tune into this exclusive TeacherTalk where we reveal the results of a survey of what hundreds of teachers from across the nation are grappling with.

Educating, developing, and protecting our future is a big job, leaving little time to plan for retirement. But Retirement Homeroom can help.

Updated for the 2020-2021 school year, this refreshed website is full of new features and functionality to help your plan participants prepare for retirement.

• Interactive map that shows state pension grades
• Updated educational content
• Tools and resources that help educators plan for a secure retirement

TeacherTalk: Technology Edition

Thursday, September 3rd, 8:00 PM EDT
(A recording will be available to registrants)

Get ready for TeacherTalk: Technology Edition! Four educator panelists will be discussing anything and everything related to education technology, from the best online learning platforms, to creating an equitable playing field for students who don’t have access to the Internet.

This is part of a series of posts from nominees for our LifeChanger of the Year educator recognition program. We meet scores of fascinating LifeChangers every year who have interesting perspectives to share about children, education and life.

Have you ever been around a person who is happy-go-lucky one day, but in an entirely different mood the next day? They went from being inspirational to irrational. We’ve all been that person who’s guilty of “getting up on the wrong side of the bed.” But as adults, we often have the capacity to handle unexpected changes.

That’s not true for kids. They may not even have a bed to get out of.

Every year close to 10% of the American population moves their primary residence. That translates into 32 million people according to U.S. census data from 2018. (Census Bureau, 2019)

Some students face challenging situations outside of school that they aren’t equipped to handle. In order to create a productive classroom environment, educators must help these students unpack their trauma and feel safe.

“Love first, teach second” is the motto of this year’s LifeChanger of the Year grand prize winner. These four words have become a tenant that Eric Crouch lives by as he nurtures and shapes the lives of fifth grade students in his Columbus, Georgia school community.

America’s teachers have long been creative in finding ways to make connections with their students to help ensure that the children in their classrooms absorb the lessons they’re trying to share.

But when those classrooms became remote connections via videoconference, teachers found they had to up their games just to make sure they had the students’ attention.