Education and Award Programs for Teachers During this Pandemic

This post is sponsored by WE Teachers, made possible by Walgreens. All opinions are my own.

With school starting across the country, many educators have had to make the mentally tasking decision to either teach in person or try to find a job where they can teach virtually. This stress has caused teachers to not only lament about how they can deliver instruction virtually but also the mental stress that teachers are enduring with a pandemic raging in our cities and the country looking for teachers to continually do more.

Three weeks ago our writers were given the opportunity to dive deep into some resources around teacher mental health and we were floored with what we found from the WE Teachers program.  Instead of spending hours scouring the internet researching resources, know that WE Teachers have resources and training that focus on a trauma-led classroom, the WE Teacher Award- all while working with Walgreens to support teachers from around the country. The mental health module was FREE and very digestible for the busy teacher (ME) with four sections: Understanding the issue, common mental health challenges, mental health well-being in the classroom, and the importance of teacher mental health.

As I worked through each module I took about a week to really reflect on the information and I came to these conclusions about my work as an educator:

• It's always evolving- ten years ago we weren't even discussing mental health for teachers.
• It's okay for us to stop and really evaluate our needs and then work to find resources.
• Resources are almost always helpful if we can have a community behind us.

As I work to go through the other modules, click here. In the meantime, here's some much-needed information about the WE Teachers programs and how to access it ASAP!

WE Teachers is a free program that provides resources and training to help to address critical social issues their students are facing today. WE Teachers ensure that every teacher in every school nationwide has access to the educational tools and training they need to support them and their students for future success.

WE Teachers presents seven modules directed at creating a trauma-informed classroom, where every educator feels confident in times of stress and every student feels safe. The resources are designed to help teachers gain a deeper understanding of the topics and relevant terms before learning about preventive actions, interventions, and policies.

There are 7 themes for which professional resources – modules and videos – are available. They range from mental well-being, Mental Well-being, bullying, pandemic-informed community, poverty, diversity & inclusion, and youth violence.

But that's not all they have- there's also the WE Teachers Award-where teaches are recognized as leaders, guides, and mentors and brings awareness to teachers who go above and beyond their classroom and community. There's a simple application process and 1,000 teachers will $500 Walgreens Gift Card to support their classrooms!