Education Resources Blog

Teacher Appreciation Week 2024 is May 6th-10th and while we at VariQuest appreciate teachers every day, many stores and restaurants give special recognition and discounts to our nation's educators next week, and some all year-long! I've compiled a list of some of my favorites - just be sure to check to see if your location is participating, and always have your valid school I.D. handy:

Here at VariQuest, many of our education consultants were once teachers themselves, and all of them have credible voices that they bring to the table thanks to their backgrounds. Not only that, but almost all of our employees in every department are well-connected in the education world - through family, friends, or the wonderful educators our children are taught by, in their schools. And we know that every educator has a unique story to share, and deserves as much support as we can give them. Recently our Director of Sales, Jason Butts, sat down with his friend Anna, a Moderate-to-Severe High School Life Skills Special Education Teacher at Prior Lake High School in Minnesota, to learn more about her unique story.

A February 2022 National Education Association survey of its members revealed that 55% of educators were ready to leave the profession they loved earlier than planned. Factors like low pay, support staff shortages, school safety, and the stresses of post-pandemic teaching have led to widespread burnout and exhaustion like we've never seen before. Keeping quality teachers who are passionate about making a difference in students' lives is obviously of the utmost importance. And while teacher compensation and staffing shortages may be a constant puzzle to solve, there are a few ways you can help teachers feel supported enough to stick around. Here are some of the ways you can approach increasing teacher retention, and how VariQuest can help.

At the beginning of the school year, educators might be feeling excited, hopeful, stressed, or maybe apprehensive about what's to come. As the year moves along, the uncertainty felt at the beginning becomes more certain as teachers settle into what works with their specific set of students, but as an administrator you want to do everything possible to keep that excitement and hopeful momentum going. While more pay and coworker comradery are obvious benefits in a workplace, here are three things teachers want to stay motivated and happy in their schools - alongside ways we at VariQuest can help.

Finding teachers. Keeping teachers. Supporting teachers. Inspiring teachers. Helping teachers. When it comes to giving teachers the support they need to do their jobs effectively, we can all pitch in to make the job easier. For an administrator, providing an efficient, favorable work environment is of the utmost importance to maintain staff morale and promote creativity and student success. As teachers are stretched in many different directions navigating not only standard curriculum, but supporting the social-emotional growth of students while handling classroom and behavioral management, providing tools that can help do all of these things should be at the top of the priority list. How can you help save time, save money, and save sanity - to make your teachers' lives easier?

Anoka/Washington County Head Start, based in Coon Rapids, MN, provides education, nutrition, mental health, school readiness and parent engagement services to children (aged 3-5) and families from income-eligible households. With nearly 115 dedicated staff, this Head Start program is equipped to foster a Pre-K learning environment for hundreds of enrolled children and families to learn, grow and thrive! As Kristi Edmonds, Child Development Services Coordinator with Anoka/Washington County Head Start trains and provides mentoring services to staff, she focuses on the overall experience of the classroom - guiding and supporting everyday needs for curriculum implementation. To help with this effort, the decision was made in June of 2017 to invest in the VariQuest Cutout Maker 1800, using State and Federal Grant Funding.

For 30 years, Greece Professional Learning Center (PLC) in Rochester, NY has been providing academic resources and professional learning opportunities to educators and community groups. Having the VariQuest Cutout Maker 1800, “...has changed how we support teachers,” says Marguerite Dimgba, Program Director. With over 4,500 shapes to choose from in a variety of sizes, teachers are able to create academic resources that support the needs of the students in their classrooms in areas such as social emotional learning and culturally responsive education.

The floors are polished, the desks are clean, the pencils are sharpened, and the “Welcome Back” bulletin board is up. Teachers across the country have spent the last few weeks cleaning, organizing, decorating, and planning for their new classes. A new school year is underway! As educators, we have a huge responsibility to our students, along with the parents who have entrusted their children to us. Whether you’re a rookie or a veteran, there will be days that it feels like you’re trying to push a peanut up a mountain. And there will be days that you feel every effort goes unnoticed. And then, there will be days that you see a child’s eyes light up with excitement when they finally “get it!” Those are the days that you’ll know exactly why you chose to become a teacher.

Dear Teachers, Tuesday May 9, 2017 has been designated as National Teacher Appreciation Day. Many schools and communities will be recognizing teachers throughout the week with muffins and luncheons, and maybe cards and gifts from students and their parents. It’s about you, and I hope that you feel the appropriate appreciation within your own community. I wanted to take a moment to go beyond the generic Hallmark sentiment and express deeper gratitude for all that you do for our kids and our communities. At a time when education is often criticized, scrutinized, and disparaged over test scores and graduation rates, a day of recognition that falls between Star Wars Day and National Tourists Day may feel less than satisfying. You’ve been tasked with one of the most vital jobs in our society, and your sphere of influence exceeds the essential skills our children must be able to demonstrate for evaluative purposes. You spend valuable time, energy, and money on things that go far beyond lesson plans, report cards, and bulletin boards.