Miscellaneous
Want online PD for teacher productivity but don't want to pay out of pocket? We've got you covered. The upcoming school year is going to be different than anything we’ve faced before as educators. I don’t yet know what’s going to happen with school budgets, or what our approach to teaching in the “new normal” will be like. But what I DO know is that as a teacher, you’re going to need more support than ever in managing your workload and staying in balance. The 40 Hour Teacher Workweek has already helped more than 32,000 teachers take control of their time, and the program is getting brand new updates for this summer’s cohort. 40 Hour is online professional development for teacher productivity, designed to help you find a sustainable way to teach. Each month throughout the yearlong program, you’ll get timely practical resources for getting organized, streamlining your workflow, and staying focused on what really moves the needle for kids. The Full Year program is only offered once a year — it starts in July, and with early bird access beginning June 8th. You can’t join YET, but I wanted you to have a heads up now about alternative ways to get funding. That way if paying out of pocket isn’t a good option, you can plan to have the $149 covered when the club opens next month: Apply for a scholarship. We’re TRIPLING the number of scholarships for the upcoming cohort — 60 applicants will get to join the club for free! — and extending the application period through May 25th. See if your school has unused PD funds that must be spent by June 30th. With conferences and speakers cancelled, there may be money for professional development right now that wouldn’t normally be available. We’ll make sure the invoice shows a May or June date, and get you enrolled before the fiscal year ends. Ask your admin about enrolling in online PD for the coming school year to support you in the new teaching expectations. Even with budget cuts, there is always funding allocated to PD that must be used for only that purpose. Most districts will be prioritizing online PD next year instead of face-to-face, and 40 Hour is one of the most affordable options available. Get DonorsChoose funding. 40 Hour is a recognized PD provider with DonorsChoose, and you can raise funds to help you learn best practices for maximizing instructional time. We have verbiage you can use to help create the project and explain how it benefits kids. So If you teach in a public school in the United States, you can create what’s called a “special project” and solicit donations for PD just like you would for any other DonorsChoose request. The project must be fully funded by July 15th, 2020, in order for you to join with the July cohort. Ask friends or family to sponsor you. We have quite a few members who received their membership as a present. If you have an upcoming birthday or other celebration, tell folks that this course is the gift you need most. Gift certificates are available now for purchase. Whether you’ll be teaching remotely, working on a staggered schedule, using a hybrid model, or some other new reality … you won’t have to figure out what next school year is going to look like on your own. This program will connect you with emerging best practices and a community of other teachers who are committed to being truly intentional with their time and staying focused on what matters most. And the best part? Whenever the fall-out from this crisis is behind us and social distancing is no longer a concern for schools in your local area, you’ll STILL have access to all the resources you need. The July 2020 cohort is also going to get all the “regular” materials which are designed for face-to-face instruction, so you can utilize them as soon as they’re relevant. That’s because this program is designed to help you simplify throughout your teaching career — no matter what or where or how you teach later on. Yep — you keep your access to all the materials AND the Facebook group indefinitely, and can revisit them anytime! Go to 40htw.com to learn more about how to join at no cost to you, or sign up to be notified when we begin enrolling for early bird access on June 7th. I hope you’ll decide to join us this summer. None of us have all the answers, but we’re smarter together, and I’ve seen firsthand how innovative this community of teachers has been since day one. I’m willing to do the hard work of finding the emerging best practices and work-arounds for you next year, so you can cut through any mixed messages and impossible-sounding expectations to find a sustainable way to teach. Your mental, emotional, and physical health are more important now than ever, and I’m not giving up on my quest to help teachers stay in balance and show up as the best version of themselves each day. It’s not going to be easy, but we can do this, together.