TEACHER PARTICIPATES IN ONLINE SURVEY THAT SUPPORTS TEACHERS AND WINS IN-HOME WORKOUT EQUIPMENT
Several teachers from the Hampstead and Timberlane Regional school districts participated in an online survey hosted by No Teachers Left Behind and won in-home-workout prizes. Timberlane’s Missy DiBenedetto was awarded a treadmill and weights, while others were awarded health and wellness products and services. Ms. DiBenedetto, a second-grade teacher at Sandown North, was thrilled to learn of her winning prizes. Her survey entries spoke to the challenges of remote learning in relation to keeping active, as working out regularly serves as a major stress release for her. She shared her reasons for becoming a teacher in the first place, where school for her had been a safe place and she wanted to offer the same to others. That being a stabilizing role model to children, where trust and respect can grow, is paramount to her role as educator, and most importantly, in order to be the best version of yourself, you need to take care of yourself. Ms. DiBenedetto will use her new treadmill and weights to train for the upcoming Chicago Marathon. She will also continue to coach the Girls On The Run program at Sandown North where physical health and self-esteem are the primary focus.
No Teachers Left Behind was founded by Dr. Judy Murray who asserts a personal passion to provide self-care support and assistance to teachers of the 21st Century. As a former educator herself, and with a degree in counseling, Dr. Murray understands the pressures and challenges associated with education expectations today and notes the demands of the teacher are at an all-time high with respect to the current pandemic and remote learning expectations. Dr. Murray’s goal is to endeavor to meet the health and well-being needs of teachers by providing products and services that empower them to take the necessary time to care for themselves so that they can be their best in the classroom. Secondary, is her mission to bring about public awareness of the needs and challenges of today’s teacher.
Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Earl Metzler, couldn’t agree more. As a member of the Board of Directors for No Teachers Left Behind and with an extensive background in public education, Dr. Metzler can attest that educators nowadays are charged with providing more than just classroom instruction. With today’s families facing a number of challenges, the effects of those challenges are making their way into the classroom. Schools across the nation have had to supplement their programming with System of Care initiatives that address the increase of social-emotional needs of students. Remote instruction has its own sets of demands as educators must now navigate a new system to deliver meaningful instruction to students while managing their own households – households with their own fulltime needs.
Our teachers serve on the frontlines of our education system. They are the faces behind the teaching and learning with real challenges of their own. Day in and day out they put their students first, they dedicate their time, well outside of the school day, towards the betterment of their students. Ms. DiBenedetto sets an excellent example of caring for the whole child by using her personal talent of running to encourage and empower students through the Girls On The Run program. Timberlane and Hampstead are fortunate to have a high number of incredible educators that genuinely care about the quality of their lessons because they genuinely care about their students. I am truly concerned about what appears to be a lack of appreciation for educators today. We need to separate educators from the mindset of being just an extension of the institution of public education as they are real people with aspirations to see their students succeed both academically and in life. Teaching is a profession that has been long due for the recognition and compensation it deserves. I support our educators at all levels of education, and I support No Teachers Left Behind’s endeavors towards this end. – Dr. Earl Metzler