child education
5 Ways to Support Teachers this Fall
Last Updated on July 27, 2024 by Daily News Staff
(Family Features) Throughout the pandemic, teachers have gone above and beyond for their students, becoming not just educators, but also counselors, role models and friends to their students by supporting their overall well-being.
Even so, only 52% of teachers feel valued by their communities, according to PDK International, a professional association for educators. What’s more, teachers are more burnt out than ever, with 81% reporting their workloads have increased and 55% sharing they have less time for planning than before, according to a State of Teaching survey conducted by Adopt a Classroom.
Heading back to school means stocking up on supplies, updating wardrobes and planning new routines for hassle-free mornings. This fall, as you prepare for the new school year, consider these ideas for supporting your children’s teachers, too:
Volunteer in the Classroom
With the extra roles and responsibilities many teachers have taken on in recent years, there aren’t enough hours in the day to complete special projects or keep up with certain tasks. Ask teachers how you can lend a hand. That might mean spending some time physically in the classroom, or there may be ways you can support your children’s classes from home, such as assembling instructional packets or researching field trip ideas.
Recognize Teachers Who Go Above and Beyond
Chances are good you know at least a few educators who have gone beyond the call of duty and made an exceptional impact on their students. Honoring their contributions shows appreciation for all they do. One way to demonstrate your gratitude is by nominating educators for Staples’ fourth annual #ThankATeacher contest, which recognizes 20 stand-out educators who go above and beyond for their students. Winners’ schools will be awarded $5,000 in classroom essentials for the upcoming school year. Learn more about how to nominate a teacher at staplesconnect.com/thankateacher.1
Be a Partner in Your Child’s Learning at Home
Supporting teachers isn’t just about the classroom and supplies; you can also provide a helping hand by creating good habits and modeling the importance of education at home. Actions like creating routines that keep students on a comfortable, familiar schedule help teachers manage classrooms more effectively. You can also make communication with your children’s teachers a priority so you’re aware of concerns and can help address them early.
Donate School Supplies
Often, teachers dip into their own income to create fun, engaging learning experiences and supplement student supplies when they run low. In fact, the average teacher spends $745 on supplies for their classrooms that are not covered by school budgets. According to Adopt a Classroom’s State of Teaching survey, 71% of teachers spent more of their own money on classroom materials in 2022 than during the previous year.
You can ask teachers what supplies they need, or you can give back to teachers through Staples’ Classroom Rewards program. Join for free and earn 5% back on every qualifying purchase for you and 10% back of qualifying purchases to donate to local teachers. The program helps reduce teachers’ out of pocket costs for their classrooms by allowing them to earn up to $2,000 a year.
Attend School Board Meetings and Voice Support
Keeping tabs on the issues affecting your school district and teachers is an important part of monitoring and advocating for your children’s education, but it’s also a way for you to lend your support on topics affecting teachers. Stay informed about issues that matter to your children’s teachers and support school board policies and actions that serve teachers’ best interests.
1NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Void where prohibited. Open to 50 U.S./D.C., 18 or older as of date of entry who possess a web-enabled mobile device as of July 24, 2022. Begins 12:00 am ET on July 25, 2022 and ends 11:59 pm ET on August 15, 2022. Sponsored by Staples® the Office Superstore, LLC. For complete rules and eligibility, visit staplesconnect.com/thankateacher.
Photos courtesy of Getty Images
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Staples
Our Lifestyle section on STM Daily News is a hub of inspiration and practical information, offering a range of articles that touch on various aspects of daily life. From tips on family finances to guides for maintaining health and wellness, we strive to empower our readers with knowledge and resources to enhance their lifestyles. Whether you’re seeking outdoor activity ideas, fashion trends, or travel recommendations, our lifestyle section has got you covered. Visit us today at https://stmdailynews.com/category/lifestyle/ and embark on a journey of discovery and self-improvement.
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The Substitute Teacher Who Wanted Blueprints of Our House
A fifth-grade assignment took a strange turn when a substitute teacher asked students to draw schematics of their homes. What followed — a wildly fictional floor plan and a priceless reaction from my mom — turned into one of my funniest childhood memories.
Last Updated on December 8, 2025 by Daily News Staff
The Substitute Teacher Who Wanted Blueprints of Our House
Elementary school memories tend to blend together — cafeteria pizza, playground arguments, the eternal struggle of times tables — but every once in a while, something happens that sticks with you for life. For me, that moment came in the fifth grade during a week when our regular teacher was out, and we cycled through substitute teachers like we were testing models for durability. By midweek, in walked a substitute with a mysterious, slightly intense energy — the kind of vibe that suggested he either meditated at dawn or worked a graveyard shift doing something he couldn’t talk about. We settled into our seats, expecting worksheets or quiet reading time. But nope. He had other plans. “Today,” he announced, “we’re going to draw schematics of our houses.” Schematics. Not drawings. Not little houses with smoke coming out of the chimney. Actual blueprint-style schematics. He wanted the layout of our bedrooms, our parents’ rooms, and where the pets slept. Every detail. Now, to be fair, Highlights Magazine did have a feature that month teaching kids how to draw floor plans. So maybe he was just a bit overenthusiastic about cross-curricular learning. Or maybe — and this is my completely rhetorical adult theory — he worked the graveyard shift as a cat burglar gathering intel between heists. Just moonlighting between blueprints. While the rest of the class tried their best to recreate their actual homes, my imagination sprinted in a totally different direction. The house I drew had:- A massive master bedroom with an oversized bathroom for my parents
- Separate bedrooms for us kids on the opposite side of the house
- A kitchen placed right in the center like a command center
- And the dog — the true VIP — had a luxurious two-story doghouse
Later that day, my mom asked the usual question: “So, what did you guys do today?” “We drew schematics of our house,” I said casually. The look on her face was instant and intense. She wasn’t panicked, but there was definitely a “Why does a substitute teacher need to know the exact layout of my home?” expression happening. Parental instincts activated. But then I showed her my diagram. She stared at it. Blinked. Then sighed with massive relief. “This isn’t our house,” she said. “Nope! I made it up,” I replied proudly. Her shoulders relaxed so much she probably lost five pounds of tension in one instant. If the substitute was secretly planning a heist, my masterpiece of misinformation would have sent him to the wrong house entirely. Looking back, the whole moment feels like a sitcom setup — a mysterious substitute collecting “house schematics,” me creating a completely fictional piece of architecture, and my mom going on a full emotional journey in under 30 seconds. Maybe he was just excited about the Highlights Magazine floor-plan activity. Or maybe — just maybe — he moonlighted in cat burglary. We’ll never know. But if he was, I like to think I threw him completely off the scent.Enjoy this story?
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Preparing for the Future of Work: Tips to help teens choose a career path
Preparing for the Future of Work: American teens are optimistic about their careers despite concerns over AI’s impact. Many value internships and real-world experience over degrees, and are weighing passion against pay, seeking balance in their future career choices.
Last Updated on December 2, 2025 by Daily News Staff
Preparing for the Future of Work: Tips to help teens choose a career path
(Family Features) American teens are preparing for a workforce shaped by AI, new approaches to education and economic uncertainty. While challenges are real, optimism remains high.
In fact, 94% of teens said they are optimistic about their future careers, reflecting a strong sense of hope and ambition, according to research from Junior Achievement and Citizens. The two organizations have partnered for more than 18 years to advance financial empowerment nationwide, with the bank allocating funding and volunteer support, including more than $630,000 in 2025 to support financial empowerment programs that give people the confidence and tools they need to budget, save, invest and pursue their goals.
However, 57% of teens surveyed believe AI has negatively impacted their career outlook, raising concerns about job replacement and the need for new skills.
“Today’s teens face a rapidly changing world, from the rise of AI to shifts in education and careers,” said Susan LaMonica, chief human resources officer at Citizens. “The survey shows they know the importance of adaptability and continuous learning.”
To help teens build skills for emerging roles and navigate their futures, consider these tips from the experts at Junior Achievement, the world’s largest organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their futures and make smart academic and economic choices.
Explore Internships
Success depends on more than credentials alone. Survey respondents believe networking (50%) and internships (41%) are keys to future success. What’s more, 56% believe real-world experience is more valuable than a four-year degree. Internships can provide that experience and allow students to test their interest in a field while building their professional networks, developing skills that can be applied to a range of career paths, identifying strengths and weaknesses and clarifying future goals.
Consider Post-High School Education
Teens’ perspectives on education reflect their uneasiness. Only 40% of teens surveyed believe a four-year degree is always a good investment. At the same time, about 6 in 10 believe a bachelor’s or graduate degree is still necessary for their chosen profession, which shows how complicated these decisions can be. While many careers require a college diploma, that isn’t the only path to career success. In addition to traditional four-year universities, consider alternate education paths such as trade schools or technical programs, apprenticeships, two-year degree programs or professional certifications if applicable to your career path.
Weigh Passion Against Pay
While most teens surveyed (63%) said they would prefer a good-paying job even if it comes with stress, many are weighing passion against pay as they explore career opportunities. In fact, some top industries in which teens plan to pursue a job include health care and life sciences (30%), arts and music (27%) and content creation and digital media (25%), further showcasing that willingness. Many students are also exploring less traditional routes to build security and opportunity, with 87% expecting to earn extra income through side hustles, gig work or social media content creation.
“The data illustrates how the stressors on young people are compounding year after year,” said Tim Greinert, president of Junior Achievement USA. “It also shows how resilient and savvy students are these days in terms of understanding the world around them and deciphering the best path to the future that’s best for them.”
To learn more about preparing for future success and find full survey results, visit JA.org/FutureOfWork.
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Last Updated on November 3, 2025 by Daily News Staff
(Family Features) Encouraging a successful education for your kids while promoting fun after-school learning may never be easier than right now. From wearables to virtual reality headsets and beyond, the latest tech-enabled devices let families enhance classroom experiences while engaging in downtime together after the final school bell rings.
Find more gadgets to help families balance learning and pleasure this school year at qualcomm.com.
First Work Then Play
A practical choice, the Lenovo Duet 3 Chromebook is an ideal work and play device for a hyper-mobile student, delivering superior experiences with an 11-inch 2K near-borderless display. Faster connectivity options, all-day battery life and the powerful, fanless and efficient performance of the Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 Compute Platform ensure things get done. Thanks to the speedy, secure and simple-to-use Chrome OS, you can tackle tasks on this 2-in-1’s detachable keyboard with anti-pry, water-resistant keys then seamlessly switch to pleasure pursuits by folding into tablet mode.
Lightweight, Powerful Computing
Weighing in at less than 1.2kg, the convertible Acer Chromebook Spin 513 is not only light but also barely larger than a sheet of paper so it slips easily into any compact bag or backpack. Powered by the Snapdragon 7c Compute Platform, it delivers more than enough processing power, battery life and reliable connectivity to get you or your student through the day. A quick flip between laptop and tablet modes means it can be used to doodle, watch classroom instruction and learn on the go. Built-in cellular connectivity means the device seamlessly converts between 4G LTE and trusted Wi-Fi networks.
Wearable Connectivity
Powered by the Snapdragon Wear 2500 Platform, the Gabb Watch is a safe wearable phone for kids that does extra duty as a GPS tracker, phone and interactive smartwatch. The watch offers kid-friendly sweat and dirt resistance and enables GPS tracking, calling, voice and text messaging to help parents and kids stay connected. With a lock mode, safe zone location management and emergency notifications, it’s a smart first step toward independence for junior users.
Headset Hero
Designed from the ground up to drive advanced features, Snapdragon XR2 is the force behind the Meta Quest 2 headset’s freedom of movement and high-resolution display. This headset allows families to become completely immersed in the virtual reality applications and games played for maximum adventure experiences. Even better, hundreds of hit games, one-of-a-kind experiences and a growing community await users of this next-level hardware that’s both easy to set up and safe to use.
A Phone to Keep Everyone Connected
Choosing a phone means looking for the fastest speeds, highest resolution camera, loudest audio and boldest display.Powered by the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Mobile Platform processor, the motorola edge+ (2022) delivers. This industry-leading smartphone is a high-performance choice that brings unparalleled processing power on the industry’s fastest mobile platform, fueling cutting-edge 5G, AI, gaming, camera and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technologies. What’s more, features like extended battery life and 512 GB of storage mean your phone is ready whenever you are.
Photo courtesy of Getty Images (Mom and Son)
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Qualcomm
Our Lifestyle section on STM Daily News is a hub of inspiration and practical information, offering a range of articles that touch on various aspects of daily life. From tips on family finances to guides for maintaining health and wellness, we strive to empower our readers with knowledge and resources to enhance their lifestyles. Whether you’re seeking outdoor activity ideas, fashion trends, or travel recommendations, our lifestyle section has got you covered. Visit us today at https://stmdailynews.com/category/lifestyle/ and embark on a journey of discovery and self-improvement.
Our Lifestyle section on STM Daily News is a hub of inspiration and practical information, offering a range of articles that touch on various aspects of daily life. From tips on family finances to guides for maintaining health and wellness, we strive to empower our readers with knowledge and resources to enhance their lifestyles. Whether you’re seeking outdoor activity ideas, fashion trends, or travel recommendations, our lifestyle section has got you covered. Visit us today at https://stmdailynews.com/category/lifestyle/ and embark on a journey of discovery and self-improvement.
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