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

The answer to the statement above is FALSE.

The beginning of the year in the field of education has always been stressful. However, with the Covid-19 pandemic crisis among us and years of a pandemic called systemic racism, stress for everyone is at an all-time high—especially educators. This time of year could not have been better for We Are Teachers and WE Teachers to partner together to create pertinent resources and training for teachers to aid them on trauma-led classrooms during this time. There is no time like right now that this is needed.

Let me tell you, educators, a little bit about the awesomeness of WE teachers! WE teachers is free program that is made possible by Walgreens. It is created for teachers all across America. It provides resources and training to support teachers in addressing critical social issues that students are facing today. At this time in education, this is exactly what educators need. WE teachers makes sure that every teacher in the U.S. has access to all the tools and training they need to support their students.

WE teachers has seven themes in which professional resources are available for teacher access. The themes are the introduction, mental well-being, bullying, a pandemic-informed community, poverty, diversity & inclusion and youth violence. In each of these themes, there are videos and modules that aid in the teacher training. With that being said, the theme that I chose to dive into was the mental well-being of students and educators. I chose this one to spend time learning because I feel that I can become more informed in the trauma that students face, but also the trauma that is faced by teachers and their well-being as well.

        In the modules, I gained so much valuable and critical information about student mental health challenges. The module of mental well-being was divided into five sections: Understanding the Issue, Common Mental Health Challenges and Conditions, Mental Well-being in the Classroom, The Importance of Teacher Well-being and References. This first section of this module addresses issues ranging from suicide, depression, self-esteem, body image, ADHD and more. In each of the learning sections, it begins with what was normal activity as it related to the mental health challenge, warning signs to look for and as educators, what we can do in each of the mental health challenges and conditions faced. It moves on to section 3 and discusses mental well-being in the classroom and emphasizes the importance of social-emotional learning and best practices for educators. It also includes lessons on well-being, empathy and mindfulness. These lessons were absolutely amazing and much needed. I even practiced some deep breathing for myself that was included in one of the lessons.

        The last section of the module is about the importance of Teacher Mental Well-being. This last section spoke to my soul. Teacher well-being is so incredibly important. We have to put our names at the top of the list self-care and well-being in order for us to be able to be there our students. We have to have our glasses full to be our full selves. It is important that we take the time to feed into our well-being and practice self-care in order to provide the support needed to help our students during this time. It is just that important.

        Another thing that I love about WE teachers is that they honor and appreciate educators. They have put so much thought and time into this free platform, but also it just shows just how much they want to support educators. They want to also give more to educators with The WE Teachers Award.

The WE Teachers Award recognizes that teachers do so much more than teach. We are mentors, guides, and leaders. This special award recognizes the teachers that go above and beyond their classroom and their community. Teachers can be nominated or apply for an award using the online application. WE Teachers is awarding 1,000 teachers with $500 Walgreens gift cards to be used to support teachers in their classroom! How amazing is that?!?!

        Click on the link to check out all the free WE Teachers modules, WE Schools Live and resources! You will not be disappointed! We need this! It is long overdue.