Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1158290
T H E F I R S T Y E A R in the classroom brings a mix of excitement, enthusi- asm and nagging worry. ere's anxiety about fitting in, gaining student respect, and wondering how much support you'll be able to access. After all the schooling and student teaching, things are about to get real. It can be a little overwhelming. Surveys have found that as many as 45 percent of new teachers leave the profession before their fifth year, citing stress and lack of resources as top reasons. is has created a shortage of teachers and education support professionals for many school districts across California. CTA's New Educator Weekend (NEW) conferences are working to make a difference for new educators. NEW 's sessions cover : • Classroom management to create a productive and inspiring learning environment. • Navigating IEPs and special education areas. • "What I wish I knew my first years of teaching." • CTA resources and programs such as profes- sional development, CTA's Retirement Savings Plan, CTA Member Benefits and more. e NEW conferences also allow educators to connect with others and learn about the value of CTA membership. ose who have attended note that the experience was "priceless," and that the conference left them inspired, motivated and more confident of their success. CTA auto and home insurance partner California Casualty supports NEW with conference registration scholarships for educators in their first three years of teaching. is past year, California Casualty awarded 13 scholarships to CTA members through various CTA service centers. Association of Rowland Educators President Shay Lohman was thrilled with the opportunity to help one of their members. "Our member walked away from the New Educator Weekend with a deeper understanding of our union, and the benefits that unionism provides," he says. "We are excited to work with great community partners such as California Casualty that share our union values." " Working with our local chapters to engage and assist our newest CTA members is a major focus for all of us at California Casualty. California Casualty field marketing manager Tami Phillips (left) with NEW conference scholarship recipient Stephanie Gospe. "I found the classroom management and lesson planning sessions very helpful." —Stephanie Gospe, Sebastopol Elementary Teachers Association New Educators Get a Boost Conference scholarships support member training, networking By Mark Goldberg, California Casualty We a re h a ppy t o b e a b l e t o h e l p m a ny d e s e r v i n g educators in their efforts to learn and grow in their profession," says California Casualty Assistant Vice President Lisa Almeida. First-year educator Stephanie Gospe, from the Sebas- topol Elementary Teachers Association, was another scholarship recipient. She says the weekend alleviated much of the apprehension she was facing as a new teacher. "I found the classroom management and lesson planning sessions very helpful." G o sp e a n d h er hu sb a n d al s o decided to see if the CTA auto and home insurance program from Cal- ifornia Casualty could benefit them. ey combined their policies with California Casualty and ended up saving over $400 a year. California Casualty will be pro- viding more opportunities for new educators to attend New Educator Weekends this com- ing year. Contact your local chapter or service center for information. A n d l e a r n m o r e a b o u t t h e b e n e f i t s C T A m e m b e r s r e c e i v e f r o m C a l i f o r n i a C a s u a l t y a t calcas.com/CTA, and all your member benefits at CTAMemberBenefits.org. CTA's New Educator Weekends take place Dec. 6–8 in San Diego and Feb. 21–23 in Burlingame; go to ctago.org to register. CTA offers incentive grants to attend. Learn more at ctago.org/conference-grants. 62 cta.org CTA & You