Teachers Helping Teachers--and Animals? ~ amanda beth online

I know what you are thinking . . . she's crazy. Or, perhaps, you are thinking--at this time of year, my students are "animal enough" for me! I get it! I wanted to share with you something that has been eating away at me for a while, and I finally decided to act on it!

Two years ago, I finally convinced my husband to let us adopt a "rescue kitty" from a new organization in our community dedicated to not only saving animals, but educating people about the pet population. I had wanted a pet for my family since we lost our other cat to cancer many years ago. I won't tell you exactly what my husband got in the bargain--but let's just say that we have two cars AND another vehicle in our garage right now.

It did NOT take Milo long to forget he was abandoned and to believe he is king of our castle!

Milo, our furbaby, was the very first adoption from "Wish Upon a Paw", and adding a new family member has been a wonderful learning experience for me and for my older son--far more than having something to cuddle with on the couch! We have both helped the organization by volunteering in a few different ways, and we are continually impressed with how hard these people work--and for no compensation. They are constantly organizing fund raisers and finding ways to make every penny count so they can help more animals find their "forever homes".

Although we have helped out some, I have felt like there might be more I can do--and I came up with the idea of creating a product for my store where all the profits go to this organization. My word problem sets have been growing in popularity, so I thought making a set of these on a "pet" theme might be fun--and I could commit to donating every penny of the profits to this organization.

This has inspired other talk in our house, and my son is now looking into planning a special baseball camp at his high school for special needs students and is eager to get more involved in the service club at school. Who would have thought that a little furball who was abandoned, rescued, and then placed in our home could have inspired our family to start doing more for others?

So . . . I have no teaching tips today! I simply challenge each one of you to find a way to make a difference beyond your classroom--whether it be volunteering . . . or finding a few extra pennies to donate to a cause that you value . . . or by talking to your students about "paying it forward" by doing good deeds. As we continue to see horrific news scroll across our screens and we feel increasing pressures at home and work--we CAN continue to make the world a better place! Interested in checking out the "Rescue Pets" problem set? Here it is!

Rescue Pets: Word Problems for Charity!

I'd love to hear other ways you are making a difference in YOUR communities! Share your ideas in the comments--what you are doing may inspire the rest of us to do more! Please enjoy your last weeks of school--and make sure to check out the amazing posts that have been appearing over the last weeks here at ATUE!