Your list of things to do is likely long – things to grade, read, and review. With so much to do, sometimes you just need a minute. Whether you’re waiting on someone or something or procrastinating on a project you don’t know how to tackle, it can be easy to let your focus drift somewhere else, especially with the world just a few clicks away.

Are you doing it right now? Wait, that’s OK! That distraction trap isn’t all bad. Science even supports brain breaks (Psychology Today). In fact, taking a few minutes to do something else can make you more effective. Ultimately, a walk, a power nap, or a conversation might do more, but sometimes those aren’t possible. Even reading something else unrelated to what you’ve been doing can be enough to give you a recharge.

We’ve gathered some great articles that let you know what educators are doing and experiencing across the nation. There’s a wide range of topics, but they all focus on educators like you. We hope you’ll take a peek into a few of these topics. Who knows what inspiration you might find to keep doing the great things you do!

Ecosystems and Collaboration

• “‘Not a competition, it’s a collaboration’” – Superintendents encourage collaboration across districts.
• “STEM: ‘future-proofing the workforce’” – A STEM Alliance director offers his perspective on collaboration.
• “‘Stay in Yankton’” – Training students to meet local career needs.

Coding and Robotics

• “Robotics helps rural Appalachia students make career connections” –Teaching STEM using robotics gives students experiences that lead to more career opportunities.
• “They see me rollin’” – Building on personal interests can enhance your teaching techniques.
• “Robo-mentoring” – The journey of growing from an after-school club to a FIRST^® Tech Challenge team brings rewarding results.

Classroom Inspiration

• “Not all business” – Teaching something new and completely different than before can be overwhelming but very doable.
• “South Dakota teachers test drive, take to KUBO” – New classroom technology leads to unexpected opportunities.
• “Inspiring Innovator from Fredonia, KS” – A teacher breaks down subject matter silos.
• “‘Every kid is a genius’” – Difficult-to-reach students respond to the opportunity to tap into their genius.
• “Pitsco a constant for this Prudent Planner” – A teacher finds timeless hands-on activities.
• “Inspiring Innovator imparts love of discovery to her students” – A teacher sees a need and fills it. 
• “‘A really good way to learn’” – One curriculum reaches all types of learners.

If you just can’t get enough, search our blogs or check out our Success Stories or Newsroom. Also, don’t forget to subscribe to as many of our publications as you like at Pitsco.com/Publications to get inspiration, resources, and news in your inbox. Or you can download the publications to read later when you find you need a productive distraction.

Resources:
“How Do Work Breaks Help Your Brain? 5 Surprising Answers”