Teaching, perhaps, is one of the noblest professions but rarely appreciated. Teachers, instructors, professors, or whatever they may be called are investing not just their career but their whole being as they guide others, especially the younger generation.
It was once said that “Teaching is a profession of sacrifice.” Teachers have to sacrifice their time, resources, and sometimes even their own emotional and mental health. Theirs is the job that does not end once they leave the campus.
Their job extends way more than the 6-7 hours workday because even after the school hours, they still have to grade papers, check exams and revise their lesson plans. Sometimes, they even have to set aside their own personal struggles in order to counsel their students and help them improve their academic standing.
As teachers, they also serve as role models both inside and outside the classroom. Being so, how they value their time is one of the virtues that the students could most likely learn from their teachers, whether intentionally or not.
Inside the classroom, it is vital for teachers to arrive in time or even earlier than their schedule. Outside, since most teachers to take other jobs to make ends meet such as teaching in summer schools or tutoring in review centers for test takers.
Having said these, it is vital for teachers to have watches that can show time accurately.
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Best Watches For Teachers
Should Teachers Wear Traditional Wristwatches or Smartwatches?
Choosing a watch suitable for teachers is quite simpler as compared to other professions – such as those of lawyers whose watches should be stylish and classy or those of firefighters whose watches need to be durable and water-resistant. Teachers, on the other hand, require only the basics: affordable and can tell time accurately.
Typically, teachers could opt for traditional wristwatches – those that have an analog display and are usually more affordable. However, those who have a busier lifestyle due to multiple jobs would prefer smartwatches so they can access various apps without holding their phone in the classroom.
Traditional Wristwatches for Convenience
Unlike other professions or hobby that may require specific features in their smartwatches, teachers don’t really need too much from their watch so a fine, durable, and budget-friendly watch will already do just fine.
Traditional wrist watches are also practically wise especially for those who have to commute to and from school.
It will also not entice or cause any envy to the students or other school staff. Besides, there are other more valuable things that teachers would rather invest in.
Budget Pick: Timex Weekender
Timex Weekender watches offer a perfect combination of stylish minimalism, versatility, surprising durability while keeping their affordability.
The Weekender’s face shuns away from those gigantic designs, measuring only either 38mm or 40mm. It is simple and classy to function as it originally supposed to: tell time. Moreover, one of its ingenious features is its interchangeable nylon or leather strap so you can make it look more formal or casual as you’d like.
Because of its cheaper price compared to other watches in the market, most people think that it probably won’t last that long.
However, such is not the case. The Weekender is NOT designed to last for only a year. Surely its life goes beyond that. The best part, the Timex Weekender is probably one of the cheapest watch lines you’d find with all those great features.
For Men, you’d want to consider the Timex Men’s TW2P85900 Weekender and the Timex Women’s T2P370 Weekender for Women. Nonetheless, Amazon offers a wide variety of Timex Weekender models.
Reliable Accuracy: Casio Wave Ceptor
Since TIME is one of the ‘things’ largely valued by teachers, it is also only proper to have an atomic watch that can tell time accurately through the time-calibration radio signals. Considering the mechanism used to calibrate atomic watches, you might think that they would probably cost too much. That is why Casio Wave Ceptor watches are just right for teachers who don’t want to miss even a second or waste a single penny they worked hard for.
The Casio Men’s Wave Ceptor and Casio Women’s Wave Ceptor are the models that would, or might, surprise you.
Casio Wave Ceptors are solar-powered watches. The watch face of a Casio Wave Ceptor is semi-transparent to allow the light to go in so as to charge the solar cells that power the watch. They also have both analog and digital display so you can read it accurately.
For the digital display, the default you will see it the digital time or the date. However, through the buttons on the side, you will be able to access all the other functions. Its LCD screen also has a backlight that can be activated you will still be able to see the date or work around your watch even in darker environments.
The analog display, on the other hand, keeps the simplicity of the watch with hour indices and luminescent hands. There are also additional hour and number index marks around the face to help its wearer read the time easily.
Aside for two (2) types of display that may probably compete for the owner’s attention every time, there are also four (4) buttons on the case that allow the wearer to access navigate through the calendar, stopwatch, world time and three (3) alarms. These features may surprise many since it looks so simple yet actually has a wide range of functionality that may be operated using the LCD screen.
All these functions are compressed into a single, simple watch and yet it managed to maintain a very lightweight that makes it comfortable to be worn around every day.
Smartwatches For Modern Teachers
The use of smartwatches for teachers is still quite debatable. Some find wearing a smartwatch inside the classroom can be helpful since they are able to lessen the frequency of looking at their phone for any notification. Others use a smartwatch just to monitor their daily fitness such as the number of steps and the time they’ve taken to go from one place to the school.
Budget Smartwatch Pick: FitBit
For the techie type or fitness-conscious teachers, FitBit is one common choice. Despite being particularly designed for fitness, many find FitBit also perfect for everyday use. It offers a wide variety of products – from fitness trackers with basic features to more feature-heavy smartwatches. Teachers are also able to choose based on their budget, which is one important factor; although, in general, FitBit is more affordable compared to other fitness brands.
FitBit Alta HR
The Alta may not offer much but it has a heart rate monitor, tracks step, and alerts you for a message and other basic notification. For teachers who just want the basics, Alta HR offers just what you’re looking for. Another plus is its stunning battery life – with only basic features, a single charge can last up to 7 days.
On the downside, some say that its screen is a little dark and quite difficult to read in bright light. Nonetheless, it is still worth considering since teachers are almost usually staying indoors, particularly inside the classroom.
Fitbit Blaze
The Fitbit Blaze is another model worth mentioning. It is still very affordable, being more of a watch but also a fitness tracker on the side. Unlike other smartwatches, this one is good for teachers because, despite its larger screen (compared to Alta HR), it only notifies you for text messages. You will not be able to see other apps so you will not be suddenly distracted from teaching.
When it comes to fitness, Blaze has a SmartTrack that automatically tracks your exercise even without you setting it up.
However, compared to Alta HR, its battery life is quite shorter-lasting only up to 5 days.
Stylish Picks: Apple Watch / Samsung Galaxy Watch
For those with more budget, the familiar choice for those with iPhone is the Apple Watch and the Samsung Galaxy Watch for Android phone users. Undeniably, these two offer much and are both undeniably stylish.
The Apple Watch
Navigating around the Apple Watch may take some effort to learn for most people. Yet, as you understand how it works, you will be able to work around its watch face, app launcher and glances easily. To give you an idea of how it works, this video shows a guide for beginners.
Apple Watch syncs its messages and other notifications from your phone. This allows you to filter the important and urgent notifications from the less important ones. With one glance from your wrist, you can determine if it is worth pulling out your phone or not.
If you find the notifications distracting and stressful, you may also opt to disable notifications from specific apps or customize their settings accordingly based on your preference. You may also set it to Do Not Disturb mode to disable the notifications completely for a certain period of time.
Apple Watch has improved a lot since its first launch. There are new apps and various software improvements that make the Apple Watch more functional for everyday use, therefore, encouraging its users to lessen smartphone addiction.
However, since it’s feature-heavy, it can normally last only up to 18 hours. But since it is a smartwatch, you will most likely to be tempted to use its other features, therefore, even shortening its battery life especially when you’re using the heart rate monitor.
Lastly, with the Find My iPhone app on the Apple Watch, you can easily find your phone even when it’s on vibrate mode!
Samsung Galaxy Watch
From the look itself, Samsung Galaxy Watch, it is visible that it is quite a high-end smartwatch. It has a circular stainless steel case and a decorative bezel. This bezel can be rotated to cycle through its various menus. It is big and circular as it is intended to look like a wristwatch but it may be too big and chunky for some.
Another upside of the Galaxy Watch compared to the Apple Watch is its long battery life that can last up to four days.
It is also more fitness-focused because of its additional sensors and a revamped Samsung Health app. It automatically detects exercises, fairly accurate sleep trackers, and even waterproof up to 50 meters. It also features on challenging you to have a more active lifestyle by nudging you once it detects that you’ve been too sedentary
When it comes to apps, you might be disappointed to find that it is not compatible with Google Maps, Facebook Messenger, and WhatsApp. Nonetheless, you will still be able to see your notifications, specifically for calls and texts.
For more information, this video shows an introduction of the Galaxy Watch.
Teaching, as a profession, is already exhausting and time-consuming so it would already be a great help for teachers if their accessories, such as watches, will not cause any fuss. Although there is no right or wrong in a watch choice, it will be beneficial if the teacher is able to determine the watch that perfectly works for them and will perfectly match their lifestyle.
“Teaching is not a lost art (profession), but the regard for it is a lost tradition.” Jacques Barzun. Therefore, if you, reader, is not a teacher yet have managed to go through this whole article, then perhaps it is worthwhile to remind you to appreciate your teachers.
Next, to your family, it is the teachers who have invested so much in your life, imparting you not only with valuable knowledge but also values to live out and would make you better individuals. Whether they’ve been your teacher for a number of years or only for a quick semester, surely they have shaped a part of your life or your thinking in some way.
At this point, why not go send them even a short appreciation message or go look for some gifts on the market. Or, to make it more personal, you can make a gift of your own. This video will give you some ideas to work on. Whichever you might decide on, your teacher will surely appreciate it greatly.
Related Video: DIY gifts for teachers.
