Julie A. Gorges

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We Need You! Volunteers Improve Our Schools

While my kids were growing up I wrote articles based on my own experiences or research to questions I had about child care. My first article ever published was written because my son’s hamster died.

 

You can use the Writer’s Market to find the names and requirements of parenting magazines. Or for a more complete list, you can purchase a mailing list of Parenting Publications of America (PPA) for a fee of $50. See their website at www.parentingpublications.org.

 I was a volunteer in my children’s schools for several years which led to an article I sold to two regional parenting magazines. Here’s a copy of that article, which first appeared in the March 1994 issue of San Diego Family Press:

We’ve all heard what’s wrong with our schools – lack of funding, crowded classrooms, low academic standards. The list goes on. We’re all concerned and frustrated. How can we improve schools when so much is wrong?

Be active in your child’s school. Get involved. Be a parent volunteer. Although volunteering is not a cure for all the educational ills we face, involving parents in the schools is necessary if our schools are to succeed. Parent participation not only benefits the school, but researchers say children do better in school when they perceive interest and involvement on the part of the parents.

 

Although more than 50 percent of women with school-age children are employed outside the home, parent involvement is on the rise. Today more than one million Americans volunteer in our schools. Volunteering doesn’t require a lot of time. Even one or two hours a week can make a difference.

 

How can you get involved? If you can arrange the time, volunteer one day a week in the classroom. You will have an opportunity to give extra support to students who may lack parental involvement at home, and your own children will take pride in your participation.

 

You may find yourself reading stories, listening to children read, playing games at recess, grading papers, working with underachievers, helping select library books, preparing teaching materials, or providing individual help during classroom activities.

 

If you decide to volunteer in the classroom, the following tips may help:

 

· Be dependable. Let the teacher know when you will be there. Try to be consistent and on time.

· Have an idea of the teacher’s classroom procedures and routines. Ask for a description of your duties. Inform the teacher what areas of assistance you are comfortable doing so he/she can use your talents. Do you work better with small groups or individual tutoring? Do you have certain computer, art or academic skills?

· Behave professionally. Do not give your child preferential treatment. It may be beneficial to explain you will not be able to spend all your time together. This is especially important if your child is in the younger grades. Cultivate respect. For example, do not allow the children to use your first name, even those children you know outside of the classroom. Keep in mind that children come from many different environments. Not all come from a supportive and/or helpful background. Be flexible with different attitudes, personalities and capabilities.

 

If it is impossible for you to work in the classroom, parents can make contributions in many other ways. Here are a few ideas:

 

· Offer to take work home, bake snacks, type up work sheets, correct papers, prepare school materials, organize field trips, gather material for art projects.

· Volunteer to make a special presentation in the classroom on a career, talent or unusual interest. For example, a parent with a background in geology might bring a show-and-tell collection to a classroom that is studying rocks, or a person who has been to China might bring a slide show and artifacts into a classroom that is examining that part of the world. Similarly, visits to a bakery, factory, or newspaper where a parent works can make interesting field trips.

· Volunteer for an evening or weekend project, such as manning a booth at a school fair, planting an organic garden, or editing the school newsletter. Or organize special projects, such as a musical event or yearbook.

 

If you feel like you can’t fit any of these ideas into your life, don’t despair! You can improve schools just by being supportive. Read newsletters and keep current with what’s happening at your school. Come to special events. Review homework with your child and talk about what happened at school that day. Maintain communication with your child’s teacher.

 

Teachers tell us: The difference between a good school and a great school is the parents. If you become more involved, your child will learn better, her school will be better and she will get the best possible education. Isn’t that what you, as a parent, want for your child?