Parenting Advice on Being a Respectful Volunteer
Five Parenting Tips for Working With Teachers in Their Classrooms
Jun 11, 2009
As parent-volunteers, stay-at-home moms and dads can be immense helps to their children’s teachers. Here are a few courteous parenting tips that will help demonstrate they respect a teacher’s time and profession.
Parenting Help for Volunteers #1: Respect Planning Time
If you are helping in the classroom and the children suddenly leave for Music, Art, or P.E., keep in mind that these 45 minutes of planning time are more precious than gold to the teacher. If you plan to stay longer, you should find a way to politely excuse yourself from the classroom to give the teacher time to regroup and plan the next week’s lessons.
You might ask if you could make copies or prepare materials in the work room. Or you might simply take a few moments of leisure to sip a soda in peace and quiet. If the teacher does ask you to complete a project in her room, you can show respect for her time by keeping conversation to an absolute minimum.
Parenting Help for Volunteers #2: Be Willing to Do Whatever’s Needed
As a parent-volunteer, you probably have an idea of what you’d like to be doing during your time at the school. Respectfully let the teacher know your expectations, but follow this up by assuring her you’re willing to help in any way you can.
Much of the behind the scenes work that keeps a classroom running smoothly can be as mundane as pushing buttons on a copy machine for half an hour, stamping dozens of die-cut letters for a bulletin board, or stapling stacks of papers. These jobs may seem like busy work, but in reality, parents willing to help out in the little things are the real life-savers for overworked teachers. Show your volunteer spirit by jumping in to each assignment you’re given and doing it to the best of your ability.
Parenting Help for Volunteers #3: Respect the Teachers’ Lounge
You’ve volunteered in the trenches all morning, and have committed to another slot in the afternoon. Where do you eat lunch? As much as your time is appreciated by the teachers, it’s a better idea to surprise your child by eating lunch with him in the cafeteria or asking another parent-volunteer to grab a bite at a nearby restaurant.
The teachers’ lounge is a place for instructors to collaborate with one another and unwind. When well-meaning parents join them, the conversation naturally turns to classroom topics, and that’s the very thing teachers need a quick break to escape.
Parenting Help for Volunteers #4: Be as Unobtrusive as Possible
As a parent involved in your child’s education, it’s natural to want a glimpse into her daily routines. Many seasoned teachers think nothing of a parent in the classroom, but a new teacher may feel uncomfortable or scrutinized. Just imagine yourself trying to speak in front of a crowd, entertain twenty or more kids at once, not make any mistakes, maintain classroom discipline, and all in front of an audience. You can imagine the stress this might bring.
To demonstrate you’re not there to spy, keep focused on the task you are assigned. You’ll also show a great amount of respect by remaining upbeat and complementary of the teacher’s instruction. Criticizing a teacher in front of her students can be demoralizing. If there are issues that must be addressed, schedule a conference when you can talk one on one about a concern.
Parenting Help for Volunteers #5: Respect Teachers by Viewing Them as Professionals
Teachers certainly aren’t paid enough for their time, but that doesn’t mean their job isn’t a valuable profession. As a volunteer, you’ll go a long way in winning over your child’s teacher by showing your respect for the profession. Just think about how you interact with people who work in other careers such as doctors or lawyers. You call ahead to schedule appointments. You probably refrain from telling them how to do their job. You treat their time as valuable. And you likely avoid calling them at home in less there’s an extreme emergency.
Volunteering at your child’s school can be a rewarding experience during your time as a stay-at-home mom. With courtesy and polite boundaries, you’ll be able to forge a valuable relationship with the teacher destined to have such a powerful impact on your child’s life. If you’re considering volunteering your time at your child’s school, you might also want to check out parenting advice for scheduling volunteer time and parenting tips for cultivating professionalism as a parent volunteer.
