I had a great experience this past year, which I would like to share—especially with grandparents. I volunteered in my 1st grade granddaughter’s classroom, and it was a fun and fulfilling experience in many ways.
This experience gave me the opportunity to get to know my granddaughter’s peer group; it felt great to help advance the educational process for these kids; and I learned a lot about cognitive development on a first hand level.
My context is as an older guy (70+) with basic college level literacy skills, having the experience of seeing one generation of kids grow up, and enjoying a nice relationship with my granddaughter.
The teacher, while not dependent on volunteers, certainly appreciated the support in the classroom and put out a monthly sign-up sheet. It was most successful for the teacher, the kids and me to have a consistent volunteer slot (mine was Thursday morning, 8:45-10:00).
Getting to know the children in my grandchild’s peer group was a real collateral benefit. Conversations with my granddaughter were much easier and richer talking about so-and–so did this or that, when I could picture the kids and their various personalities (and the teacher’s, as well).
You may have a bit of trepidation “how will the kids relate to me?” The good news is you are not a substitute teacher. You are not coming in as an authority figure (hopefully). Classroom volunteers are usually appreciated; they are generally somebody’s mom. Even better, they are seen as somebody’s grandparent— with a reserve of grandparent goodwill. Just about every kid has a loving grandparent (or wishes they did) whether distant or nearby. It warmed my heart each week to be greeted with “Grandpa Steve is here”.
Being in the classroom, you see kids—including your own—in their natural state (for better or worse). You get to know the range of the kids’ behavioral and academic abilities, and see what really goes on in the classroom—even the playground. You will develop a better understanding of your own child/grandchild’s accomplishments and needs. From heart-breaking to up-lifting, you will gain insight to other kids’ and families’ lives.
Your classroom teacher will have some assignments for you ranging from one-on-one listening to a struggling reader, to playing literacy games with a group, to doing group writing exercises. The teacher will generally find an activity that you feel comfortable with.
A couple of tips that worked well for me:
Be flexible in making the games/exercises work—see the strengths and weaknesses of the individuals and figure out how to engage each kid in your short time.
Don’t try to establish yourself as a disciplinarian (the kids know they can out-wait your hour in the classroom). You will be more successful if you are seen as a big buddy; but as an adult expect respect and attention. The teacher will generally be happy to (briefly) discuss a style of working with a particular student.
Don’t take on the whole classroom; working with individuals and small groups will be the best experience.
I found a great feeling of accomplishment as the year progressed, seeing skills develop and relationships deepen, towards myself and among the kids in general. And of course I developed a renewed respect and appreciation for classroom teachers.
In addition to regular classroom time, some other more modest volunteer engagements:
Field Trips—always an adventure—a few outings a year. The class generally needs drivers. I always tried to have a fun car, playing the radio loud and letting the kids have a free communication zone.
Playground duty—the school can always use another grown-up on the playground, organizing an activity or being an available ear for a child who wants to talk.
Classroom organizing–if you are not comfortable doing lessons with kids, there is endless “back-end” work: organizing files, lesson prep, etc. that free hours of the teacher’s time.
I hope this article may have gotten you excited about volunteering; but, you need to know there is a bit of bureaucracy to being able to volunteer in the schools.
Schools/school districts take volunteering very seriously and legalistically (yes, you will need to be finger-printed). Check with your school’s website for volunteer procedures.
My advice: jump-in and do it. It will be a highlight of your year, and great bonding experience with your child or grandchild. There is a short time when you can share this experience with your loved one—take advantage of it.
By Steve Miller
