Influence: Volunteering

Reinforcing the Lighthouse

INFLUENCE

1 Peter 2:13-14

¹³ For the Lord’s sake, submit to all human authority—whether the king as head of state, ¹⁴ or the officials he has appointed. For the king has sent them to punish those who do wrong and to honor those who do right.

As the children arrived, I passed out pre-assigned worksheets onto each of the desks. Most of their faces showed their dread, knowing they would have a substitute teacher. One child glanced into the classroom at the substitute then at me , and then yelled to her friend in the hallway, “We have a substitute today, but Mrs. Beth is here, so we’ll be ok!”

Before I substitute taught, I spent a minimum of an hour each week in each of my children’s elementary classrooms volunteering. I built relationships with each of my children’s teachers and many of their classmates. As a work-at-home mom, I have had cool flexibility to schedule times to serve where my children serve as missionaries.

Volunteering in the classroom is the next step in influencing your children’s teachers.

DAILY

Some parents volunteer at their children’s schools daily. That’s a lot. If you have time for that, I’d suggest trying to get a job at the school to support your family financially and being there for your children in a unique way. You’ll learn more of the ins and outs of the school and have a higher influence capacity.

WEEKLY

This was my jam. I LOVED volunteering in my children’s classrooms weekly. As the teachers learned to trust me, they entrusted me with more responsibility (copier codes, classroom coverage while they ran to the restroom, etc). My favorite way to volunteer was to give Spelling Tests each week. Some children now in high school still call me their “Spelling Teacher” not knowing I never actually worked at their school!

When you can do something for a teacher they don’t have to do (grade papers, make copies, put up a new bulletin board), you give them a gift of time they couldn’t otherwise afford!

Pro-tip to Weekly Volunteering: If you know in advance that you’ll be missing a day for whatever reason and you perform a service for the teacher she (or the children) count on you for (Spelling Tests, Reading Groups, etc), let her know with as much notice as you can. She may be able to reschedule the time to a different day so you can still cover it or someone else can cover it for you and keep the routine in the class!

MONTHLY

One thing parents can do to volunteer monthly, especially in younger classes, is commit to coming in to read for storytime. You can also come to change the teacher’s big classroom calendar with new dates and birthdays!

SPECIAL EVENTS

Many of us remember our parents coming in to help with a Valentine’s Day or Christmas Party. Schools handle celebrations differently now, but special events come up when the teacher could use more help in the classroom – providing treats, decorating for a party, helping to clean up after an especially messy science project, etc.

You can also offer to throw a party for your child’s class. You can work with your teacher to put together all sorts of parties – Arbor Day (everyone plants a tree together), Teacher Appreciation Week spoil-the-teacher party (provide her favorite treats for everyone and hang up some balloons and a poster, etc), Last Day of School Party, etc.

FIELD TRIPS

Field Trips trump all other volunteering for me. There’s nothing like sitting with your kiddo on a bus on the way to the zoo to form lasting memories! These trips (though fewer and more rare these days) allow parents to see their children interact with their classmates first-hand, show teachers huge support, and connect with your children’s classmates on a deeper level.

The more time you spend with your children’s classmates and teachers, the more you’ll understand their concerns after school about Richard flipping out during music class or Mrs. So-and-So punishing the whole class when Adeline feeds Clyde, the class guinea pig, a marker by taking him home permanently.

Pro-Tip to Volunteering: Serve How You’re Needed

Sometimes, the way you want to volunteer is not the way your child’s teacher needs you to volunteer. Remember you’re volunteering to show your child support (& be there with them in their mission field), connect with the teacher to gain influence for yourself and your child in that classroom, and to SERVE.

If the teacher needs you to make copies and not run a book club, make the copies. Pray for the teacher and the children while you’re in the classroom and everywhere else you get to be in the school. The year I got stuck making copies all year, I built a very cool relationship with another parent volunteer, got face-to-face connections with the principal and assistant principals regularly, and learned a skill I used for years to come, serving other teachers.

Things to Ponder and Pray About

· How often can you be in your children’s classrooms?

· What unique skills could you offer your children’s teachers as a way to serve your child, your child’s teacher, and their class?