Helpful Parents

I certainly won't complain about having so many fabulous parents ready and willing to help this year. I already have a room mom who comes on Friday afternoon for an hour, but there are more parents who email asking if they can help in any way. Any suggestions or tips?

 

Send some of them to Virginia and tell them there's a third grade teacher that can use their help!

On a serious note, think of all the things you could possibly have a parent do, create a signup genius for it (www.signupgenius.com) and have parents sign up for what they'd like to do.

 

The room parent could organize other parents to:
organize parties
donate needed books or supplies
restock markers, tissues, hand sanitizer
gather materials for specific creative projects - like social studies or science projects
read to students individually

 

Do you think it'd be ok to send things home with a student and the parent volunteer could return it?

 

I send home laminating to be cut out, and pillowcases to wash.

In class, parents help - give spelling tests (individual lists mean everyone needs to be tested 1:1, play learning games as a center, read with kids, prep materials for the week (cutting, gluing, etc)

 

some ideas

If you give out homework that needs to be checked/graded, you can have the parent do the correcting and then sort the HW into two piles, one where students seem to have done well, and one where students struggled.

If the parent seems to be level headed and smart have them listen to children read and ask them a list of questions you have written, to discuss with the child as they read. They aren't grading, just letting the kids respond to their reading.

For the nosey ones who want to keep tabs on you, other students, their own child...let them keep your library organized, do paper copying, sorting, etc. nothing academic.

 

The wheels in my head are turning, thanks for the great ideas. In the past I've only had one or two parents so it was easier to manage and ask for help.

 

Yes, I have done that many times.

 

It is against most states' laws to have parents grade papers. I would not have them grade any work. Our security rules make it hard for us to have volunteers as often this year. I send things home for them to do.

 

Helpful parents are the bleesing of God.I cannot forget there blessing and help at any stage of my life.