HI I am an ECE student starting my second year of classes. I am doing some research on how different teachers handle having parents in their classrooms. Do you have parents help in the classroom, on field trips, ect. What is your schools policy and how do you feel about it. Thanks! Fern
Yes, I have parent volunteers come in a few times per year My school has parents fill out paperwork, the BOE approves volunteers I'm grade 3- I truthfully don't need a lot of volunteers in my room. I do invite them in for specific activities, field trips. Our volunteers are invaluable, however, in running our various PTO events, fundraisers, lunch program, etc.:thumb:
I have always allowed parents in my room unless they become intrusive or their child is adversely affected. Most parents do fine.
I teach parent participation preschool, so parents are integral to our program and serve as instructors working with children in small groups or one-one-one. They do absolutely everything you can think of. At my other school, they mostly just come to help for big events or field trips.
I work at a charter that expects so many parent volunteer hours per year, so parents in the classroom is somewhat official. I generally have them help out anywhere from buddy reading with kids to teaching them games at recess to copying stuff.
I manage volunteers in a very similar way. I invite interested parents in to do very specific jobs like taking down bulletin boards, copying, cutting, creating centres, field trips, etc. Lots of parents in early years are eager to come in and help and lots want to be working with students. Without a lot of training, this isn't beneficial or appropriate. I can't let parents teach. But I do have them supervise small groups doing an art activity. I try to avoid putting parents in situations where they can judge a students' academic level. This year I had a community member come in one morning a week and read with students. She submitted the appropriate paper work and this was approved. She was AMAZING. She either listened to a student read 1-1 or she read to the student. They absolutely loved her and it was a great relationship. We also have an incredible PTO and the parent volunteers do some amazing things for our school!
Our school policy is that parents are welcome (and encouraged) to visit the classroom. They must stop at the office and get a visitor pass. They are allowed to view instruction all day, however they cannot interact with their child, the teacher or other students. If a parent visits excessively (ie: one year we had a parent who would arrive every day around 9:30 a.m. and sit around the classroom until dismissal.) then the administration will speak to them and set boundaries. I do not mind parent visitors, but I would like to know when they are coming. I often had a high number of students with ED, so a parent who is not a regular visitor might misunderstand a situation involving said student(s).
In the past I've been a bit stressed over finding stuff for parents to do! I don't like them grading stuff or teaching as I just don't think that's ethical. Awesomely, we have a head room parent in each room who handles the volunteers, schedules them, etc.
I teach 2nd grade, and we always ask for parent volunteers. We would really love to have parents listen to reading groups, help with field trips, and manage our mountains of Box Tops, among other things. Unfortunately, not a single parent has volunteered in the seven weeks we've been in session. As someone who went to a school where parents were always in the classroom, it has been pretty disheartening to see the lack of involvement.
our parent volunteers this year need to be fingerprinted and tb tested before they are allowed to volunteer in the classroom OR go on any field trips!
I teach middle school in a K-8 school. I'm not sure about the younger kids but the middle school homerooms each have 2 room parents who volunteer in the classroom. I saw my room parents on class party days and Teacher Appreciation Day where we had an hour long luncheon and they played games and took our students to lunch. My room parents also got me the names of chaperones for the field trip. Parents who aren't room parents will usually volunteer in the lunchroom or through the Home and School Association (like the PTO). HSA sponsors a couple events throughout the year for parent volunteers, like the Christmas play and an end of year carnival. Our parents have to have so many volunteer hours so it's expected that they help out in school. Our volunteers must have fingerprints and go to a mandated reporter workshop for child abuse.
