Volunteer Work for the Day-Time Homebound Person!

I provide daycare for my two-year-old granddaughter, so it would not be very productive to work with the teacher in the classroom and try to keep a two-year-old in check at the same time!  At the beginning of my grandson's 1st grade school year last year, I talked with the teacher and explained my situation.  I offered to help in any way possible with projects that I could do from home.  She was more than happy to oblige!

One of the ways she helped me to be involved was to tear apart and assemble the math lessons for each day...the workbooks were simply to heavy and bulky for the children to have to handle every day.  By assembling the math lessons in this way, the children were not overwhelmed with what they would have to learn during the 1st grade year and allowed them to focus on that day or week of work only.  While completing this project, I gained very useful knowledge about what would be expected of my grandson during the year.  Wonderful!  I helped the teacher, the students and myself!

I was able to help the teacher grade papers, freeing up time for her after school so that she could spend more time with her family.  I also got a sneak peek of my grandson's skill expectations and his areas of succes and challenge!  This allowed me and his mother to focus a little on areas in which he had experienced some difficulty.  Winners from this project involvement were the teacher, all the students, my grandson in particular, his mother and me!

Prior to teacher appreciation week, I was able to help from home by folding, stuffing and sealing letters to the parents (in all grades) about the activities planned to honor our teachers during that week.   Fantastic!  I was able to help the other parents by helping to communicate the activities, the office staff by releasing time for them to spend providing support for the many needs of our teachers, the teachers by being able to surprise them with some of the activities showing them our appreciation and me (again!) by having first hand knowledge of the activities that allowed me to participate more fully , and my grandson by showing it that it takes teamwork to make a special event a success and modeling volunteer work for his future action!

Since the Fall/Harvest Festival is an evening activity, the entire family attends.  I was able to volunteer time to work our booths and to engage my teenage niece in the work!  The other family members were able to take the children with them to enjoy the games and activities!  I enjoyed the games and activities with my family when my time slot was over.  I was able to contribute to the success of this school fundraising activity, my niece saw that volunteering can be fun and my grandson also saw volunteering in action...another encouragement for him to do the same as he is able!  The teacher gained money for classroom needs (each class set up their own fundraising booth) and the "Class Mom" didn't have to worry about filling empty slots!

My grandson's class had three field trips this year and siblings were permitted, though we didn't have to use this privilege because my husband and my son were able to take care of the two-year-old for every field trip.  I was able to chaperone/provide transportation for two of the field trips and my daughter was able to do the same for the third field trip!  Who and how did this volunteer activity help??  The teacher was relieved of the worry about transportation and oversight of the children in each vehicle and was better able to enjoy the field trip herself.  The children were kept safe on the field trips with adequate adult supervision and, as 6 and 7 year olds, had the added bonus of feeling secure while having fun!  My grandson was so excited to share the field trips with us!  I and my daughter learned as much and enjoyed the field trips as much as the kids!  We also got to meet and talk with other parents in the classroom and enjoy a larger network of friends...ones that will continue to develop and grow larger as the years pass at the school!  We took pictures and gave the teacher and album as well.  Another winning volunteer project!

There were several other at home projects with which I was able to assist, but these stand out most for this year.  They were so much fun!  I discovered that I gained as much, or more, by being involved as a volunteer as the teacher or the school!  I am looking forward to opportunities to do "homebound volunteer work" again next year!

There are many needs for the school and for the teachers and I am sure your school has opportunities made just for you - the "day-time homebound" person!  Volunteer!  You'll be glad you did!