How to Manage Parent Volunteers in the Classroom
You have parent volunteers–how wonderful! Now what? Learn how to manage parent volunteers in the classroom.
Enlisting Parent Volunteers
As a teacher, your list of to-dos is a mile long. How can you get everything done?
You can ask for help.
Back to School Night is the perfect time to recruit parent volunteers.
Parents want to be involved in their child’s education. They also want to support you in your role as a teacher.
Should you take them up on their offer? Absolutely! Read on for how to manage parent volunteers in the classroom.
This article contains affiliate links to things that you might like.
How to Manage Parent Volunteers
At Back to School Night or Meet the Teacher Night, you can make your pitch for parent volunteers.
Have an information page that outlines the type of help you need.
Do you need assistance with class parties, room decoration, field trip chaperoning, individual reading coaching, or prepping materials?
Communicate what you need. Do you have a set time when you want parent volunteers in your classroom?
Have a signup sheet (online or on paper) where parents can put their names, contact information, availability, and tasks they would like to do.
One parent might make a great reading coach but has no flair for decorating.
Another parent might be available for a couple of hours each week but could not take off a whole day for a field trip.
The beginning of the year is the time to collect information.
Make a Schedule
Decide when you want parent volunteers. Create an online sign-up page (like Sign Up Genius) where parents can sign up for a slot.
That way, you will both know when to expect a volunteer.
Set Up a Work Bin
Have a place in your classroom to set the items you need to be prepped.
Put a sticky note on each one with a quick description of what needs to be done.
Do you need worksheets copied? Tiny snowmen cut out of construction paper? Bulletin board borders replaced?
This can be the go-to place for parents volunteers to find what materials must be prepped.
If they don’t get to it, you can finish it later.
The bin saves you time because you don’t have to stop what you are doing to instruct the parent volunteer.
Educational Task Bin
Likewise, have a bin with educational tasks. Include a laminated sheet with instructions for each task.
For example, if you want parents to assist in one-on-one reading, have instructions on how to do that.
Should they read the book aloud first? Should they let the child read and only assist after the child has struggled to decode a word?
Communicate your expectations so parent volunteers can confidently meet them.
Be Safety Minded
In this day and age, you need to be safety-minded.
You have been background checked and risk management trained; parent volunteers have likely not been through either.
Be alert and aware. Ensure parents are in your sight line and never alone with a child (unless the child is theirs).
Say Thank You
Remember to thank your parent volunteers. They are doing this for free!
Place thank-you signs on your task bins.
Say a verbal thank you to every parent volunteer every time.
Put a thank you in your classroom newsletter.
To go a little further, at semester breaks, keep some thank-you items in a cup on your desk.
This could be as simple as a candy cane with a gift tag attached that says thanks.
Parenting is a job that essentially goes without thanks.
Be that supportive and encouraging voice to your classroom parents.
Managing Parent Volunteers in the Classroom
If you have parent volunteers in your classroom, congratulations! You hit the jackpot!
Make the most of their help with these strategies for managing parent volunteers in the classroom.
