Preschools love their parent volunteers. They help teachers supervise field trips, help with parties, and help with the smaller tasks that teachers need to do but can’t get to without outside help. Volunteering at your preschool has a few advantages for parents too.
Before you show up at your child’s class, you need to sign in at the office. This is for safety reasons. The Preschool keeps track of who is on campus. This way they are aware of potential strangers on school grounds.
Depending on the type of volunteering, you may need to undergo a background check. This is usually needed for things like field trips. It does take some time to get a background check, so it is important to get this done first thing. Check with your preschool on the requirements for field trips.
Volunteering a few hours in your child’s classroom gives you a chance to observe how your child is interacting in a school setting. This will let you see how well your child is adjusting to preschool and how well they are playing with others.
Another advantage is that if you see your child misbehaving, you can correct the behavior immediately. Instead of hearing secondhand reports about incidents, you can see them for yourself. This will give you a chance to discuss the problem with the teacher and make adjustments to either their seating arrangement or who they play with. You can catch problems early before they become bigger issues.
If you are thinking of heading back to work in the near future, volunteering looks good on your resume. It shows that you do have certain skills that potential employers will find valuable. Even if it has been a few years since you worked, volunteering is a good filler for the time you have spent at home.
Volunteering at your child’s preschool is good for both the school and you. There are many things to be gained from helping your child’s preschool.
As a preschool teacher, I have to disagree with the statement that parents can correct behavior while volunteering. Although I enjoy having parents in the class, the children need to understand that while they are at school the teacher is the adult “in charge”. However, I would encourage the parent to schedule a time to discuss behavioral issues and discuss possible ways to redirect the behavior, whether it be through positive reinforcement, a behavior chart, or some other option.
You are right. The Preschool teacher is “in charge” and children should understand this fact. There is such a thing as over-correcting and impeding on the teacher’s authority. If this becomes an issue, than Teachers should request a conference with the Parent and discuss how to handle things while the Parent is in the classroom.
However, Parents will likely step in to correct a behavior, especially if they see it happening right in front of them.
Parents should definitely talk to their Preschool teachers about any behavioral problems and how to tackle any issues.
Thank you for your insight.