Taking a little time to make a BIG difference

Typically, when we parents think of helping and volunteering in schools, most of us probably help plan parties, chaperone field trips, buy teacher gifts, maybe we go to PTA meetings.  These are all great...please continue your work!  

But there are important needs not being met in the classroom.  Times have been hard for many of our public schools lately.  Severe budget cuts have affected the way our teachers do their jobs.  Classroom sizes have increased, resources cut, standardized testing emphasized....all making it difficult for our kids and teachers to get what they need. 

Why not take your time and skills and help IN the classroom?  It doesn't take hours and hours of your time.  Can you give up an hour a day?  A week?  A month?  A year?!  Get IN there and help!  Having ONE safe and willing parent in the classroom divides the student teacher ratio in HALF!  Think about what that means to the kids...twice as many students are heard, touched, acknowledged, nurtured, taught, excited.  Even for a few minutes, that's a HUGE difference.

Talk to your child's teachers.  Find out what their needs are.  Make your available hours known and remind your teachers often that you're available.  Someone will take you up on the offer.  You won't regret it, and you'll have a BLAST.