We send out a volunteer sign up sheet on about the third day of school in September. Two sheets are about different PTA committees one could sign up for - author visit, teacher appreciation, etc. Another paper has homeroom activities they can sign up for on one side - provide refreshments for parties, help out with parties, chaperone, work one on one with students, etc. The other side offers a sign up sheet for homeroom parent with an explanation of the possible duties. We let parents know that if you haven't been a room parent before, you will be given preference. If there are more then one volunteers, then we throw the names in a hat and one of the secretaries will pull a name. The teachers, though have the say in how much parents participate in their classrooms. Parents are very welcome in Kindergarten and first, after that it's pretty much just parties and special events. Also, some teachers pick their chaperones and some let the homeroom parent pick them. We also have a meeting at the beginning of the school year for chairpersons and homeroom parents to emphasize the need not to play favorites and to try to get as many people involved as possible. We're a sem-rural school and big into rules and fairness. Middle School madness is a shock to most of our parents.
At the current school? We've not figured it out for sure. Our current working theory is that the board position of Room Parents Chair recruits a head room parent at each grade level.
At the old school? The district starts school on a Thursday, and the next Tuesday morning there is a room parents meeting. People who cannot make the meeting are invited to send in a form indicating which classrooms they want to serve, and if they are willing to be a head room parent for the classroom. At the meeting, parents gather in groups by classroom, with some parents flitting back and forth between groups, and attempt to recruit a head parent from their group.
At our school it depends on the teacher - I have had it where the teacher will send home a list of different things asking parents for help with a line to fill in if you would like to be room parent. Others I have just told them from day one I would be there room parent if no one else asked
and if there were another parent then we would do it together. And then again there are teachers that do not want parents help at all - they never want you in the room - go figure. But all the years I have been involved with my kids in school
I have just automatically volunteered my time right from the start.
I think the first parent who is interested and asks the teacher is our room parent. First grade tried it a little differently this year and had a different parent responsible for different parties (the first to sign up).
I have never been a room parent but there are times (like this Friday) that I will take a whole day off of work and volunteer to help my child's current teacher. In December I volunteered to help her and she was extatic. I helped with reading outloud to the class, helped with making crafts, and observed the rest of the day. I sat with my son at lunch. It was fun, intresting day and my son loved that I was there on a day there wasn't a party and I was the only parent there.
I am almost at every party and event (but I have three children in school). Just because I'm not the one "in charge" and doing the calling to ask for volunteers has never bothered me or my kids. I get enough of being in charge of the PTO.
When our son was in K they had room mothers. Down the road things change. What we do now is send home a paper at the beginning of the year asking for volunteers for the whole year in all our activities. This helps get everyone involved where they can spare the time and where their interest is and has worked very well. You leave out that my mother is better than your mother because she is a room mother. It also is less threating for newcomers. For field trips we ask the parents to contact the teachers if they are available to chaperone. Best of luck!
