We have a sign up form for both school volunteers and classroom volunteers. A classroom volunteer can choose to help out with a student one on one in the classroom, go on field trips, help at parties or just bring in food items for parties, do bulletin boards etc. They can also sign up to be a homeroom parent. The homeroom parent is chosen blindly with preference given to parents who haven't done it before. The homeroom parent is then given their classrooms sign up sheet to draw volunteers from.
When we have the chairperson and homeroom parent meeting we emphasize that it is VERY important to include everyone that has signed up to help out. If they can't make the meeting they are sent the guidelines, which also state in bold font how important that is. I do understand if someone is kind of shy and would feel more comfortable doing it themselves or to call people they know, but in my opinion, they should not have signed up to lead if they don't think they can do that. I'm truly not trying to bash anyone because I have a bit of phone fright myself but if people have signed up for something then the leader has the responsiblity to call and include them. [img]smile.gif[/img]
I know how it feels to have your child come home and say how Mrs. Smith was in the classroom for the third event in a row and her friend but why wasn't I there?
We send out a volunteer form and the teacher keeps the list of mom's who want to volunteer from her class and they spread the help through the list.
This way, no one parent is doing everything and parents aren't afraid to volunteer because they'll just be helping at one or two events in the classroom.
We let the teacher pick. If there is no preference, we let the mothers decide if they want to do it as a team. If we can, we always try to get the extra parents to be room parents for teachers who didn't get anyone signed up. It takes a gift of gab from you and a true dedication to children from them, but we usually manage to find a few good ones who are willing to help another class. Hint: it is usually better to have them help a different grade except in the case of field trips. That way there is no way a parent can get caught in competition between classrooms where their child may be involved.
As a person who has been on the sidelines and the do it all room parent, I'd like to add another point of view. If you are not the room parent, call the room parent and ask what you can do or let her know what you want to do. Sometimes that do it all room mother is not a controler but someone who doesn't know how to ask for help...I know, as I'm guilty of it. It's easier for me to do it myself then to ask someone I really don't know if I can depend on.
Also, if you do come to help, just pitch in and do what needs to be done, don't wait to be asked as again, that person may be afraid or uncertain how to ask. Of course, there are those control moms who won't let you do anything, but thankfully they are few and far between.
As for selecting a room parent, we asked the teachers how they wanted to do it. What we decided upon was sending home signup forms for them, collecting them, and then asking each teacher if she had a preference. Then it wasn't our decision, but the teachers. Actually, there usually wasn't an over abundance of volunteers. If you do have several and the teacher doesn't want to select, draw from a hat. Co-room mom's can be great too.
Fun, fun, fun. My son is going to middle school now, so no more room parents anyways. Yeah!
Kathy
Hi. As a volunteer at my school for 14 years, I have been room parent and standing at the side lines before while one mother did everything, never asking any of us other moms for help, except when she needed money.
If you choose a mom, make sure she plans include other mothers who want to help and partake in the childrens activities and not someone who plans to run the show all by herself. It is not fair to moms not chosen who really have the desire to volunteer their time and energy. It should be a joint effort of many mothers. One could be in charge to inform all other moms of what is required to be done at events, but including others to help run the event.
