Perhaps this is true for you, too?
I think I am a better version of myself when I’m teaching.
In the classroom I am comfortable and confident and welcome mistakes (even my own) as opportunities to learn. I am warm and engaging and positive. I have vast stores of patience and encouragement and optimism.
In real life, some of these, at some times, are not exactly easy.
But, in my classroom, they are.
And, in real life, I am terrible at accepting help.
I would like to be humble and gracious and grateful and not think I have to do every single thing myself.
I’m working on it.
But, in my classroom, I don’t know what I would do without help.
While I am showing up comfortable and mistake-welcoming and all the rest, I have volunteers showing up, too.
Some of them have been with the class longer than I have. They come every week and lead small groups and check work and answer questions. They help me give students the attention they each deserve.
I’m good at my job, but I’m better at it with their help.
I can take on more ambitious lessons, and differentiate, and focus on the things that only I can do. And, I show students that there are multiple ways to do math, and model my (new) help-accepting behavior.
I know I’m grateful for their help.
I hope I’m also gracious and humble. (I also hope it rubs off on the rest of my life)
So, I know, that classroom volunteers can make a huge impact.
And I also know that teachers are already running in 17 directions, and may not have a lot of time / bandwidth to figure out how exactly that nice person would actually be helpful.
I won’t call it help (in case you have a hard time with it to…) but I do have resources to offer:
If you teach in Massachusetts, I’m leading a (free) online workshop on Leveraging Volunteers in the Adult Ed. Classrooms May 15, 2020
Volunteers can contribute significantly to adult education classes… if we know how to use them. This teacher-focused workshop will help adult ed. practitioners craft volunteer roles that are impactful and aligned to their program and classroom goals. We’ll explore common concerns – and how to avoid them; explore specific tasks volunteers can undertake; and work through a 3 part framework for defining effective roles. We’ll conclude by designing volunteers into real lesson plans, and action planning for our own practice.
If you don’t (or you’re busy!)
E-booklet: Leveraging Volunteers in Adult Education (20 page planning guide + printable resources)
Google Apps Tips & Templates to Streamline Volunteer Management (10 pages of text + 5 pre-made forms/sheets, ready to use)
If you need more custom support, please contact me! I’ve been a volunteer, a teacher and a volunteer coordinator in adult ed. for more than a decade. I can help you design a volunteer program that suits your organization.
