Back to School: Volunteering

Volunteering at your kid’s school is one of those things.  It sounds good when you say it. It feels good when you put your name on the little sign up sheet.  It might even seem exciting when you attend the first PTA meeting.

I snapped this picture while working “perimeter security” on a kindergarten field trip to the “I dare you not to hurt yourself” playground.

But, volunteering is hard. Not because the work is hard. We can all pitch in in one way or another, and while working the “fishing for grab bags” booth at the school fair may not exactly be tapping your special talents, someone’s got to do it. It’s hard because schools often run on a lot of tradition, and it takes some time to learn your way around, and there are teachers/parents/school board members with different ideas that don’t always jive, and because there’s no good way to keep peanut and egg allergies straight.

Last year I somehow accidentally ended up being room mom for both my kids’ classrooms. At two different schools. With one class being at a school that we had never attended before. Where the PTA president announced at the first PTA meeting, “we’re glad to see some new faces here, because we’re all tired.”

Luckily, that school implemented the use of a great website called VolunteerSpot. VolunteerSpot is free to use and basically works like an online volunteer signup sheet.  It allows schools and other organizations to schedule volunteer needs in a calendar format with details on what exactly is needed at what time.  Then, volunteers can sign into the calendar to claim these specific jobs.  I loved using this system, as it allowed me to take on tasks that were manageable for me. I didn’t have to attend the PTA meetings – which didn’t fit into my schedule – I could just log on and see what needed to be done. When there was something that I couldn’t do, I didn’t have to say the dreaded “NO” word.  I just didn’t sign up.

Decisions, decisions…

We find ourselves at two entirely new-to-us schools again this fall. So, this year I’m signing up to be the Whatever.

In a restaurant setting, the Whatever is the person that fills in the holes.  Need salads made?  I’ll make salad. Dirty tables? I’ll bus them. That burger is missing it’s condiments!  Here. Let me help you ketchup.  In the school setting, it’s much the same.  I’m willing to do just about whatever is needed.  Just don’t put me in charge of anything.  Don’t make me lead the way. Give me a job and I’ll do it.  Give me a year to learn, to see how things work, to know who is who.  My goals this year are to help the school, take any weight off of the teachers that I can, and show my kids why it’s important to lend a hand.  I also hope to meet some new friends.

I’m curious to see if our new school is using VolunteerSpot.  I hope they are – it will make my job as a Whatever so much easier. If they’re not, I might have to pipe up and suggest it.  I hope Whatevers are allowed to pipe up.

If you are involved with a school or organization that relies on volunteers, check out VolunteerSpot – it’s a great tool.  Right now VolunteerSpot is running a contest on their Facebook page – you can enter to win an iPad and $500 for your school!

I’m Signing Up To be the Whatever, And Here’s Why! I’m joining VolunteerSpot’s Back To School campaign to help raise visibility for parent involvement in schools.

Save time {and stress} and get more parents involved
at school with VolunteerSpot.com! 

VolunteerSpot’s FREE online signup sheets make it easy to organize parents and signup to help for just about anything: classroom helpers, snack schedules, carnivals, library volunteers, parent-teacher conferences and more….  No more ‘Reply-All’ email chains! Please share with your room mom, teachers and parent leaders…

Plus there’s a huge Sweepstakes on VolunteerSpot’s Facebook page! 
Win an iPad for YOU and a $500 for your fave School! Enter here

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