Thank you so much for considering helping in the classroom! Please read over these volunteer opportunities and let me know if you’re interested in helping out in 4th grade! You can email me at: nmiller@stmadsophie.org
Copy Parent:
I need one parent to volunteer each week to help with copes. I leave labeled papers in my mailbox in the school office Everything that you copy helps me immensely!
Library Parent:
It would be incredibly helpful for one or more parents to volunteer for this position. Each month, I will email topics and subjects we will be covering, and you can find books at the library for our classroom! Ideally, this would include picture books, short stories, and nonfiction. We will keep these books in a special place in the classroom for students to read ONLY at school.
Writing Volunteers:
A typical writing lesson includes starting on the carpet where I will teach a mini lesson and the students will do a little practice. Then we move back to their desks and work on our writing. Students will be at different stages in their writing as their length of story as well as speed at writing will differ.
The way I would like to use volunteers in writing is working with the kids on their writing. As a volunteer you would rotate around the room and stop students to talk to them about their writing. I have a “Teacher Time” poster where students will put their names to request help. You may ask to read a portion of the story or ask the child to summarize the story and see how to help him/her. You may work one-on-one. At other times you may find two students need the same help and you may want to work with them together. Students may tell you what they want help with (adding dialogue or adding detail, etc.) or you may direct them to look at certain areas of focus that we may have covered in the day’s mini lesson or one from another day (I will write all the notes on the flip chart by the carpet, so mini-lesson information will be there) such as finding a small moment to write about or looking for the significance in the story. At other times we may be working with them on editing and revising their rough drafts. If you are coming to help with writing, please consider coming and helping with recess duty for the recess closest to our writing time.
Specific Subject Volunteers:
If you have an interest, talent or skill in a specific subject, please let me know. I am flexible and can adjust our lessons to include you, be it math centers, science presentations, social studies reenactments—you name it!
Recess Duty:
The more eyes, the better! As a recess duty volunteer, you would assist the teachers on duty in enforcing the playground rules and helping solve any issues that may arise on the playground.
Silent Reading Volunteers:
Reading volunteers help during our silent reading times by coming in to interview students about the books they are reading. You will be given a list of questions, which can help as a guideline. Interviews are short and you do not need to have read the book. It will be a way to help keep the students accountable for their reading.
Other?
If you have other talents you would like to share with the class, I would love to hear your ideas!