As a volunteer at my local grade school, I thoroughly enjoy spending time with children. I love watching their little minds grow and soak up new experiences and knowledge. What a difference the year makes when I reflect back on their first days in the room the prior August. I'm very proud to be part of shaping their lives and think more adults should give more of themselves to help make future generations strong and capable.
Sadly, many classrooms do not have the resources that they need to optimize the daily teaching experience for each child. In some of the upper grades where they study from text books, I see kids sharing, alternating nights each takes the resource home. I've even been in cities like Tampa where schools had three sessions each day just to accommodate the overcrowding. So tragic.
One of the ways I try to drive change is through our state representatives. I write to them each session and share my views. I hope it enlightens them and affects their acts and choices when in session.
Within the classroom, of course I have to take a much more tactical approach. Where possible, I bring in personal resources (some new, some used) for the class. For example, our teacher was doing a project which required paper tubes. I saved up paper towel tubes and toilet paper tubes for two months so that each child would have what they needed for the project. I wish more parents took personal responsibility to contribute to their own child's growth within the classroom.
I've also contributed plastic storage containers for use by the lead teacher and kids. After cleaning out my own kitchen recently, I realized I had more plastic storage containers than I could possibly use. I considered the multiple of puzzles, lacing cards, building blocks and craft supplies the classroom had and immediately knew what to do with those plastic storage containers.
We can each make our student's classroom a better place to be and learn.