50 of the Best Ideas for School Volunteers

 

School volunteers are a win-win situation!  Kids love having a special visitor, parents love knowing what’s going on in the classroom, and teachers not only LOVE, but NEED, the extra help!

 

Teachers relying on school volunteers may be one of the smartest things, ever!  For real! Every year, teachers are having to juggle more and more responsibilities.  Why not let the amazing parent volunteers step in to help with the small, everyday, tasks?

 

How to be a Volunteer at the School

If you want to become a volunteer, reach out to the teacher or school, and ask how you can begin the process to volunteer in the classroom.

There are many ways you can help as a volunteer at schools.  After a background check, you will likely be able to start helping at your child’s school right away.

 

 

Ideas for School Volunteers

1. Take down/hanging up student work
2. Take down/hanging up bulletin board displays

3. Run copies
4. Sharpen pencils
5. Birthday Reader – on a child’s birthday, his/her parent reads to the class. If you can’t be there in person, you can do a facetime call or skype.
6. Help the librarian restock the books.
7. Ask survey questions (Mothers day, All about me, I’m thankful for…)
8. Staple papers
9. Change out seasonal vocabulary cards in the writing center.
10. Tear pages out of workbooks.
11. Cut and staple decodable books or sight word readers.

 

 

 

 

12. Monitor students during center time
13. Prep center activities
14. Homework help
15. Label classroom supplies
16. Organize books in classroom library
17. Use flashcards with individuals or small groups
18. Scribe during journal writing (Prek-1)
19. Distribute and collect Highlights magazine forms
20. Coordinate class parties
21. Type letters/send emails requesting donations for parties
22. Bake/purchase treats for a class party
23. Fill goody-bags for a class party
24. Tutor students who are struggling
25. Put flyers in take-home folders

26. Prepare birthday pencils for birthdays in the classroom.

 

 

Increase Parent Involvement

 

Helping in the Classroom

 

27. Attend field trips
28. Help set-up school events
29. Listen to students read one-on-one
30. Assist/monitor students on the computers or tablets

31. Be a guest speaker: In person or on a zoom call
32. Organize supply buckets (crayons, pencils, erasers, glue)

33. Help monitor lunch and/or outdoor recess
34. Play math games with individuals or small groups
35. Pull apart Scholastic magazines
36. Put stickers on reward charts
37. Assist kids with special projects
38. Check books out/return books at the library
39. Take pictures of a special event
40. Print material for a special event
41. Assist with fundraisers
42. Hole-punching/binding student work to make a class book
43. Sew costumes for a school play
44. Cut out laminated materials
45. Laminate
46. Assemble binders and/or student portfolios
47. Hang pictures on a Family Display – students bring in photos of their families
48. Make shaving cream play-doh (PreK-1)
49. Make sight word rings for each student  – hole punch and put on binder ring for home/school
50. Play classic games with small group as a reward (memory, twister, chutes & ladder, jenga,)

 

 

 

Conclusion

Before you go, here are a few blog posts you may enjoy…

20 Books About Teaching Diversity to Kids 

115 Top Picks for Poem of the Day

5 Best Educational Subscription Boxes

35 Ideas for Indoor Recess Games

 

 

School Volunteers