Hooray for volunteers! Now how do I manage these strangers in my classroom? - tips for teachers

Great - the volunteers are here! They may be parents, retirees, teachers in training, or citizens rising to the America Reads Challenge (see page 82). This means more helping hands and more time to teach. But it also means more people to manage in your classroom. How do you create partnerships that work for you and your students? Here are some simple steps for reaping the benefits of working with volunteers.

DEFINE YOUR ROLES

View volunteers as learning partners. Their role is to support you by providing individualized attention to more students than any one teacher, no matter how fleet of foot, can manage. Volunteers may provide one-on-one or small-group reading help, assist students with assignments, or serve as classroom helpers. You decide what arrangement works best for you, your students, and your volunteers. Keep in mind, though, that volunteers are not substitutes for you, nor are they counselors or case-workers.

View yourself as the manager. Supervising your volunteers effectively is the key to a lighter workload and student success. You, the teacher, are in charge. Decide how many volunteers you want, when you want them, and which students they'll help. As the professional, you're the one to guide volunteers' activities and monitor, their efforts. Regardless of the educational backgrounds and talents they bring, your volunteers need to be oriented to their new role. If they come unprepared, advocate for an organized training program in your school, but be ready to do that training yourself (see box, page 84).

SET A STRONG FOUNDATION

Get acquainted. Hold a brief meet-and-greet session to learn about your volunteers' interests, talents, and motivations for giving their time. It may be helpful to have volunteers complete a simple survey, which is a tactful way of gaining information on their education or employment status, plus their strengths and weaknesses, without putting them on the spot. You'll find that volunteers are just as diverse as your students, if not more so, and that they all have something special to offer. As you're learning about your volunteers, tell them a bit about yourself, too. After all, you are building a two-way relationship.

Plan together. Determine the volunteers' availability, set a schedule that works for all of you, and agree on assignments that meet your needs and the volunteers' preferences. Make sure you are comfortable working together. If you don't think a particular volunteer is right for you, or if scheduling doesn't work out, perhaps she or he can be matched with another teacher.

Orient you volunteers to life in your classroom. Explain briefly your approach to language arts, math, and other subjects. This doesn't mean reviewing your entire curriculum; it isn't your job to turn volunteers into teachers. But if correcting invented spelling is a no-no, or if you are a phonics-first devotee, let your volunteers know. Discuss the importance of giving praise and constructive feedback to students.

Responses such as, "Great - you got seven out of ten right. Let's work on the hard ones together," will be better motivators than the negative feedback volunteers may have gotten themselves back in the old days. Let volunteers know where to find supplies, what the class rules are, and what to do in an emergency. Finally, before they begin, ask your volunteers to observe you and your students in action.

Set up timesaving routines. Designate a special mailbox where you can leave assignments, materials, and notes for each other. That way, a volunteer won't need to interrupt your lesson to find something to do. Preselect materials and assign tasks to volunteers, at least initially until you know their particular talents better. Find a regular, relatively quiet spot for them to work, such as the, back of the classroom, the hallway, or the library don't forget to exchange phone, fax, and/or e-mail numbers so you can reach each other when plans change.

Make the right student match. A student will benefit the most from individualized attention from the same volunteer on a regular basis, so match them up carefully. It's often wisest to select students who are struggling, but have a reasonable chance of success with a little extra support. Your most disruptive or learning-disabled students may not be the best to choose, unless their problematic behaviors tend to disappear in a one-to-one, frustration-free situation. It's your professional judgment that counts. Brief volunteers on students' strengths and difficulties, and stress the importance of confidentiality. And remember to explain the volunteers' role to students.

MAINTAIN QUALITY CONTROL

Find time to talk. Although it may seem impossible to squeeze another five minutes out of your day, communication makes all the difference in how well a learning partnership works. Exchange an activity log to simplify giving directions and gaining feedback. Host informal conferences over coffee or lunch so you can share observations, propose new strategies, or make suggestions in confidence, away from the students. Most volunteers are eager to know how their students are progressing overall, so point out accomplishments. Even small signs, such sa wanting to read just one more page at home, are worth celebrating.

Recognize volunteers' contributions. Any way you can express your appreciation will mean a lot - a certificate, a student-made holiday card, a luncheon, a class party, even a simple "thank you." Satisfied volunteers leave with a different perspective on education and more respect for the job you do. Many will return the following year, perhaps with friend.

IS IT WORTH IT?

Almost all teachers say "Yes." A well-managed volunteer program means lighter workloads, student gains, and better community relations. Ultimately, what counts is what you see in your classroom. When your struggling reader curls up with a good book, your new English speaker is eager to give an answer, or your most hyperactive youngster settles down for a half hour, you'll know the investment is worth it.

YOUR RESOURCES

For more information on finding and working with volunteers, check out...

National Association of Partners in Education, Inc.; (800) 992-NSVP, http://www.napehq.org.

Help America Read: A Handbook for Volunteers with Coordinator's Guide by Gay Su Pinnell and Irene Fountas, (Heinemann, 1997); (800) 541-2086, http://www.heinemann.com

5 POINTS FOR PARTNERSHIPS THAT WORK

1 Guide and monitor volunteer's efforts. Partnerships are most effective when they are well managed by you.

2 Regard volunteers as learning partners, not teachers.

3 Make directions simple and clear.

4 Keep the lines of communication open.

5 Praise volunteers frequently and show your appreciation.

TRAINING VOLUNTEERS

An easy-to-follow lesson for a successful reading session

If your school doesn't have a formal volunteer training program, don't resign yourself to a frustrating experience. Plunge in. Here are some simple, ready-to-one guide for a successful reading session.

1 The volunteer reads with the student.

* Preselect several books at the child's instructional reading level. Rule of thumb: If the student makes five or more mistakes per page, choose a simpler book.

* Preview the book together. Look at the cover, read the title and author, speculate on what the book may be about, and find out what the student knows about the subject.

* Let the student hold the book and turn the pages.

* Read silently with the student, then discuss what you've read.

* Take turns reading aloud to one another.

* Help the student figure out difficult words by using clues within the sentence or simple phonics (starts with..., sounds like..., break up the word).

Don't let a struggle interfere with comprehension, though. Tell the student the word.

* Write down difficult words for use later in reinforcement games such as word bingo, go fish, or concentration.

* Pose who, what, where when, why, and how questions as discussion starters, going back to the text as necessary to help with understanding.

* Praise the student often and give constructive feedback.

2 The volunteer reads aloud to the student for fun and enjoyment.

* Let the student choose and hold the book.

* Encourage the student to follow along.

* Pose key questions as discussion starters.

3 The volunteer and student write together.

* Invite the student to write or dictate a book review. Might others like the book? Why or why not?

* Write in your own activity log to keep the teacher abreast of how the session went.

RELATED ARTICLE: What the America Reads Challenge means for you and your students

by Richard W. Riley U.S. Secretary of Education

America's teachers are working hard to help students become good, independent readers by the end of third grade. The America Reads Challenge can give teachers the support they need to get the job done.

In its simplest terms, the America Reads Challenge is exactly what its name implies - a challenge that asks all citizens to identify the roles they can play, professionally and personally, in helping children read well. As teachers, this is automatically part of your calling. But America Reads also challenges other community members and organizations to support literacy efforts through volunteerism.

For teachers, this means building on programs that may already be in place by inviting volunteer tutors to work with children during class, after school, and in summer reading programs. One example of an extended learning program is READ*WRITE*NOW, which was designed by reading partners and the U.S. Department of Education to help fight the "summer reading drop-off." Federal Work-Study, AmeriCorps, and other associated programs are also coordinating volunteer literacy efforts to support classroom teachers.

New initiatives are underway as well. The President has asked Congress to fund the work of reading specialists and coordinators to help prepare and organize volunteers. In addition, the proposal would create Parents as First Teachers grants to support programs that assist parents in helping their children become successful readers.

Volunteers can never replace teachers, of course, but they can supplement and reinforce classroom learning. The America Reads Challenge supports the role of teachers as leaders who shape learning in ways that make sense for their students.

The President launched America Reads because he wants to give teachers the quality parental and community involvement they need and deserve. It's a great opportunity to turn America into a nation of readers. And that will make every teacher's job more rewarding.

To learn more about how you can help, call (800) USA-LEARN or visit the U.S. Department of Education's Web site, http://www. ed.gov.

Dr. Susan Edgar is executive director of the New York City School Volunteer Program, Inc., and a former elementary school teacher.

COPYRIGHT 1997 Scholastic, Inc.
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group