A low-cost class gift teachers will love!
At VolunteerSpot, we LOVE teachers and know that many parents want to acknowledge and celebrate their children's teachers during the holidays. Often the room mom (or room dad) takes up a collection and presents the teacher with a gift card or envelope of holiday cash. This year, however, the thought of asking parents to contribute money has more than a few room moms pausing. Christy W, a 2nd grade room mom from Fairfax, VA. summed it up when she said, "How can I possibly ask for even $5 when I know that many families in our class are struggling to make ends meat." And for class parents who really want to offer a gift, many realize that small items -- like candles, bath salts, and candy -- while affordable, may not be what their teacher really wants or needs.
We've got a win/win solution for parents and teachers that also benefits our kids: this holiday season, give your teacher something they really want...the collective gift of TIME!
VolunteerSpot’s free and easy online sign up sheet makes it a snap to coordinate a group gift from class parents or the broader PTA community. Each parent signs up to contribute a little bit of time or effort, and collectively the teacher receives a HUGELY rewarding experience. Here are some ideas that involve each parent giving a few hours of time every other month:
Classroom Helpers: Signup to read to the class, help with science experiments, and coach kids needing extra help with their math or assignments.
Paperwork Parents: Take turns making copies, assembling work kits and grading papers to give the teacher a free evening. Knowing (s)he has support once a week makes a big differnence for our busy teachers. Working parents like that many tasks can be completed at home and returned the next day.
Meals Circle: Create a once-a-week meals calendar with each family volunteering to bring the teacher either lunch or dinner throughout the year. This can either be a home-cooked meal, a quick sandwich, or even a gift certificate to a local resturant.
Recess or Lunch Monitors: Create a supervision schedule and give your child’s teacher well-deserved quiet time several days a week.
What’s
even
more wonderful about setting up a classroom, meal or recess schedule, is your
child’s teacher can enjoy this gift ALL YEAR! All you need is one parent to take lead and set up a schedule using VolunteerSpot's easy-to-use online calendar sign up tool. Here's our video about how it works. Simply invite class parents to find a spot that fits their schedule or make assignments. Parents sign up with a click and VolunteerSpot sends automated confirmation and reminder messages to help them keep their commitments. Invite the teacher as an assistant organzier so (s)he can access the schedule to make changes and see who to expect on any given day.
By making it easy to ask for help, VolunteerSpot makes it simple to give the gift of TIME. "One parent setup a class reading schedule for me. I would have asked for help years ago if I had known it would be this easy to coordinate," said Mrs. W., a 20 yr. Kindergarten veteran in Austin, TX. "The kids love seeing their parents at school, the parents enjoy the class and I get a 20 minute break to catch up on paperwork and email."
Imagine how well-loved your teacher will feel when (s)he learns that the class parents have committed their time to making the rest of the school year a success!
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Also see our free eBook: The Greatest Gifts for Teachers for gift ideas throughout the school year.
