5 OTHER Reasons to Volunteer with PTA {giveaway}
By Fawn Rechkemmer of InsteadOfTheDishes.com (This post originally appeared on Instead of the Dishes Sept. 2, 2013. Find an excerpt below and the entire piece here)
Now that school is back in session, I’ve started volunteering for PTA again. Actually, I enjoyed it so much last year that they talked (suckered) me into being the Volunteer Coordinator this year. So, I’ve spent some time thinking about what the perks are for volunteering at your kid’s school. Of course, everyone knows the obvious reasons, like helping teachers, improving the academic experience for everyone, and so on, and so forth. But, I’ve also come up with five OTHER reasons why you should consider becoming a PTA volunteer.
2. You meet people. We were new at our school last year. While volunteering, I met lots of other moms and people from the community. It was an easy way to feel less like a newbie, and it was easy to talk to most of these folks because we had guaranteed things in common – kids in the same school and a vested interest in making that school a great place. I also got to know some of my child’s classmates.
3. It can provide brainless quiet time. Ok, so working the cotton candy machine at the fall festival turned out to be sooo not brainless. But, when I work at school during the day making copies and cutting triangles out of construction paper, it gives me a dedicated block of time for quiet. No cell phone, no laptop. Just me and my thoughts.
4. Get to know the teachers. I’m not talking about creating friendships, because hey, they’re super busy working. But, I’ve enjoyed learning which teacher teaches what. Of course I tend to pay close attention to the grade levels my children are in and the one they will move up to the following year. I don’t mean to sound like a hover parent, but I like having a basic idea of what a teacher’s personality is like without having to rely on my children to paint the picture. (Because then all the teachers would be “fine”.)
5. See what kids are learning in the classroom. When I walk the hallways, I see artwork and writing projects that I wouldn’t otherwise know about. I get a sneak peek of the 3rd grade music program when they practice in the gym. When I make copies, I find out that my kindergartener will be reading Pete the Cat: I love My White Shoes. I even get ideas for activities to do at home!
There's more! Read the entire post over on InsteadoftheDishes.com!
