Getting ready for some volunteer work

[bolophonic]

I had a conversation with the librarian at my son’s school yesterday and mentioned to her that I had some background as a reading tutor and that my schedule is flexible during the week. We discussed some details about my experience and availability and she told me that she would bring it up at the next staff meeting.

Today, she emailed me with a proposed schedule to sit down individually with ten different students, from first to fifth grade, two mornings a week. It looks like I will basically be implementing my own program. It’s a little bit more than I bargained for, but what are you going to do? I’m pretty excited and a little bit nervous. We start next week.

 

[shadowtippy]

Best of luck to you, and the kids.

 

[RoadRanger]

Are they running a background check on you?

 

[getrhythm]

I loved reading to my kids when they were little. I made up different voices for the various characters. The Bearenstain Bears father and mother were basically Ralph Kramden and Edith Bunker.

 

[bolophonic]

Are they running a background check on you?

That was done at the beginning of the school year.

 

[RoadRanger]

That was done at the beginning of the school year.

For some other program you were volunteering for? I personally stay away from any volunteering that requires me to prove I'm not some sort of pervert - I just find that an offensive (and unconstitutional) "guilty until proven innocent" situation.

 

[Stumbo]

I had a conversation with the librarian at my son’s school yesterday and mentioned to her that I had some background as a reading tutor and that my schedule is flexible during the week. We discussed some details about my experience and availability and she told me that she would bring it up at the next staff meeting.

Today, she emailed me with a proposed schedule to sit down individually with ten different students, from first to fifth grade, two mornings a week. It looks like I will basically be implementing my own program. It’s a little bit more than I bargained for, but what are you going to do? I’m pretty excited and a little bit nervous. We start next week.

That's a great service you doing. You are giving a gift for a life time.

 

[bolophonic]

For some other program you were volunteering for? I personally stay away from any volunteering that requires me to prove I'm not some sort of pervert - I just find that an offensive (and unconstitutional) "guilty until proven innocent" situation.

I have volunteered in dozens of organizations over the years and so far, the school system is the only one to require a background check. Personally, I think that everybody is free to draw their own lines for what they find acceptable or intrusive, but I believe that making an effort to screen out sex offenders from the elementary school falls into the no-brainer/bare minimum category. YMMV on that one.

 

[bolophonic]

That's a great service you doing. You are giving a gift for a life time.

Thanks buddy, I am definitely trying to keep my rose-colored glasses on. I worked with high school students in the past, which was incredibly challenging, because an illiterate 17-year old is highly likely to fall back on posturing and saving face before admitting that they need help or don’t know something. This feels like a better opportunity to reach kids before it’s too late.

 

[RoadRanger]

I have volunteered in dozens of organizations over the years and so far, the school system is the only one to require a background check.

Anything involving children here requires one. My youngest daughter just turned 9 - I'll help out unofficially but I don't "lead" or "coach" or transport. Too much parent paranoia hereabouts to want to be the only adult present in any situation involving other's children. I got enough problems with my own rugrats LOL.

BTW in our elementary school they use community college interns to tutor after school. Mostly female "child development" majors I assume...

 

[shadowtippy]

I loved reading to my kids when they were little. I made up different voices for the various characters. The Bearenstain Bears father and mother were basically Ralph Kramden and Edith Bunker.

In that order or at random?

 

[blastoff99]

For some other program you were volunteering for? I personally stay away from any volunteering that requires me to prove I'm not some sort of pervert - I just find that an offensive (and unconstitutional) "guilty until proven innocent" situation.

Really? Wow. That's an interesting take. I personally am happy to have the WSP run a background check on me so that the folks I am volunteering with have reasonable confidence that I'm not a pervert. This is not just for their safety, but mine. I've had far too many insults hurled at me by random people to have some malicious person take a look at me and decide I'd be a good one to pin something on.

The other thing to consider is that when you volunteer, you are doing it to help someone else, not puff yourself up (or that's the hope, anyway). So you do what is required to create a safe and healthy environment for the people you're serving, not meet your own needs for comfort and convenience. A background check is reasonable, prudent, and expected for this environment.

 

[MJ5150]

I had a conversation with the librarian at my son’s school yesterday and mentioned to her that I had some background as a reading tutor and that my schedule is flexible during the week. We discussed some details about my experience and availability and she told me that she would bring it up at the next staff meeting.

Today, she emailed me with a proposed schedule to sit down individually with ten different students, from first to fifth grade, two mornings a week. It looks like I will basically be implementing my own program. It’s a little bit more than I bargained for, but what are you going to do? I’m pretty excited and a little bit nervous. We start next week.

As the saying goes, 'my hat is off to you' good sir.
Volunteering can be challenging anyway, and for you not to back off or walk away when you got into more than you bargained for, very impressive.
You have the chance to change children's lives. That is so awesome.

-Mike

 

[hrodbert696]

I had a conversation with the librarian at my son’s school yesterday and mentioned to her that I had some background as a reading tutor and that my schedule is flexible during the week. We discussed some details about my experience and availability and she told me that she would bring it up at the next staff meeting.

Today, she emailed me with a proposed schedule to sit down individually with ten different students, from first to fifth grade, two mornings a week. It looks like I will basically be implementing my own program. It’s a little bit more than I bargained for, but what are you going to do? I’m pretty excited and a little bit nervous. We start next week.

As a librarian's husband and former part-time reference assistant, I give this a wholehearted...

My favorite program, though, is the one where the kids read to dogs. You're not a dog, are you? Because that would be really cool.

For some other program you were volunteering for? I personally stay away from any volunteering that requires me to prove I'm not some sort of pervert - I just find that an offensive (and unconstitutional) "guilty until proven innocent" situation.

My dad was an attorney who worked with a lot of churches and religious institutions. What he said was that organizations that deal with kids and rely on volunteers are magnets for predators who go to them for easy access. The presumption of goodwill and the need for more help makes it easy for them. These screening processes are really important. It is not guilty until proven innocent; nobody is being deprived of life, liberty or property by a background check. And there has already been considerable thought put into what kinds of screening processes are effective and appropriate and which are unnecessarily intrusive into the screenee's privacy. Trust me, no one is violating anyone's rights.

 

[two fingers]

Very cool man! My mother was an elementary school teacher. She knew from the time she was a little girl that she wanted to teach people to read. That's what kept her going through all of the red tape and nonsense involved in teaching.... seeing that lightbulb come on and the expression on a kid's face when that kid reads something new.... some new word or passage. She volunteers to this day at the same school she retired from.

Enjoy it.

 

[bolophonic]

As the saying goes, 'my hat is off to you' good sir.
Volunteering can be challenging anyway, and for you not to back off or walk away when you got into more than you bargained for, very impressive.
You have the chance to change children's lives. That is so awesome.

-Mike

Thanks Mike. I’ll be honest, when they told me what they needed, there was a split-second where I thought to myself “what have I done?” It was a good reminder that I need to keep pushing myself beyond the boundaries I have settled into. I’ve been in a rut lately.

 

[bolophonic]

As a librarian's husband and former part-time reference assistant, I give this a wholehearted...
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My favorite program, though, is the one where the kids read to dogs. You're not a dog, are you? Because that would be really cool.
View attachment 2870549



My dad was an attorney who worked with a lot of churches and religious institutions. What he said was that organizations that deal with kids and rely on volunteers are magnets for predators who go to them for easy access. The presumption of goodwill and the need for more help makes it easy for them. These screening processes are really important. It is not guilty until proven innocent; nobody is being deprived of life, liberty or property by a background check. And there has already been considerable thought put into what kinds of screening processes are effective and appropriate and which are unnecessarily intrusive into the screenee's privacy. Trust me, no one is violating anyone's rights.

The dog program sounds awesome. Thanks for sharing that!

 

[Aberdumbie]

There is nothing more rewarding than helping kids. I coached little league baseball back in the 1990’s and the kids that are grown men now still look me up from time to time. Believe me when I say that right now it may feel a burden but the reward is as much yours as it is theirs and will be with you the rest of your days.

 

[buldog5151bass]

Good that you can implement your own program, rather than just follow a syllabus - allows you to work with the students to find what works best with them.

As to the background check, pretty much any organization that works with minors is going to require it, especially when they are alone with them, or are in a position of authority. It happened for me with youth sports and Boy Scouts.

 

[bolophonic]

There is nothing more rewarding than helping kids. I coached little league baseball back in the 1990’s and the kids that are grown men now still look me up from time to time. Believe me when I say that right now it may feel a burden but the reward is as much yours as it is theirs and will be with you the rest of your days.

That’s super cool.