728x90
my iParenting
From Our Sponsors
e-newsletters
Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters

new terms of use
new privacy policy
award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
Home › Articles › Essays › The Best, Lowest Paid Job in School

The Best, Lowest Paid Job in School

By Gwen Kopetzky

Pages:  1  2  3  

  • Was I willing to do administrative tasks? The school offered many opportunities for parents to get involved in fund-raising, help out in the library, organize decorating parties or school assemblies, do word processing at home or a whole host of other duties. While helping the school, these volunteer duties would not involve me in my kindergartner's school life.
  • Did I want to try to squeeze those volunteer hours into the regular classroom time or do work on weeknights or weekends -- like the fund-raising or word processing -- saving a little of that off-time for my family?
  • Did I want to volunteer in an area where I already had proven skills, or use volunteering as an opportunity to stretch my skills and do something new?

    • Somehow it has all worked out in a wonderfully messy way. I split my regular time commitment between playground duty and working in the library. One day a week, I get off work at noon and fly to the school. There I get to spend an hour with my daughter and her friends at recess teaching them jump rope chants, zipping their coats or making macaroni jewelry inside if it's raining. My daughter is always excited to see me and is thrilled that I know her friends' names so we can chat about them later.

    From the kindergarten playground, I run upstairs to the library to help re-shelve books and file cards for a couple of hours until school lets out. I am a bookworm so I enjoy being in the library and the librarian told me I'm a "great alphabetizer." I'm also learning new skills, getting familiar with the school's resources and making myself useful besides.


    Pages:  1  2  3  


    Want to see more?