getting parents busy!

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getting parents busy!
By dish

Hi Becky!

I know what you mean about parents watching - it can be nerve racking but I really like families to know that we have a good community in our classroom... Do your volunteers really not attend to what you ask
them to do? Shame on them! I'd give those people some outside the room projects like making copies, collecting supplies, and cutting die cuts (I like to have lots of die cuts ready to go).
I make sure families understand that I use whole group instruction, small group cooperative projects, and individual on task time. That way I can always say that parents are NOT needed for whole group

instruction. If they come anyway (!) I usually send one child to work on rereading current literature and practice spelling patterns with them (as long as it's not core intruction the student would miss). I try to emphsize that I really need parent help during centers time - I find the students behave better when there is another adult in the room.

I always have a bin w/ materials to assemble stuff that I can direct extra people to - things like premaking step books, pop up books, stapling reproducible books, gluing photos to writing paper - we write about our photos ALL the time in my class!, etc. I also ask for people to correct math fact practice, total our reading log minutes, complete book order forms, and compile homework packets.

Hope that helps!
Trish