“Like children and show it.”
The Los Angeles Unified School District has some good ideas on Positive Volunteerism. Click Here. My favorite one is “Like children and show it.” It’s simple and yet says it all — let the kids know that you like being there and that you want to share time with them. It’s worth running through your mind again — and being positive with them will make the experience more enjoyable for you too. “Like children and show it.”
It’s as easy as …
It’s a useful guiding principle — keep it simple! So when you need a volunteer to do a specific job, let folks know exactly what the job is, the time commitment, and any other pertinent details. Keep it simple — give contact information for more details. Cambridge, MA has a good example of this technique on their webpage.
School Volunteers and Business
Here’s a good article on a business school partnership in Detroit, “Adopt-a-School Volunteers Get Training” If you want some ideas on how to partner with local businesses, you may find them in this article. A variety of ways include mentoring, tutoring, service projects, and interships. Businesses bring different strengths to the process of community building. It’s heartening to see folks working together to address these critical issues: how to use resources well to educate our kids.
A Homework Club Volunteer
South Kingstown, RI has a neat idea — Homework Club Volunteers. 
CARES homework clubs provide students with a quiet place to do homework with the support and guidance of a volunteer. The volunteers are from the community, the local university, and parents. Take a look at more ideas if this seems like it might be a good fit for growing your school volunteer program. Sometimes a little extra support is all a child needs to succeed!
Help kids manage stress in school
Education is all a matter of building bridges. ~ Ralph Ellison. Free 5 minute audio yoga breaks for the classroom at www.greentreeyoga.org. Help students and teachers take a break — and return to learning with more energy, less stress, and a more positive attitude! “Five Minute Yoga Breaks are enjoyable and help our students focus on their work. Teachers have said yoga breaks are great when transitioning to the next subject and they help reduce anxiety and stress before a test or quiz. Yoga Breaks have helped us integrate more movement throughout our day and reach our goals for Gold Medal Schools andWellness! “ Heidi Kunzler, Principal Uintah Elementary School. ANYONE can volunteer to teach this in the classrooms, no yoga experience necessary!! Find out how at greentreeyoga.org.
Easy way to connect with school volunteers
The School Volunteer Association of Bridgeport has some simple ideas on how to connect with volunteers. An easy to read webpage outlines the volunteer spots available and the application to complete. It outlines four categories: Reading Enrichment, Book Buddies, Math/Reading Tutor, and Mentor. Perhaps your school or district can rally some volunteers with the simple approach to communicating volunteer needs.