For those who volunteered at a daycare center?
Has anyone volunteered at a daycare center before? Did you enjoy it? What was your experience like? What did you enjoy/hate most/least?
Just a side note: you’ll need to have a criminal background check prior to volunteering.
I volunteered in classrooms prior to being employed in them and so I’ll give you viewpoints from both sides. 
Did I enjoy it?
Absolutely. A positive experience…then again, if we handle it right…all experiences can have a positive outcome!
Do I enjoy volunteers in the classroom?
Absolutely…regular volunteers are the best because they begin to learn the routine and expectations and I can depend on them for projects/activities that need more supervision. Even better if they are interested in early childhood education and are not connected to any of the families.
As a volunteer I enjoyed the experience without the responsiblity. I found out what I liked and disliked. I also learned possibly ways of handling behaviors and what works and what doesn’t. What I didn’t like is that I couldn’t do much about anything I didn’t like.
As a teacher: I did not care for volunteers that could not seperate themselves from their own children. Yes, at first we expect the child and parent wanting to be near each other but after a certain amount of time there must begin a seperation. ESPECIALLY when they are regular volunteers. More often than not, it’s these children who cause a few issues with behavior when parents are in the classroom. These families I can’t depend on and wish I could discourage.
I strongly recommend volunteering if this is the field you with to be in!
December 29th, 2009 at 6:59 pm
Just a side note: you’ll need to have a criminal background check prior to volunteering.
I volunteered in classrooms prior to being employed in them and so I’ll give you viewpoints from both sides.
Did I enjoy it?
Absolutely. A positive experience…then again, if we handle it right…all experiences can have a positive outcome!
Do I enjoy volunteers in the classroom?
Absolutely…regular volunteers are the best because they begin to learn the routine and expectations and I can depend on them for projects/activities that need more supervision. Even better if they are interested in early childhood education and are not connected to any of the families.
As a volunteer I enjoyed the experience without the responsiblity. I found out what I liked and disliked. I also learned possibly ways of handling behaviors and what works and what doesn’t. What I didn’t like is that I couldn’t do much about anything I didn’t like.
As a teacher: I did not care for volunteers that could not seperate themselves from their own children. Yes, at first we expect the child and parent wanting to be near each other but after a certain amount of time there must begin a seperation. ESPECIALLY when they are regular volunteers. More often than not, it’s these children who cause a few issues with behavior when parents are in the classroom. These families I can’t depend on and wish I could discourage.
I strongly recommend volunteering if this is the field you with to be in!
References :
December 29th, 2009 at 7:41 pm
I have done volunteer work at preschools, day cares, and Sunday School classes. The thing that I disliked the most was the fact that kids are always bringing some kind of germs to class and I would almost always end up with a cold, the flu, or some other crazy bug (I have a low immune system). I also disliked the fact when you tell a parent about a child acting up, they tell you how much of a little angel their child is at home and how it’s your fault (when there are 70 other kids that will behave) and not the kids fault for acting up.
There are a lot of positives, but the biggest one is getting to learn more than you teach. Children have an innocent view of the world that has not been corrupted by "life" yet (at least that’s the case for preschoolers) and they are a constant reminder not to take things so seriously, not to get caught up in the small details, and not to sweat the small stuff. I always said I learned more than I taught. The hugs and the pictures they draw you also make it worth it.
You have to have a strong desire to work with children, tons of patience, lots of love, a good immune system, and a criminal background check to volunteer working with children, but it’s a very rewarding experience that you will learn life long skills from.
References :
December 29th, 2009 at 8:23 pm
hm
References :