It is very important that you understand the trust parents have in schools, and that their personal business will remain confidential. Not only are you required to refrain from reading personal notes and files on students, you need to discourage students from discussing their family’s business at school. Remember, youngsters often perceive situations in a different light than how they actually occurred, and may translate facts incorrectly. It is your responsibility to discourage this type of communication but do refer troublesome comments to the teacher. As a volunteer in the school you will observe a variety of student behaviors, academic levels, maturity levels and relationships. It’s very easy to make judgments about students, the teacher, and the process as a whole based on these observations. Please keep in mind that you are only seeing a small portion of what takes place in the classroom. Though you may have specific learning plans designed by the teacher and/or school community that you may not be aware of. Please try not to draw conclusions based solely on your classroom experiences. When talking to others about your volunteer work, be careful to discuss your observations about particular students. Should parents or others have questions about a student’s behavior or school work, please redirect them by suggestions that they contact the teacher regarding their concerns or interest.Thank you for volunteering! *
