How to Be Room Mother in a Child's Classroom

If you're the room mother in your child's classroom, your role means much more than baking cupcakes on holidays. Instead, it gives you an opportunity to make a positive and far-reaching impact on your child's classroom. Get to know the teacher, connect with other parents and delegate responsibilities. Use your position to make this school year a great one.

Instructions

1. Establish a rapport with the teacher. As a room mother, it is important to establish a good relationship with a teacher at the beginning of the school year. Set up a meeting to speak with the teacher. Let the teacher know you are there to support her. Find out if there are any specific needs in the classroom. This might include school supplies, materials for special projects, volunteers, assistance with copying and tutors, among many other things. Inform the teacher that you will do your best to help meet the needs of the classroom.

2. Contact the parents of other students. Introduce yourself by phone and talk to the other parents about the needs of the classroom. Let them know that there are many ways that they can contribute to the classroom's success. These include making a financial donation, sending supplies, volunteering their time and raising funds for the classroom.

3. Recruit a few parents to work with you closely. Give each parent a specific responsibility. Appoint one parent to recruit and oversee volunteers, ask another be in charge of holiday parties, appoint another to organize fundraising events and ask another to oversee classroom supply donations. Communicate with these parents on a regular basis to make sure that classroom needs are being met.

4. Touch base with the the teacher throughout the school year. Classroom needs are constantly changing. Your child's classroom might need more tutors right before standardized testing occurs. School supplies often diminish around the end of the semester. Make sure you speak with your child's teacher regularly to meet the classroom's changing needs.

Tips & Warnings

• Attend all P.T.A. and school-wide meetings. As the room mother, you are the advocate for your child's classroom. Speak up when it comes to things that will positively impact your child's classroom.

• Show appreciation to your child's teacher throughout the school year. A happy teacher has a happy classroom. Collect donations for a special appreciation gift a couple of times during the school year.