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Step 1
Be patient. Often, you're raring to go as a newly minted kindergarten parent volunteer. But kindergarten-aged children need to separate from their parents and establish the routine of being at school independently first. Recognize that most kindergarten teachers will not start using volunteers until later in the year to get children settled.
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Step 2
Sit down. Children respect the authority figure in the room--the teacher. Make sure you're not inadvertently undermining her authority by standing in the background. Walk into the classroom and sit down in one of the tiny chairs the children use. Focus on what the teacher is saying to exemplify the behavior for the children. Wait until you're called over by the teacher to start.
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Step 3
Be clear on what you need to do. Kindergarten teachers often have years of experience in the nuance of teaching children of this age. As a result, they often have very clear plans of how to accomplish a certain task. Make sure that you understand fully. For example, if you're leading a learning group that's reading and underlining words, make sure you understand which color to use for each type of word and why.
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Step 4
Don't gossip. There's a bond of trust between you and the teacher. You're witnessing first hand the learning styles and capabilities of each child. They're likely to be vastly different, even within a single classroom. It's also an age where learning issues start to become more evident. Leave it to the professionals to manage. Don't talk about the specifics of children's behavior in the class--it's a breach of confidentiality. If you are concerned about something you've witnessed, talk directly to the teacher outside of the children's hearing.
