Day 26 - "Be the change you wish to see in the world."

Last year, we got some bad news at our school. We found out that Budget Cuts were going to affect our school programs, increase child/teacher ratios in our classrooms, lay off teachers and Kindergarten Aides. It was a sad announcement for our school and the PTO and parents got involved and fought for funds. We lost the big battle, but we were able to keep the class sizes down to a reasonable level.

So last year, I decided that I was going to make a difference...even if it was just a little dent. I offered to volunteer in the Kindergarten classroom (since we lost our Kindergarten Aides) for the following school year, even though my daughter was heading to first grade. One of my friends thought I was crazy...why volunteer for a classroom where your child doesn't benefit from you volunteering. I could see her point of view, I was already volunteering at capacity, but then I could see mine too.

We're in this world together...going through the bad and the good. Our children really are our future and the more we help them, the more we help ourselves and generations to come. I believe that children can make positive changes in this world. They are dreamers..they want people to be nice (World Peace), they want their mommies, daddies, family members or friends to get better (to develop a cure for Cancer or any other disease), they want their family members to make time for them and have fun playing with them (make technological advances that increase productivity in a short amount of time), they want their families and friends to get better after having a boo boo (to make advances in the medical communities so recovery time is shorter), they want to make changes for the benefit of mankind because they know it's a good thing to dance, have fun and get along.

I believe it's our job as parents, teachers, staff and volunteers to encourage all kids to succeed, not just our own. To let all kids know that they can make a difference in the world, if they just work hard and believe in themselves. It's our job to build up their confidence and self esteem. Every little bit of encouragement helps. Teachers can't do it by themselves, they need volunteers. They need us!

So today, I volunteered to help with the Math Club. I had a blast working with kids as they practiced reading and writing their numbers. And of course, I got to see one of my favorite teachers too.

Until tomorrow...where I have absolutely nothing lined up for volunteering....have a great day!
Christina

P.S. I thought I would leave you with one quote today. "You must be the change you wish to see in the world." - Mahatma Gandhi