May will be here before you know it which also means that Mother’s Day is just around the corner. For many years, making gifts for Mother’s Day actually stressed me out. Instead of asking my parent volunteers to lend a hand, I started to take on the projects by myself because I didn’t want any of the moms to end up making their own gifts. Once I became a mother, it dawned on me to form a new plan and I want to share that teaching tip with you today in the hopes that it will help alleviate some stress for you, too.

Mother’s Day Volunteer Swap

Find another teacher who has an amazing parent volunteer (or two) and ask them to do a volunteer swap for the holiday. Just make sure to choose a teacher who isn’t making the same gift as you. By swapping volunteers, both teachers still get the help they need with a project and the parents will still be surprised by their child’s gift. If your volunteer swap works out for Mother’s Day, you can try it again at Christmas!

 

Have you ever tried a volunteer swap before? If so, I’d love to hear about it!

 

If you’re looking for a Mother’s Day idea, take a look at these cards my students made. They wrote a poem, an opinion piece, and a recipe for a great mom. They were easy to integrate into our writing block and the kids were so proud of their cards!

Happy Teaching!