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Class Act Dad
Getting Involved with Your Child's School
By Teri Brown
When Rick Graw's first wife passed away unexpectedly several years ago, she left him with two young children to care for. They had just moved to a small town, and Graw wanted to give something back to the little community that had supported his family so wonderfully throughout a very difficult time. "I worked fulltime, but my hours were flexible, so I volunteered with my son's elementary school," says Graw, who has since remarried and moved to Lake Oswego, Ore. "The school was grateful for the help and said I could help out wherever I felt comfortable and there was a need."
Graw ended up in the computer lab, which suited him perfectly. It was only an hour and a half, one morning a week, but the results were worth it as he came to know the children he was working with. "It was very rewarding," he says. "Not only did I feel appreciated by the school, but I enjoyed watching the smile on my son's face when I was there and the hugs given to me by the kids."
Getting involved in the classroom is a wonderful way for fathers to become an integral part of their children's education. Traditionally, it has been mothers who populate the volunteer forces at the local schools. Not only are fathers usually at work during the day, but schools, especially elementary schools, tend to have a high ratio of women. Most of the teachers and administrators are female, and men often don't feel completely at home or welcome in that kind of environment.
Armin Brott, author of The Expectant Father: Facts, Tips and Advice for Dads-to-Be (Abbeville Press, 2001) and Father for Life: A Journey of Joy, Challenge and Change